UK onboarding costs hit £800 per new hire — how British businesses compare globally

British businesses have the weakest hiring intentions since 2020, according to a Bank of England survey, with businesses expected to keep employment steady over the next 12 months and not increase staffing.

In response to the news, new research from the financial experts at Remitly Business, a global business payments provider, has revealed the countries where onboarding new talent incurs the highest costs.

You can view the full research here: https://www.remitly.com/gb/en/landing/cost-of-international-business 

Most expensive countries to onboard new talent

In the United States, the average spend on onboarding is the equivalent of £892 per employee. That figure covers longer programmes, often with e-learning, mentoring, and structured training sessions. 

In Germany, onboarding costs average at £865 per employee. Germany takes a precision-driven approach where onboarding is detailed and standardised, helping employees fully understand processes, regulations, and expectations.

The UK falls around the middle at £800. Onboarding typically blends online modules with in-person guidance and orientation days. While not the cheapest, it’s a balanced approach that aims to get employees technically trained and culturally aligned with the business.

In Brazil, the average is much lower at £273, and businesses tend to focus on group activities and team integration instead of extended programmes.

Further Findings:

• Estonia is the most affordable place to launch a business in the analysis, due in part to its low start-up costs and the fact that it takes just 3.5 days to register a business.
• Some of the most generous offers are found in Europe. Ireland’s ‘Our Living Islands’ policy provides up to £72,240 to anyone renovating a vacant property on one of its coastal islands, while in Italy, towns in Calabria offer around £24,080 to under-40s who commit to starting a business or filling in-demand roles.