Onboarding checklist for HR teams

As an HR professional, make sure onboarding starts before a new hire joins your team. Pre-onboarding is taking care of your new hires before their first day on the job. It cuts paperwork, shows that you’re committed to your new hire, and gives your onboarding process a personal touch.

• Welcome email
  Send a welcome email congratulating your new hire. Include their job description and instructions like whom to report to.

• Offer letter and employment contract
  Send, receive, and file the signed offer letter and employment contract.

• Setup IT and workstations
  Arrange necessary equipment (laptop, phone, etc.) and software access.

• Documentation
  Request for personal information and employment forms like tax, direct deposit information, and emergency contact details for completion.

• Company handbook
  Provide the employee handbook for review, covering company policies, culture, and expectations.

• Schedule onboarding and onboarding buddy
  Plan the first week’s schedule, including training and introduction meetings. Assign an onboarding buddy for your new hire to adjust easily to the company.

Make sure to welcome and congratulate your new hire personally. Your team member’s first day is your chance to make a good impression too.

• Personal welcome
  Greet your new hire personally (through a virtual call if you are a remote team) and introduce them to other team members.

• Workspace setup
  Ensure ‌workspace is ready and all necessary equipment is functioning. Check if your new team hire’s email and assigned software are working.

• Documentation completion
  Check if all required paperwork is completed and filed. Go through the filed documentation with your team member to make sure it's correct and current.

• Orientation
  Offer an overview of the company and team. Go through key policies that need highlighting, like role expectations and safety procedures.

Start to hone in on role-specific training to make your new team member comfortable. 

• Role-specific training
  Begin job-specific training, set clear role expectations, and provide reading materials that will help your new hire.

• Coffee chats with team members
  Give your new hire the time to speak with colleagues and stakeholders they’ll work with.

• Mentorship
  Assign a mentor to your new hire to help them adjust to their role.

• Feedback sessions
  Offer informal check-ins to address any questions or concerns from your new employee. 

This is when your new hire should gradually feel adjusted to the team and company. Push through with the onboarding program to help your new employee feel fully comfortable with their role. 

• Ongoing training and development
  Continue with role-specific training programs.

• Performance goals
  Set initial performance goals and review expectations.

• Team integration
  Involve your new hire in team meetings and projects.

First review meeting

Offer a meeting to discuss your new employee’s progress and feedback. Solicit feedback on the onboarding process and make adjustments for the future. 

The aim is to have your new employee fully adjusted to the role around their first three months. 

• Performance review
  Celebrate the end of the onboarding program. Offer a 90-day performance review to discuss achievements, areas for improvement, and future goals.

• Offer check-ins
  Continue to offer one-on-one meetings as needed. Even if your employee finishes their onboarding program, continuing to offer personal sessions shows that the organisation is open to discuss anything at any time.