Onboarding at On has been designed to give a full outlook on the organization – from the history of our founding to our Spirits and an introduction to each function. But while in the past this has been done mainly virtual and offered per region, in 2026 we’ve launched Ignition Days. Led by our Human Growth & Performance team, new joiners from around the globe come together in Zurich each quarter to connect, to meet On’s Founders and senior leadership, and deep dive into the business and culture directly at On Labs. Hear directly from the core team behind Ignition Days, Senior Director of Human Growth and Performance Johanna Bolin Tingvall and Rachele Airoldi, Talent Growth Senior Specialist, about why in-person connection – right at the source – can be game-changing for a successful career journey.
What motivated the change to hosting global onboarding in person?
Culture serves as a foundational identity for an organization, it shapes shared values, guiding us in our daily interactions and it drives employee engagement and retention. Being a company in massive growth, culture becomes an essential anchor. That’s why we decided to change the way we do onboarding. We see onboarding as one of the most important (and first) ways for new joiners to experience our culture. It’s a cultural hero moment, where we aim to quickly bring the new team members up to speed on what we do as a company – and how we do it. We want them to connect with our mission and with each other to feel a sense of belonging. – JBT
Hosting Ignition Days feels like opening the door to a very special place. It’s our way of saying: ' Welcome to On – you are entering a unique culture, and we are counting on you to help safeguard and enrich it.' As we grow so fast as a company, this event is more important than ever. It creates a special welcome moment to pass the cultural baton to our new joiners. Onboarding programs are all about ensuring people have the tools and technical knowledge for a strong start – but they should also be about creating excitement and momentum. Before they dive into their specific roles, we really want people to understand the big picture of why and how we work at On. Exploring and meeting the major teams of the Oniverse creates a deep sense of belonging, allowing new joiners to tap into their Explorer Spirit right away. Ultimately, the ideal outcome of Ignition Days is for everyone to walk away with a clear understanding of our team ecosystem, and a shared excitement for how they are going to contribute to what we will achieve next. – RA
How did you select the speakers for the sessions?
We wanted to give our new joiners the opportunity to meet leaders from all parts of the company, to paint the picture of what On is and how we make it all work. They can connect all the different parts of the business and operations to what they are doing, understanding where they fit into the puzzle. An important part of this is to bring in our Founders, Co-CEOs and other senior leaders to answer questions and meet the new team members. Through this experience, new joiners get a direct line to our leaders, and can ask any questions they like. We know this helps in building trust and commitment. – JBT
Can you share more about how in-person onboarding helps not just maintain a strong culture, but to grow it?
In-person onboarding helps grow our culture by bringing new team members right to the heart of On, allowing them to truly connect with our core purpose from day one. By meeting the Founders and leaders face-to-face, they are able to build genuine, lasting connections much faster than they could through a screen. It creates a unique space for colleagues from all over the world to come together, sparking a sense of global community and belonging that they carry back to their respective teams. – JBT
"The real magic happens when people hear the stories behind the stories. When they understand why we started, what we believe, and what kind of company we are trying to build – together. Few things make me prouder than seeing our team bring that experience to life.Watching that spark travel from one generation of dreamers to the next is something quite special." – Katarina Berg, Chief Human Resources Officer
Can you elaborate on the magnifying effect a great onboarding experience has on someone’s career journey in an organization?
Onboarding done right, can supercharge someone's entire experience at the company. It makes new hires feel like they truly belong faster. Instead of just figuring out their basic tasks, they connect deeply with the company's mission. This builds a ton of trust early on, making them feel safe enough to share new ideas and jump into projects without second-guessing themselves. They build connections that will help them get their jobs done easier and they will know how to navigate the complex environment that a quickly scaling company is.
That early deep dive into the culture builds foundations, keeping people grounded and focused on the big picture instead of getting lost in the noise of a scaling business. What we’ve seen from experience is that previous new joiners naturally want to pass that same uplifting experience on to the next wave of people. They turn into the ultimate culture champions, keeping the company's unique energy alive and well no matter how huge the team gets. – JBT
What would you say makes Zurich and On Labs so special? What is the unique quality that it offers as a location for onboarding (that another place might not)?
Switzerland is where it all started. The main uniqueness and why we want to host Ignition Days in Zurich is to bring all the new joiners on the full On journey. To understand the present, and know where we are going, it’s crucial to understand the past. That is why we put a lot of effort into telling the story of On, and bringing people to where it all started. We are passionate about igniting the human spirit through movement and what could be a better place than Zurich with nature, mountains, lakes just around the corner. – JBT
What is your takeaway after hosting the first sessions?
The real-time feedback we have been getting from participants tells us that we are on the right track! They have shared their appreciation for meeting new colleagues, connecting the dots of our company, getting to ask questions directly to our most senior leaders and visiting Zurich to understand what and who we are. What we are all about. The enthusiasm and connections built between new joiners during these three days has been a joy to see. – JBT
Looking closely at the feedback from our latest Ignition Days survey, the response from our new hires has been incredibly validating. The survey metrics around our social evenings and collective movement sessions prove that bringing people together physically at On Labs does something a screen simply cannot – it transforms a standard corporate orientation into a real 'wow!' moment. Our new joiners overwhelmingly highlighted the invaluable experience of connecting face-to-face with our leadership team, and by blending deep business insights with social activities, we’ve successfully sparked genuine cross-functional connections. Best of all, 93% of participants agreed that 'Ignition Days helped me find my stride at On – giving me a clear picture of who we are as a team, how we work, and where we are going.' – RA