## 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](https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/183/the-ultimate-onboarding-checklist) these new hires.

> In fact [45% of managers](https://www.greenhouse.io/guidance/essential-onboarding-checklists) 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](https://1password.com/))

##### 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](https://www.nadel.com/)
- 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](/content/features/index.html)
- Employee handbook and [documentation](https://www.notion.so/) 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](https://www.teamflowhq.com/) 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](https://www.typeform.com/))

##### 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](/content/blog/virtual-onboarding-for-new-employees/index.html) experience as impactful, effective, and connected as in-person onboarding for your new hires!