The employee lifecycle refers to the entire journey of an employee within an organization, from recruitment to exit. It consists of key stages: attraction, hiring, onboarding, development, performance management, retention, and offboarding. Managing this lifecycle effectively ensures higher engagement, productivity, and workforce stability.

In external workforce management, the employee lifecycle also applies to contract workers, gig employees, and blue-collar workforce. Businesses leverage HRMS platforms, automated onboarding, payroll systems, and compliance management tools to ensure seamless workforce integration, accurate payroll processing, and smooth exits, optimizing both workforce efficiency and legal compliance.