Anna Baluch is a freelance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys writing about a variety of health and personal finance topics. When she's away from her laptop, she can be found working out, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
Anna Baluch ContributorAnna Baluch is a freelance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys writing about a variety of health and personal finance topics. When she's away from her laptop, she can be found working out, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
Written By Anna Baluch ContributorAnna Baluch is a freelance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys writing about a variety of health and personal finance topics. When she's away from her laptop, she can be found working out, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
Anna Baluch ContributorAnna Baluch is a freelance writer from Cleveland, Ohio. She enjoys writing about a variety of health and personal finance topics. When she's away from her laptop, she can be found working out, trying new restaurants, and spending time with her family.
ContributorCassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Cassie is a deputy editor collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. Focusing on bringing growth to small businesses, she is passionate about economic development and has held positions on the boards of.
Updated: Apr 17, 2024, 11:55am
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No matter your industry, onboarding new employees is not an option. It’s a necessity. With a strong onboarding process, you can ensure your recruits acclimate to their positions and teams. Onboarding may also familiarize them with your work culture and help them understand your expectations so they’re more likely to succeed. If you hope to create or improve your onboarding process, this onboarding checklist will steer you in the right direction.
There are many steps to follow when hiring employees, and it’s easy to let things slip through the cracks. Copy our free template in Google Docs to follow along with the steps below, or download a .docx file by clicking the button.
While paperwork isn’t exciting, it’s a necessary part of onboarding. Ideally, you’d ask new hires to fill out their new hire forms early on in the process so they can get them out of the way. Once they do, send them to your human resources department. Although every company has different requirements, here are some of the most common new hire forms you may request:
Learn more: Get our full checklist for new employee forms.
Before your new hires start, it’s a good idea to send them an email to warmly welcome them to your company and share important details about their upcoming first day. This sets things off on the right foot, encouraging positive employee relations. Your email may include some or all of the following:
Try to keep this email short, sweet and to the point. You don’t want to overwhelm new hires before they start.
A new hire packet can be invaluable for new employees. It can be a folder, binder or envelope with anything and everything you believe will help them get familiar with your company and their role. Here are some suggestions of things to include:
With a new hire packet, you’ll be able to streamline the onboarding process and answer common new employee questions right off the bat.
Chances are your new hires will need access to certain hardware and software to perform their jobs successfully. It’s your responsibility to reach out to your IT team to make sure new employees are all set up to use all relevant programs.
Be sure to encourage security best practices such as two-factor authentication, strong passwords and regularly changing passwords. Also, if you have any complicated or proprietary software, create training documents or programs to teach new hires how to use it.
While some new hires will be better off in cubicles, others might require their own offices. Take the time to figure out where your new employees will perform their jobs. Then, ensure their workstations are equipped with computers, notepads, pens, pencils and any other equipment they’ll need. If you’d like to make a great first impression, you can always add some company swag such as T-shirts or hats by their work areas.
A site tour is one of the best ways to reduce unknowns and help your employees get used to your workplace. Before you actually give the tour, create a map so that your recruits will have a reference to use any time they’re unsure of how to get somewhere. The map should include the desk or workplace they’ll work at, the rooms of managers or supervisors they report to, cafeterias, cafes, restrooms, supply rooms, and meeting and conference rooms. Digitize the map so that it can be easily accessed at any time.
Socialization is essential as it can help new employees feel welcome and excited about working at your company. Introduce them to their new team as well as senior leaders. If possible, take them out for a welcome lunch or dinner. In the event lunch or dinner isn’t in your budget, get creative and think of alternative options such as snacks, drinks and icebreaker games. You can also send a new employee announcement by email with the names of new hires, their positions, professional backgrounds and hobbies.
Introduce new hires to “buddies” who can serve as their mentors during their first few weeks of work. These mentors should have at least a few years of experience with your company and be available to answer questions, make introductions and assist with training. With a mentorship program, new employees will have positive role models to turn to as they navigate their new positions and work environment.
Onboarding is an ongoing process that may last through your employees’ first years at your company. Over the first 60 to 90 days, set goals for them to handle more responsibilities in their positions. Check in with them on a monthly basis to ensure they’re on track to meet their goals and address any concerns they might have. The goals you create should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound).
Learn more: Download our free SMART goals template.
New hires are going to have a lot of questions. After all, they’re getting used to a new workplace, culture, coworkers and tasks. Put yourself in their shoes and think about some of the questions they may have. Then, consider creating a comprehensive FAQ document that answers them. Not only will an FAQ document provide them with a great reference, it’ll also reassure them that their questions are valid and other people have been in their position before.
Training is a vital part of onboarding. While you can provide generic worksheets and documents that cater to all new hires, regardless of their position, doing so will likely be ineffective. Instead, design a variety of training resources to accommodate various new employees and their new positions. By incorporating images and videos, for example, you can keep them engaged and increase the effectiveness of your training.
While it’s important for new hires to meet the team members they’ll be working with and managers or supervisors they’ll be reporting to, it’s just as crucial that they get to know senior leaders, such as the CEO and CFO, even if they won’t be seeing them on a regular basis. If their schedules permit, arrange meetings with these prominent individuals so they can learn more about the company, mission and vision. Even a short meeting with them may do wonders for new employee morale.
Onboarding is an ongoing process. This means you’ll need to touch base with your new hires on a regular basis. Meet with them frequently during their first few months and first quarter so they can share their feedback and concerns about their new positions and progress. You can also use this time to provide praise or recommendations.
Learn more: Learn how to create a 30-60-90 day plan or a performance improvement plan.
It may be tempting to squeeze everything into a new employee’s first few days of work. But doing so can overwhelm them and instill feelings of uncertainty about their new position and your company. Try spreading out the onboarding process over weeks or months and breaking it down into bite-size chunks, and your new hires will be more likely to retain all the new information and perform their jobs successfully.
There’s no denying that onboarding takes time and effort. But if you follow this checklist and commit to it, your company can enjoy a huge payoff. You’ll notice your employees are happier and more productive. Not only will this reduce the risk of them leaving, it’ll improve your bottom line.
Onboarding is a process where new employees learn the skills, knowledge and capabilities they need to succeed. It can also build loyalty and ensure they stay with your company for the long term.
With an onboarding checklist, you can organize the necessary steps for guiding your new hires through their first days and months at your company. Just keep in mind that it doesn’t guarantee successful onboarding. The ideal onboarding process offers the right balance of planned and unplanned initiatives that are specifically tailored to the employees in question and their unique needs.
Contrary to popular belief, onboarding shouldn’t fall solely on your human resources department or hiring manager. It needs to be a collaborative effort that involves HR, managers, co-workers and senior leaders.
