It's exciting to bring on a new employee. But it's also a big responsibility and one that can seem overwhelming if you haven't done it before. That's why we've put together an easy-to-follow employee onboarding checklist process.
Send an introductory email to your team.
- Introduce your new hire: Your team needs to know whom you're bringing on board. What they'll be working on, and how their role fits into the company's mission.
- Include links to their LinkedIn profile and resume. Help your teammates get to know your new hire by including links in the email. So they can easily access their profiles.
Introduce your new hire to the team via videoconference, phone call, or email.
Once your new hire has been hired and is ready to start their first day. It's essential to introduce them to the rest of the team.
This can be done via videoconference, phone call, or email. In introducing your new hire, share their background and experience with your team so they understand what they bring to the table.
Also, explain their role at your company and give a brief overview of your company's culture. As well as any other information you think would be helpful.
Finally, explain what their first day will look like so they aren't surprised by anything on Monday morning!
Welcome them in person!
It's easy to overlook the importance of face-to-face communication. The first day is a time for you. Your new hire and everyone involved in their onboarding process get acquainted.
If you're not there to greet them personally, they might feel they don't matter to you or have been forgotten. You'll want them to feel welcome and valued right off the bat. So make sure you greet them in person when they arrive at work on their first day!
- Make sure it's just the two of you.
Schedule an appointment with your new hire where no one else can come along or interrupt. This way, you will be focused entirely on getting acquainted with each other while learning how things work around your company. So far as responsibilities go and having plenty of chances for questions.
Asking this question ahead of time also gives potential candidates an idea about what kind of environment they'll be joining when accepting the job offer.
In addition, this could make up for any concerns about working at a place where other people might interfere with personal conversations between coworkers later down the line.
Coordinate any HR paperwork remotely.
- Remotely
- In-person
- Over the phone
- Over email
Share resources like employee handbooks and other similar materials.
- Share the employee handbook.
- Show them other relevant documents, such as an orientation packet or handout.
- Share company policies and procedures.
- Tell any helpful information that may affect the employee's role on their first day on the job, such as department-specific calendars, daily routines, and schedules, etc.
Get them an IT buddy.
You've probably heard about the importance of getting new employees a buddy to help them acclimate to their new job.
A buddy is a person who helps new employees get familiar with their company's technology and culture. As well as its processes for doing business.
An IT buddy is essential because technology runs most companies these days (and if it doesn't, it should).
An IT buddy will help your new hire get familiar with your technology stack's components. From basic email settings to more complex things like VPNs and internal databases. So they can use them effectively from day one.
Leave plenty of time for questions.
Leave plenty of time for questions. It's important to leave time at the end of your onboarding session to answer questions and address concerns. So that you can help your new employee get the most out of their first day.
You should also ensure that there is a dedicated line in your calendar. So you can block out time for these meetings, as they are a vital part of the process.
Don't be afraid to ask for help if you don't know something or need assistance with something; it's better than trying to wing it!
Also, don't be afraid to admit uncertainty or ask for clarification when someone gives directions or information; no one likes feeling like an idiot, but everyone appreciates candor! Sometimes all it takes is asking, "Is this how I'm supposed to do this?" before getting the best answer for each situation.
And sometimes, even then, we still need to figure out exactly what's happening because nothing ever goes according to plan. This checklist will help make sure your onboarding process goes smoothly.
- The employee onboarding checklist can help you keep track of the things you want to do. And ensure they get done. It also helps new employees know what to do and why this is important.
- By having an onboarding checklist, both employers and employees will be able to benefit from it by:
- Managing expectations - It assists in bringing clarity on what is expected from both employer and employee during the process. It also communicates what the company expects from its employee after hiring them. This helps avoid misunderstandings or miscommunication between either party involved in the onboarding process.
- Helping prepare for change - A checklist serves as a reminder for all parties involved with the transition period of a new hire's employment before their first day at work. This way, there will be no surprises on anyone's part when it comes time for them to start working together as one team!
FAQs
What is an onboarding checklist?
An onboarding checklist lists things to do or steps to take before you begin working somewhere. It can be a list of tasks, skills, or information you need to learn to start working at a company.
Is an onboarding checklist a list of things to do?
If you're familiar with the concept of an onboarding checklist. It's likely because you've been on the receiving end of one.
An onboarding checklist is a list of things that you need to do. And done correctly) when new employees start their jobs. But is this truly all there is to an onboarding checklist?
The answer: no!
Onboarding checklists are not just lists of tasks; they also include questions the team should answer so they can better understand what their new hire needs to feel comfortable and productive in their role.
These questions may include the following:
- What are your coworkers' names?
- Where do I go for help if I have a problem or question?
- When is lunch on Tuesdays through Thursdays?
What are the benefits of an onboarding checklist?
