Onboarding shouldn’t be just about paperwork — it should be about people.
Sure, there are obligatory tasks, like collecting required documents and ordering computer equipment. But an effective, modern onboarding process aims to build a strong foundation for a long-lasting relationship between employees and your company.
Although there is no one-size-fits-all formula for implementing a great onboarding experience, a checklist is always a good place to start. We got that for you here, along with tips on how you can engage new hires in each phase of the onboarding process.
Let’s get on board!
An employee onboarding checklist is a guide for helping new hires acclimate to their workplace. It includes a list of administrative tasks and orientation activities to be completed during the onboarding process.
Using a checklist helps HR maintain consistency for each new hire and reduces the likelihood that important paperwork or orientation tasks will slip through the cracks.
But remember: Simply checking off items doesn’t equal success. The best onboarding process tackles the routine while still delicately handling each new hire’s unique situation and role.
One of the great things about checklists is that they free up brain space for more creative or relational activities.
You can offload remembering the mundane (but necessary) items, and dedicate more time to meeting your new hire and showcasing company culture.
There’s a lot of steps to onboarding, so We’ve broken down our onboarding checklist into three key phases: 1) preboarding, 2) orientation, and 3) training. Along with each, we’ve included implementation tips and opportunities to leverage modern HR and payroll technology.
Read the checklist below, or download the PDF version.
As soon as an employee signs the offer letter, the preboarding period begins. This phase is an opportunity to knock out the necessary paperwork required for new hires to start work on day one. It’s also your first chance to engage new employees and build excitement about joining your organization.
Preboarding Checklist
Leveraging an integrated HR and payroll solution that links recruiting and onboarding functions not only streamlines the transition from applicant to new hire, it ensures no detail is missed. Specific actions trigger the next event in the onboarding sequence. As forms are submitted, notifications automatically set essential tasks in motion, like alerting payroll when direct deposit information is submitted.
A fast way to turn off a new hire is by sending a generic welcome email with a list of things they have to do before they even start work. Be sure to personalize your communications with the employee’s name and the relevant details about their role. A great way to show new hires how much your organization values employees is to include a welcoming video message from your CEO or another company leader.
Orientation is your time to start getting new hires settled at your organization. The when, where, and how it’s conducted depends on a number of factors, like whether employees are onsite or how many people are in the session. But the why of orientation doesn’t change: to provide new employees a foundation for success in their new job.
Orientation Checklist
Nearly half of employees who joined companies during the pandemic went through remote onboarding. Employees who joined a company post-pandemic are the most at risk of disengagement and turnover, with only 52.5% feeling highly engaged. Here are some ways to connect with remote employees during orientation:
Following orientation, some employees may enter a formal training program while others will get on-the-job training. But while new hires are usually eager to get to work, that doesn’t mean they aren’t thinking about their future. Spend some time during orientation to talk about goal setting and the career advancement opportunities your organization offers. Employees who strongly agree they have a clear plan for their professional development are 3.5 times more likely to strongly agree that their onboarding process was exceptional.
Training and Development Checklist
Fostering a culture of learning helps keep employees planning for their future with your company. A learning management system (LMS) simplifies corporate training, helps you monitor learning progress across the organization, and empowers employees to pursue the skills and career paths that are most important to them.
Use this checklist to make sure you provide your new hire with all the necessary onboarding documentation:
The right HRIS software can make distributing crucial paperwork and collecting signatures easy. Consider investing in an HR solution with an onboarding platform for easy paperless document management and onboarding workflows.
When a new hire signs their offer letter, the onboarding clock starts ticking. By using onboarding software, HR teams can significantly reduce paperwork, giving them more time to focus on providing a people-centered experience.
An effective onboarding solution results in easier workflows and better communication, helping new employees connect more quickly with their coworkers and your company.
It’s no secret that an engaged employee is a productive one. Successful onboarding can have a big impact on the bottom line by fostering early engagement, increasing productivity, and ultimately reducing turnover.
Check out our new employee onboarding guide for a full breakdown of everything you need to know about building a world-class onboarding program.
An impactful employee experience begins before day one. Make data collection, tax paperwork, and direct deposit setup seamless so you can begin engaging your new employees immediately with our onboarding tool. Help make your new hire’s first day memorable in the best way possible with less process and more human connection.