A: Have you started your new job?

B: Yeah. There is a five-day onboarding program for all new employees. I have been shown around our office building and attending lectures given by senior managers.

Note: This word refers to the action or process of integrating a new employee into an organization or familiarizing a new customer or client with one’s products or services. The word came into existence in the 1970s, but gained popularity in business circles only in the last decade. It began being used when companies started putting emphasis on preliminary training for new hires. The phrase “on board” is a metaphor for “joining or participating,” as landlubbers are invited “on board” a ship.