Creating an employee onboarding app is important for ensuring that new hires are smoothly integrated into your organization. An efficient onboarding process not only makes new employees feel welcomed but it also accelerates their productivity, providing them with essential information and resources right from the start.
But first, let’s learn more about employee onboarding apps.
What is an employee onboarding app?
An employee onboarding app is a software tool that manages the process of integrating a new hire into your organization, from offer acceptance to full productivity. This process varies widely depending on the role, company culture, and other factors, ranging from minimal tasks to extensive paperwork.
Onboarding apps help manage specific tasks, such as formalizing and sharing new hire information with internal stakeholders. For example, they can add the new hire’s details to internal databases, notify colleagues of their responsibilities, and schedule introductions. Additionally, onboarding apps ensure new hires complete required training, maintaining records of their understanding of policies like fire safety and disciplinary procedures.
Why build a tool for onboarding employees?
Although there are numerous HR tools available, building your own employee onboarding app offers several advantages. It is more cost-effective than paying for a recurring SaaS license and allows for full customization to meet your specific needs. With Softr, you can quickly create a functional and tailored employee onboarding app without writing a single line of code, ensuring it aligns perfectly with your organization’s processes and requirements.
Let’s explore how you can achieve this. In this guide, I’ll walk you through building an employee onboarding app using Softr. By the end, you’ll have a fully functional app that will transform your employee onboarding process.
How to create an employee onboarding app (step-by-step guide)
Step 1: Getting started
Thanks to its user-friendly interface and versatile templates, Softr offers an efficient way to build such an employee onboarding app without writing a single line of code. Softr’s employee onboarding template is specifically designed for employee onboarding and includes features like task management, progress tracking, and resource linking.
First, you will need to log in to Softr. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up to Softr for free.

Step 2: Create new app
With your Softr account set up, it’s time to create your new employee onboarding app. You can create it from scratch, generate one from your data, or generate one with AI. You can also use the employee onboarding template, which includes the most-used features and components of an employee onboarding app.
To start with the template, on your Softr dashboard, under “Recommended templates,” locate and click on the “All templates” button.

Step 3: Search for a template
Use the search bar to search for your desired template, then select it. There you can learn more about the employee onboarding app template, including its features and functionalities. Once you’re ready, click on the “Use Template” button.
Step 4: Select a data source
Once you’ve selected your template, you’ll be prompted to choose a data source – connect the spreadsheet or database you plan to use for most of your employee onboarding information. For this example, we’ll store our data in Google Sheets. Click on the “Google Sheets” option and then click on “Continue.”

Step 5: Connect to Google Sheets
Now, you have to connect your Softr with your Google Account, so that the app you’re creating in Softr has access to the data stored in your Google Sheets files.
Step 5.1: Select a Google account
A new window or tab will open for you to login to or select your Google account. Pick the one you use to store your Google Sheets data.

Step 5.2: Grant additional access
In this step, you’ll need to grant Softr access to a set of features. Click on “Select all” and then hit on “Continue.”

Step 5.3: Go to your app
Now that your Google account is connected with Softr, click on “Go to application.”

Step 6: Add your own data
By connecting your Google account with Softr, you created a Google Sheets file with sample data. If you don’t have any data in a Google Sheets file yet, you can choose this newly created one to add your data.
On the other hand, if you already have your data in a Google Sheets file, then you need to specify the name of that file in Softr Studio. To do so, select one of the components of your templated app to open a panel on the right side. In the Source tab, under “Document,” choose the Google Sheets file you want to use. Under “Sheet,” specify which sheet from the selected file contains the data you want to use for that particular block.
You can click on the table icon to open the document in a new tab.

Step 7: Customize your new app
An employee onboarding app can consist of multiple pages, such as a welcome page, a task list, a resource library, a team members list, and more. Each page can include various blocks to display different types of content and functionalities. And each block has its own styling.
The employee onboarding template includes predefined pages, blocks, and styles. However, you can easily customize these to match your brand’s aesthetics and meet your needs.
Tip: First identify the functionality you need for your app. Then identify the block types that will help you create that functionality. Then build and test the app before doing any styling – save this for last!
Step 7.1: Add a new block
First, you need to choose one of the pages to which to add a block. In the employee onboarding template, the following pages are included:
- Home, where you can find the onboarding tasks of each team member;
- Resources feature a list of resources, such as handbooks and SOPs, that new hires need to get up to speed with their roles;
- Task details provides details about specific tasks, accompanied by links to relevant resources;
- Team members lists all team members, and you can click on each one to access the Team member details page, where you can introduce them and their roles within the company;
- User profile allows you to change the team member’s name, email, and password;
- Sign in, where users enter their username and password to access the employee onboarding app;
- Forgot password prompts the team members to enter their email address to receive a password link to the Reset password page, where they can define a new password;
- Permission denied displays a message indicating that the user does not have the authorization to access the requested page.
Navigate to the desired page using the “Pages” button on the left sidebar. To add a new block, click the “+” icon at the top-right corner of the screen to open a right sidebar. Use the search bar or scroll to find the block you need, then click on it to add it to your page.
Remember to connect this block to your data source and map all the fields. To do so, click on the Source tab, as you did in the previous step.
Step 7.2: Add new pages
To make your employee onboarding app more comprehensive and informative, you can create various pages that cater to your company needs. For example, you can create a page about the company, which includes its history, mission, and values. This serves as an introduction to the company’s culture and what it stands for.
Additionally, you can have a page dedicated to company policies, ensuring that new employees are aware of the guidelines they need to follow, such as the code of conduct, dress code, and workplace ethics. Note: You can add pages over time as your needs change, the company evolves, and you have time to create them.
Moreover, a page about events and activities can highlight upcoming company events, social outings, and team-building exercises, fostering a sense of community and involvement. Lastly, an FAQ page can address new employees’ common queries, helping them find answers quickly.
To add a new page, click on the “Pages” button on the left sidebar, then on “+ Add new page.” Insert a name and a URL for your new page. Once the page is created, you can add the necessary blocks as mentioned in step 7.1 to populate your new page with content.
By creating these pages, you can ensure that your employee onboarding app is not only functional but also rich in content, making the onboarding experience seamless and engaging for new hires.
Step 7.3: Customize styling
Once you click on a block, a sidebar will open. There, you can click on the Styles tab to edit the paddings, margins, background color, and borders.

