The employee lifecycle is the full journey a person takes with a company, from first hearing about it through hiring, onboarding, growth, and eventual exit.
The employee lifecycle maps the stages of the relationship, often described as attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, retention, and offboarding. Each stage shapes how someone feels about the company and how well they perform.
Thinking in lifecycle terms helps HR design a joined-up experience instead of treating each stage in isolation. A great hire can still be lost by weak onboarding, and a good exit can turn a leaver into a future rehire or referral.