Epoch | New Hire Onboarding Essentials & Checklist 📋

New Hire Onboarding Essentials & Checklist 📋

Being a part of a company that is in a high growth stage is very exciting! But, it can also be a very stressful time for those responsible for onboarding these new hires.

In fact 45% of managers say employee onboarding is frustrating for them. Onboarding new hires doesn't have to be discouraging!

To help with the planning of your onboarding schedule, we have gathered a list of the most common and essential onboarding steps and tasks. Now you can put your focus on creating a welcoming environment with a positive experience for your new hires.

Step 1: Pre-Boarding Checklist 📋

Desk Set-Up (In Office Hires)

• Provide access to office (key or code)
• Company computer/laptop (if applicable)
• List of computer applications and tools
• Instructions to register for applications and tools (connect to 1Password)

Laptop Set-Up (Remote Hires)

• Ship company laptop to new hires (if applicable)
• List of computer applications and tools
• Instructions to register for applications and tools (connect to 1Password)

New Hire Welcome Pack

• Company info
• Welcome gift and/or company swag
• Benefits and payroll information

Admin Set-Up

• Create their work email account
• Set up intro call for the new hires to meet the team
• Set up their calendar with recurring meetings
• Set first day schedule
• Send calendar invites for internal social events
• Employee handbook and documentation for their role
• Prepare HR documents and forms

Step 2: First Day Welcome 👋

Welcome to the Team!

• Meet and greet with new team members (in-person or virtually)
• Formally introduce the new hires to current employees
• Give them their welcome gift and/or company swag

Office Tour (In Office)

• Guide the new hires through a tour of the office and their desk
• Ensure everything is set up with their computers
• Provide them office info (eg. wifi password, printer instructions, etc.)

Office Tour/Laptop Set-Up (Remote)

• Tour the virtual office with the new hires (eg. Teamflow is a great virtual office platform)
• Ensure everything is set up with their laptops

Meeting with their Manager

• Outline their job responsibilities
• Describe the company's values and mission
• Set goals and expectations
• Introduce the new hires to the other members of the team specifically and their roles
• Define the communication standards (eg. email first or Slack only)

Connect Them with a Work Buddy

• Go over the office norms and company culture
• Discuss the social activities and events of the office
• Talk about the area that the office is in (eg. lunch restaurants close by, coffee shops, etc.)

Step 3: First Week Checklist ⏰

Meetings for the First Week

• Ensure you have daily checkins with the new hires to answer any questions
• Introduce the new hires to each team/department
• Set up trainings for using new tools and software
• Revisit job expectations and goals
• Schedule all remaining training sessions

New Hire Activities

• Take the new hire out to lunch or send them an Uber Eats gift card if they are a remote employee
• Encourage their work buddy to go for a coffee run together
• Host a happy hour or fun team activity to welcome the new hires

Step 4: Monthly Checkins 🗓

Two-Way Feedback

• Encourage the manager of the new hire to have important checkin calls at the end of months 1, 3 and 6
• Provide feedback to the new hire in regards to their performance and onboarding
• Give the new hire the opportunity to give feedback to their manager on their onboarding experience (can be in the form of a survey)

Recurring Meetings with Their Manager

• Set up regular 1 on 1 meetings
• Set meetings to discuss their professional development plan
• Develop a plan and set up checkins for any cross-functional projects

We have also put together 5 ways to make a virtual onboarding experience as impactful, effective, and connected as in-person onboarding for your new hires!