Employee Onboarding Checklist: 8 Can't-Miss Items

By Danielle Towery

Effective employee onboarding doesn’t just help new employees feel welcome. It also lays the groundwork for their success as part of your organization. Inadequate onboarding processes can impact employee satisfaction and ultimately lead to higher turnover.

Below, we’ll explore eight critical items to include in your onboarding checklist to ensure a successful and smooth transition for each new hire.

What is Employee Onboarding?

Employee onboarding is the entire process of bringing new employees into an organization. As such, it often starts well before your new team member ever walks through the door. While each organization’s onboarding is unique, it typically includes items such as:

• All pre-arrival communication once an employment agreement has been made
• Orientation and training processes
• Technology and access to company resources
• Social and company culture integration
• Role-specific training
• Employee development
• Ongoing communication post-arrival
• When this process is neglected, new hires have a more difficult time acclimating to their new role. For example, they may face information overload or struggle to adapt to the company culture.

Onboarding encompasses the entire process of integrating new employees into an organization, from initial orientation to ongoing support. When onboarding is neglected, new hires often face such challenges as overload and adapting to the culture. In contrast, a well-structured onboarding program mitigates these issues through clear guidance and offering continuous support.

By adopting the eight items on the employee onboarding checklist outlined below, you can be sure your business gives new opportunities the best opportunities possible to succeed.

1. Pre-Arrival Communication

Onboarding begins well before a new employee walks through the door of your business for the first time. As soon as the paperwork is signed, the foundations for the new team member’s arrival needs to be laid — and a major component of that is communication.

Key elements of a solid pre-arrival communication strategy include:

• A comprehensive welcome package: This typically includes essential information about the company, its culture, the onboarding schedule and the new hire's role, such as team structure and key projects.
• Personalized communication: Details like a welcome letter or video from the new team can go a long way to foster a positive relationship.
• Access to online resources: When possible, providing early access to key digital resources, enabling new employees to prepare in advance for their first day.

This proactive engagement helps new hires feel prepared and valued from the outset.

2. First Day Welcome and Orientation

The first day sets the tone for the new hire's experience as a member of your team. As such, making a positive first impression is critical. Structure the first day of orientation to welcome your new team member and pave the way for their success, without overwhelming them with information.

For example, you may plan for:

• A welcome meeting to introduce them to the new team
• An overview of your organization’s mission, values and goals.
• An office tour to familiarize the new hire with their workspace and facilities

Technology setup, ensuring they have access to all the resources they need in their role

3. Paperwork and Compliance Documentation

Onboarding paperwork is essential for legal compliance and a smooth onboarding process. But if it’s poorly managed, this process can drag the onboarding process out and hinder the new hire’s acclimatization to their new role.

To avoid this issue, consider including some paperwork in your pre-arrival communication. If it needs to be completed on premises, make sure your new hire knows what information they need to have available on their first day.

Typical onboarding paperwork includes:

• Forms such as W-4s and I-9s
• Employment contracts
• Compliance documentation like non-disclosure agreements and safety training materials

Be prepared to guide new hires through the necessary forms, explaining each one and answering questions. This not only helps to alleviate stress, but also ensures everything is completed correctly.

4. Technology and Systems Setup

Ensure all necessary technology — access badges, laptops, monitors, phones, email accounts and software — is ready on the first day to enable immediate productivity. Involve the new hire's supervisor to confirm any specific requirements.

IT should prepare workstations in advance and pre-install required software, providing ample notice for large or complex setups. A brief training session on company systems and cybersecurity is also beneficial.

5. Role-Specific Training Plan

Each department and role within an organization holds distinct responsibilities and faces unique challenges. It is the HR team’s responsibility to stay current in regard to these needs and tailor the onboarding process accordingly.

Consider including:

• A timeline with function-specific learning objectives
• Role-specific training materials and support
• Unique performance milestones aligned with their responsibilities and team goals

For example, a new marketing coordinator might have a training schedule that includes sessions on the company's marketing strategies and an opportunity to apply learning on a new project, under the guidance of a mentor from their team. While the training might be carried out within the marketing team, their HR coordinator would play a key role in organizing these opportunities and providing access to resources.

6. Mentorship

While it’s often overlooked, establishing a mentorship program for new hires strengthens the onboarding process in a few different ways:

• It provides ongoing, long-term support to the new team member, which can help them overcome challenges in the future.
• It demonstrates that the organization is committed to their development.
• It facilitates an early relationship with a team member as the new hire acclimates.

However, a successful mentorship program doesn’t end by designating a mentor and mentee. You also need to provide the pair with time, resources and clear expectations.

To illustrate, a new sales representative might be paired with an experienced colleague who can offer insights into the sales processes and provide feedback on their performance. In this case, they would need to set aside time for a dedicated meeting cadence (e.g., once a week), as well as clarity on which sales processes to cover and what type of feedback to offer.

7. Ongoing Check-Ins and Feedback Sessions

Regular check-ins with HR and managers at key intervals not only allow you to provide constructive guidance to the new team member, they also help you sharpen the onboarding process through employee questions and feedback.

For successful check-ins, plan these meetings well in advance and make sure the whole team — including your new hire — is aware not only of when they are but also what those meetings might entail. For example, a 30-day check-in might focus on initial responsibilities and challenges, while a 90-day session covers performance evaluation and long-term goal setting.

8. Company Policies and Procedures Ensuring that new hires understand important company policies and procedures is crucial not only for setting expectations but also for staying compliant.

Make sure your onboarding process includes:

• Training on key policies and procedures
• Access to policy documents for reference
• Compliance training

8. Company Policies and Procedures

Ensuring that new hires understand important company policies and procedures is crucial not only for setting expectations but also for staying compliant.

Make sure your onboarding process includes:

• Training on key policies and procedures
• Access to policy documents for reference
• Compliance training

Build a Better Onboarding Process with James Moore HR Solutions

Establishing and refining a comprehensive employee onboarding process is essential if you want to foster long-term employee engagement and retention. An effective onboarding process goes above and beyond the minimum, laying a foundation of structure and support as they acclimate to their new role.

James Moore HR Solutions can help you develop a tailored onboarding program that reflects your company's unique culture and value and checks every box on this employee onboarding checklist. To assess your and refine your onboarding, contact your advisor today.

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Originally published: https://www.jmco.com/articles/human-resources/employee-onboarding-checklist/