Development of the Onboarding and Personnel Adaptation Concepts

The article attempts to distinguish between the concepts of "adaptation" and "onboarding", which are currently used either together or as identical in the modern scientific literature on HR management.On the basis of studying the definitions of adaptation, an attempt is made to identify its historical origin as a category that involves the adaptation of a person and their activities to the internal or external environment.The author considers the definition of professional adaptation, i.e. the process of adaptation of a new employee to a new position, team, and enterprise.Four stages of professional adaptation of a person are distinguished, in which only the third and fourth stages are directly related to employment at a new enterprise.The third stage involves joining the team, adapting to the work schedule, organization of work, social and psychological relationships in the group; mastering professional skills specific to a particular institution; internalization of the organization's values and norms; the fourth stage involves horizontal and vertical mobility within the enterprise, between enterprises and professions; and the adaptee's entry into the continuous professional growth and professional creativity system.Based on the study of the concept of "onboarding", a conclusion is made that this process is most concerned with the socialization of a new employee, i.e., their onboarding through mastering the norms and rules of the corporate culture.The main tasks of onboarding are defined, which once again confirms the more social role of this process in the enterprise.The author generalizes the conclusion that adaptation and onboarding are not identical concepts, there is a difference between them.The author's opinion is that onboarding can be considered Журнал «Наукові інновації та передові технології» № 6(34) 2024 (Серія «Управління та адміністрування», Серія «Право», Серія «Економіка», Серія «Психологія», Серія «Педагогіка») 707 a part of adaptation, which differs in taking into account the personal characteristics and individual qualities of a new employee and is aimed at optimizing the process in psychological terms.