Step 8: Add users to your app
Adding users and user groups is an important aspect of creating an employee onboarding app. By defining the users of your app, you ensure only your organization’s team members can access your app. Users can then sign up and log in using their email and password. You can then group these users into different user groups to control who can access to view each part of your app, and who has the ability to add or modify content as an admin. This granular control helps maintain privacy and ensures that users only access the information relevant to their role, enhancing the app’s security.
Step 8.2: Add users’ details
In order to add the details of your users, you have two options:
- Enter their name and email addresses: you’ll be able to choose if you want to generate a temporary password sent by email to the new team member or generate a link that allows that team member to log in without a password;
- Upload a CSV file with all your team members’ data, by clicking on “IMPORT USERS.”
Unless you already have all the team members’ information in a CSV file, you may want to add users one by one. It’s recommended to add a few users manually to test your application, and when it’s working properly and tested, then you’ll upload your team or company.

Step 8.3: Create user groups
User groups allow you to define the access to specific pages and blocks based on your team members’ roles. For instance, managers might have access to all pages, while new hires only see their onboarding tasks.
To create user groups, go to the User Groups tab and click on “+ Add user group.” Give the group a name and add users either manually, by selecting them from a drop-down menu, or based on predefined conditions. This setup allows you to effortlessly assign consistent permissions to multiple users.
Step 8.4: Create data restrictions
Implementing content restrictions in your employee onboarding app is a powerful way to ensure that the right information is accessible to the right users. These options are in the “Users” menu, under the “Data restrictions” tab.
You can protect sensitive information and customize the user experience based on individual roles by setting visibility rules for different pages and blocks. This approach not only secures confidential data but also streamlines workflows, as users see only the tasks and information relevant to them.
Content restrictions also help maintain compliance with data protection regulations by providing a clear audit trail of access and unauthorized attempts. Integrating these restrictions into your Softr app boosts security, compliance, and user experience. Everyone gets access to the resources they need, and nothing more, creating a professional, efficient, and secure digital environment for your organization.
First, you need to populate the following fields:
- Source: the account where your data is stored;
- Document: on which file or database the data may be found;
- Sheet: the specific sheet where is the data you want to restrict the access to.
Once done, click on “Next.”

Then, select the user group which are affected by these restrictions, and enter the conditions that should be met. In the example below, the restrictions are applied to HR team members, ensuring that a specific HR team member can only view another team member’s data if they are the manager of that team member.

Step 9: Adjust the visibility of your app
Now that you have added users to your employee onboarding app, you can define which pages and blocks are visible to different users or user groups.
Step 9.1: Set pages’ visibility
For each page in your onboarding app, access its settings by clicking the cog icon at the top left. This will open a left sidebar, where you can open the Visibility menu. There, specify which users or user groups can view the page. This allows you to tailor the onboarding experience for different roles within your organization.
Step 9.2: Set blocks’ visibility
Similarly, you can set the visibility for specific blocks of a page. Click on a block to open the right sidebar. Navigate to the Visibility tab to define which block users or user groups can see. This ensures that users see only the content relevant to their role.
Step 10: Publish your app
Once you’ve configured all the necessary settings for your employee onboarding app, click on the “Publish” button at the top-right corner. In the popup that appears, click on “Publish” to save your work and make your app accessible to your team members.

Step 11: You created an employee onboarding app!
You’ve built a comprehensive employee onboarding app using Softr and Google Sheets (the process is similar with another data source, such as Airtable). Now, your new hires can enjoy a streamlined, engaging onboarding experience, making their transition into your organization smoother and more effective.
Your app is now ready to provide new employees with all the necessary resources, tasks, and information to hit the ground running. Keep exploring Softr’s features to further enhance and customize your onboarding app as your company grows and evolves. The possibilities are endless!

Build your employee onboarding app (+more) in Softr
With Softr's no-code builder and templates, you can create a simple, working employee onboarding app today, for free.
Even better, once you've launched that application successfully, there's no shortage of possibilities of what to launch yet. Create a company intranet, a wiki, an employee portal, even an applicant tracking system. At Softr we use it for our own vacation tracker, performance review system, and more.
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