Employee onboarding at CHU de Limoges
CHU de Limoges
How do you onboard new employees in an organisation with 1,800 different roles?
CHU de Limoges is a city within a city. It chose to turn its institutional welcome into a memorable experience. Arcane Experience designed a gamified onboarding trail across the site to break down silos and engage every new arrival from their first day.
The challenge: onboarding people into a complex working environment
The HR team faced a real dilemma: how do you pass on the organisation’s values and the hospital’s vital information without drowning new recruits in dry administrative detail?
The aim was to ensure a smooth start for every new employee, whatever their role. The idea was to move from a passive welcome process to a genuine celebration ofjoining, to reduce turnover and get new starters safely through probation from day one. The challenge was to integrate new employees more effectively while making it easier to settle into the job once the contract was signed.
Our answer: a hands-on, on-the-move onboarding serious game
To get onboarding right and support the welcome phase, we designed a programme that goes far beyond the usual welcome handbook or HRIS (HR software).
The concept
New employees become explorers, equipped with a mobile app.
The onboarding trail
Instead of a static induction session, new recruits discover their workplace through a playful tour of the premises.
The mission
In mixed teams, new joiners have to piece together the hospital’s Charter of Respectful Care. This onboarding programme helps new arrivals settle in by building strong bonds with their new colleagues.
Follow-up
The format also makes life easier for mentors and buddies, giving new team members a far smoother arrival.
The benefits: successful onboarding and a strong employer brand
This HR gamification programme delivers an onboarding experience that shapes the first impression of every employee, whether permanent, fixed-term or temporary:
A sense of belonging
New employees feel genuinely welcomed. They grasp why onboarding matters from their very first week.
Up to speed quickly
By experiencing the key stages first-hand, new joiners absorb the workflow of their new role.
Retaining talent
Strong onboarding limits the risk of a poor start. It’s a decisive step in turning a new hire into a lasting success.
FAQ: optimising onboarding in a hospital environment
Does the game help with writing the fresh-eyes report?
Absolutely. By exploring the different departments, new employees gather food for thought. They can then produce a far more relevant fresh-eyes report at the end of the onboarding period, feeding directly into HR’s continuous improvement.
Why use a game to onboard new hospital employees?
Hospitals demand a fast start in a high-pressure setting. The game gets new employees to grips with safety and ethics (respectful care) on an emotional level, which means far better retention than a standard welcome handbook.
How does this onboarding trail make mentors' lives easier?
By taking care of the site tour and the hospital’s history, the serious game frees up time for the mentor or line manager. They can then focus on job-specific coaching and on follow-up during regular check-ins.
