Comprehensive Employees Onboarding Checklist: A good onboarding checklist and a workflow to guide new employees through your process can help ensure that you don’t miss any crucial steps during the busy first few days, weeks, and months of a new employee’s tenure with your organization.
Here are 12 steps you should consider including as part of your onboarding checklist:
Make it official with HR
If you work in a company with an HR department, submit a job requisition for approval for any position before making a hiring decision. If there is no HR department, complete background checks, and drug testing before offering the candidate employment.
Close the open position and don’t forget to remove any job postings that are still alive.
Prepare new hire paperwork
Gather all tax documents, contracts, and other paperwork that the new employee needs to fill out on their first day. Print off the employee handbook and information about the benefits package. Provide a contact name in case they have questions about their benefits or salary. It can also be helpful to print off the job description as a reminder of your expectations for the role.
Procure devices and equipment
Request all devices and equipment at least four days in advance to ensure everything is ready for your new hire’s first day. Everything from their keyboard and mouse to their computer and phone should be hooked up and ready to use the moment they arrive.
Set up accounts and create logins
In order to guarantee the new employee’s IT, facilities, and accounting needs are met, contact your IT team, facilities manager, and accounting department. Make sure the employee is set up in all relevant systems and has all of the required assets to enter the building. Gather their company email login credentials and make sure they have access to the applications and software they need to do their job.
Set up the workspace
To create a positive first impression on your new team member, make sure that their workspace has everything they need for their first day of work. Consider sending them a welcome gift, like swag and office supplies, so that they can feel welcomed to their new job.
Schedule new hire orientation
To ensure a successful onboarding experience, take time to introduce new hires to the company culture and organizational structure when they begin working. This can include an informal review of the company’s policies and procedures, a departmental introduction and a tour of the facilities.
Send a welcome email to your new employee
Before your newest hire’s first day with the company, send them an email welcoming them to the company and providing them with important details about what to expect when they arrive (e.g., schedule for the day, a reminder of the start date, parking information).
Perform a building tour
After your new employee has settled in, show them the best way to get to each department and introduce them to key personnel within each department. Hand out a map of the building so they’ll feel comfortable finding their way around. Make sure to point out where bathrooms, break rooms and other common areas are.
Assign a peer mentor
To help your new hire succeed in their new role, introduce them to a peer or buddy within their department who can act a mentor during their first few weeks on the job. This person will be available for questions, introduce the employee to others within the department and can even help train them on certain aspects of the role. Having a mentor is crucial to your new hire’s success because it can prevent them from feeling alone as they navigate an unfamiliar environment.
Send a new employee announcement
When you have a new hire on your staff, be sure to let your current employees know what the new employee’s role will be, and share a few interesting facts about the new hire so that they can welcome her when she starts work. This announcement should encourage other team members to say hello and extend a personal welcome when they see the new hire around the office.
New hires should be invited out to lunch with their teams on their first day to help them start building personal connections, acclimate to the company, and feel welcomed and valued from day one.
Schedule time for onboarding feedback
After your new hires have been on board for a few days or weeks, ask each one to meet with you individually to learn how they’re adjusting and whether they have any input about the onboarding plan. This conversation can expose areas of opportunity within your onboarding process or additional items you can add to the onboarding checklist.
Set up a 30, 60, and 90-day check-in plan
Schedule well-timed meetings with your new hires over the course of their first month, second month, and first quarter on the job. These meetings help employees learn about how to do their work, contribute to team projects, and get comfortable with their new roles.