Scaling Onboarding for Global Teams: Lessons from WSP’s Transformation
I n today’s world of global workforces, mergers, and hybrid recruitment, onboarding isn’t just a process – it’s a critical moment of truth for your brand, culture, and compliance.
If you’re hiring at scale or expanding across borders, you’ve likely felt the pain: slow contract generation, inconsistent workflows, compliance gaps, or a less-than-stellar candidate experience. So how do you fix that at scale?
One global company’s journey offers a few useful lessons.
“Onboard Express has been a game-changer for us. What used to take days now takes minutes—and the support we’ve received has been better than any other provider we’ve worked with.”
— Stephanie Wood, National Talent Acquisition Systems Lead, WSP Australia
When Growth Outpaces Your Systems
WSP, a global engineering and professional services consulting firm with over 65,000 employees, knows what it means to scale fast. With new hires joining across multiple countries—and a steady stream of company acquisitions—WSP needed more than just a digital form solution.
They needed an onboarding platform that could flex with their growth, manage compliance across borders, and reduce admin pressure on their People team.
That’s when they adopted Onboard Express.
And here’s what we can learn from their approach.
1. Automate the Manual, but Keep the Human
WSP was generating employment contracts manually—a process that could take days. By shifting to a digital workflow, they cut that down to minutes. Contracts can now be sent, signed, and returned within the hour.
The takeaway: Automate where it makes sense, but do it in a way that still feels human and personal to the candidate.
2. Build for Scale, Not Just Today’s Needs
The system didn’t just work for WSP Australia—it scaled easily into the Philippines and New Zealand. And because Onboard Express integrates with different recruitment platforms, the company didn’t have to overhaul existing systems to see results.
If you’re thinking about onboarding software, ask yourself not just “does this solve our problem today?”—but “will it grow with us tomorrow?”
3. Compliance Shouldn’t Be an Afterthought
Hiring across multiple regions comes with a hidden complexity: local regulations. WSP used Onboard Express to streamline compliance, reduce legal risks, and ensure every contract met local requirements.
For any growing business, compliance is often one of the first areas to slip when you’re scaling fast. Build onboarding systems that help embed compliance by default, not by extra effort.
4. Support Is Just as Important as Features
WSP rated Onboard Express’ support team as the best provider experience they’ve ever had. That’s no small thing when you’re rolling out tech across teams and countries.
When evaluating software, don’t just compare checklists of features—evaluate the people behind the product. Are they proactive? Do they understand your business? Will they pick up the phone when it matters?
5. First Impressions Are Lasting Ones
A quick, smooth, and professional onboarding process doesn’t just save time—it builds trust. For WSP, the platform helped improve their employer brand perception and gave new hires a confident first step into the company.
Candidates notice when things feel chaotic. And they remember when things feel easy.
So, What Can You Do Now?
If your onboarding process still feels stuck in spreadsheets, inboxes, or inconsistent workflows—it’s worth exploring what a system like Onboard Express can do for you.
Whether you’re growing your team locally or scaling globally, the key is to treat onboarding not as an HR task, but as a strategic advantage.