What's New in Grove Q1 2026
This quarter, we've focused on expanding Grove beyond leave management with our new Staff Onboarding module - making Grove your complete HR platform for the employee lifecycle.
New: Staff Onboarding Module
The Challenge
Onboarding new starters involves:
- Multiple checklists and tasks
- Documents to collect and store
- Different people responsible for different tasks
- Easy to miss critical items
Our Solution
Grove's new Onboarding module brings structure and automation to new hire journeys.
Key Features
1. Onboarding Templates
- Create reusable templates for different roles/departments
- Define tasks with descriptions, due dates, and assignees
- Clone and modify templates easily
2. Task Types
- ✅ Standard completion tasks
- 📄 Document upload tasks
- 👥 Buddy assignment tasks
3. Progress Tracking
- Visual progress bars
- Task status: pending, in progress, completed, skipped
- Manager dashboard for all onboardings
4. Document Management
- Employees upload documents directly to tasks
- Secure storage (PDF, DOC, images up to 10MB)
- Download and review from admin panel
New: Auto-Assignment Rules
Set It and Forget It
Configure templates to automatically assign to new employees:
- Enable auto-assign on any template
- Filter by department: Engineering onboarding → Engineering hires only
- Zero manual work: New employee added → Onboarding created
Example Setup
| Template | Auto-Assign | Department Filter |
|---|---|---|
| General Induction | ✅ On | All |
| Engineering Setup | ✅ On | Engineering |
| Sales Training | ✅ On | Sales |
| Executive Welcome | ❌ Off | Manual only |
Enhanced Leave Management
New Features
Bradford Factor Dashboard
- Real-time scores for all employees
- Threshold alerts and notifications
- Historical trend charts
Improved Calendar
- Drag-to-book refinements
- Better mobile experience
- Team availability at a glance
Admin Capabilities
- Edit pending and approved leave
- Bulk holiday operations
- Enhanced reporting exports
Coming in Q2 2026
Preview of what's on our roadmap:
Onboarding Enhancements
- Welcome email sequences
- IT/HR task notifications
- Onboarding analytics dashboard
New Modules
- Performance review cycles (Phase 3)
- Objectives and OKRs
- 1:1 meeting tracking
Integrations
- Slack notifications
- Microsoft Teams sync
- Google Calendar two-way sync
Getting Started
Existing Customers
The onboarding module is available now in your Grove dashboard:
- Navigate to Admin → Onboarding
- Create your first template
- Add tasks with due dates
- Assign to a new employee
New to Grove?
Get started with Grove to explore all features, including the new onboarding module.
Feedback Welcome
We'd love to hear your thoughts on the new features:
- What's working well?
- What would you improve?
- What should we build next?
Reach out to us at feedback@grove.hr or through the in-app chat.
Tags:
Rachel Richardson
Head of Growth & Marketing, Grove HR
Rachel leads growth and marketing at Grove HR, with over a decade of experience in UK HR technology. She writes practical guides to help small businesses navigate employment law and build better workplaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the onboarding module included in all Grove plans?
The onboarding module is included in Growth and Forest plans. Seedling plan users can upgrade to access onboarding features.
Can I import existing onboarding checklists?
Yes, you can create templates from scratch or contact our support team to help import existing checklists from spreadsheets or other systems.
How does auto-assignment work?
When auto-assignment is enabled on a template, Grove automatically creates an onboarding for any new employee matching the criteria (e.g., department). No manual intervention required.
What file types can be uploaded to onboarding tasks?
Supported file types include PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, and JPEG. Maximum file size is 10MB per attachment.
