# The onboarding cliff

> The capability drop-off around week six, when the welcome fades and the real work starts.

Source: https://iambenschmidt.com/lexicon/the-onboarding-cliff/ · 2026-06-02


**The onboarding cliff** is the week-six drop-off: the warm welcome is over, the documentation has been skimmed and forgotten, and the new hire is now quietly expected to just know things.

It is not a talent problem. It is a support problem. We hire well, hand people static docs and a "good luck," then act surprised when capability falls off a cliff right when the real work starts. The fix is unglamorous: keep the practice going past week one.

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## Related Reading



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