An onboarding checklist is a great way to ensure you cover every aspect of your employee's first few weeks on the job. It helps streamline the process, ensuring everyone is doing their part and no one is falling through the cracks.
The more thorough your checklist, the better off you will be in developing your new employees into productive and satisfied members of your team.
An onboarding checklist's first benefit is that it helps with onboarding itself.
It gives a clear starting point for all parties involved in new hire training and initial orientation, making it easier for everyone to know what they need to do next while keeping track of where they are at any given moment.
While this may seem obvious, many organizations have failed to utilize this tool because they have no time or resources available to create an effective check-in system.
An automated platform like Recruiter box ensures quick setup times without sacrificing quality control over what information should be included in each step.
Along with who will receive notifications when something needs attention from them (e.g., "John Doe completed XYZ task!").
Another benefit comes from how quickly it allows new hires to get up-to-speed on company culture by having detailed instructions about what comes next after completing each task listed on their progress bar:
What do I need to do next?
Where should I go?
Who can help me if there's anything wrong?
What should be on an employee onboarding checklist?
Here are some things to consider:
- What to do first. The first day is crucial, so make sure you cover everything you need to in that time. For example, new employees should have access to their email accounts and calendar and be able to get started using the office printer.
- They should also have a chance to meet their coworkers or chat with them via instant messaging software like Slack before they go home that night.
- You want them to feel safe when they come back the next morning!
How long should an onboarding checklist be?
It's important to understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all onboarding checklist.
Every company, position and employee is different, so there can be no single criteria for all new hires. The length of your onboarding checklist will depend on the complexity of your organization and culture and how much information you want to share with new hires.
For instance: If you run a small business with just a handful of employees or contractors who work remotely, then keeping things simple makes sense because it won't take long for them to get up to speed anyway.
However, if you're hiring someone who's going on site every day, they need more time spent learning about what they'll be doing first!
Should you print an onboarding checklist?
It depends on your needs. As you can see, there are benefits to both options, but the main difference between them is that digital checklists can be easily updated and shared with others, while printed checklists are more cumbersome to make changes to.
If you need a hard copy of your onboarding checklist, I recommend printing it out and adding it to your onboarding folder (or creating an online folder). This way, people new to the team will have access to it as soon as they arrive at work. If you don't have enough printers for everyone on your team, consider making photocopies of each page.
Or distributing iPads with all the information from their onboarding checklist preloaded onto them.
So everyone has access without waiting for someone else's printer or computer system to finish printing out pages from their file share site/cloud storage solution.
Should the employee own the onboarding checklist or the company?
The answer is simple: the employee owns the checklist.
That said, you, as a company, can help your employees by providing resources and guidance to complete it. For example, you can train them if they don't know how to use Google Docs.
Or if they need help with anything related to onboarding, such as how to file expense reports or where the break room is located (we all need those little reminders sometimes).
Then make sure it's on your checklist so your employees get everything they need during this period.
Finally, if something isn't on there yet but could be helpful for new hires (e.g., getting advice from another employee who has been working at your company longer or learning more about company culture), then add it!
How do I know if my company needs an onboarding checklist?
- You need an onboarding checklist if you are new to a company or new to a job. An onboarding checklist is the best way to ensure that all of the people responsible for your success in your position know how they can help.
- If you are a manager and there are members of your team that need to be onboarded, then they need to have an onboarding checklist so they know what information needs to be passed along and where they can find it. It's also helpful because it allows them time to prepare before their first day on the job—so they won't feel rushed or overwhelmed by everything that needs their attention immediately after starting with their new team members at work!
- If you're an employee who will be working with someone new soon (or even if this isn't true yet), having some preparation beforehand makes everything easier on both sides when going through this process together start working together as quickly as possible without wasting any time trying figure things out later down the road when things get busy around here - especially since everyone's probably already busy enough with other tasks anyway :)
Is there a template for an onboarding checklist?
Yes, there are templates available for creating an onboarding checklist.
However, if you're looking for a quick and easy way to start your checklist, there are plenty of templates online that you can use as a starting point.
However, it's important to customize the template to meet your company's needs. Not all onboarding checklists look exactly alike; some might include more or fewer items than others, some might be organized in a different sequence than others, and so on. You should also update your template regularly and make sure that it's easy to use by other employees who might want to access it when they need something like this.
Conclusion
We hope you found these suggestions helpful! Across the board, having a detailed and thoughtful employee onboarding checklist makes for a better experience for your new hires, for yourself, and for your entire team.
When combined with simple, easy-to-understand employee handbooks and procedural documents, onboarding can be a much smoother ride for everyone.
Your new hire is counting on you to make their first day as easy as possible. You don't have to worry about making mistakes or forgetting anything—as long as you follow these steps and keep them in mind throughout the process, your employee onboarding checklist will guide you toward success!