How To Organize A Rich Onboarding Experience For New Hires
If you wait until an employee’s first day to start their onboarding, you’re missing a great opportunity to get a head start on completing setup tasks and building connections. The following items make good use of the week prior to a new hire’s start date and help them hit the ground running.
Checklist For New Hire Onboarding
1. Arrange Technical Setup
- Computer
- Email account
- ID card
- Phone number/extension
- Security access code
- System passwords/logins (intranet, portal, role-specific platforms, and software)
- Workspace setup
2. Initiate HR Setup
- Documents that require signatures (hard copy or electronic)
- Company handbook
- Role-specific reference documents
- Organization chart
3. Manage Job-Specific Tasks
- Schedule orientation
- Create a first day/week/month/90-day plan with expected milestones
Provide housekeeping information (start date, time, location, dress code, transportation or parking, a suggested outline of their first day, a list of any documents/equipment they will need to bring) - Confirm workspace set up
- Schedule new hire orientation
- Send a new-hire announcement to relevant colleagues
- Inform the team of hiring decisions (name, role, start date, summary of responsibilities and first few milestones)
- Collect information the new hire will need for their first day
- Gather necessary project/account information for handoff
- Match the new employee with a peer mentor
- Schedule first-day lunch with the team
First Day
The first day for a new hire can be overwhelming unless it’s carefully planned. The following items can help create a great first impression and set the new employee up for success.
1. Welcome The New Hire
- Meet and greet the new employee
- Introduce the new employee to the team
- Conduct a tour of the office/site, with introductions to key personnel
- Review any security protocols
- Introduce peer mentor
2. Conduct Orientation
- Explain the organization’s structure, vision, mission, and values
- Review the employee handbook and highlight major policies
- Complete or review required employee paperwork
- Review relevant administrative procedures
3. Review Job-Specific Information
- Job description
- Timeline of milestones
- Organizational chart
- Outline of their responsibilities
First Week
Planned, structured onboarding that extends beyond the first day can keep the momentum going and help the new hire stay on track. Use the following tasks to structure the first week and lay out the new hire’s future with your organization.
- Determine knowledge and experience gaps
- Create a learning plan to fill those gaps
- Assign and outline the first project
- Make introductions to additional people they’ll be working with, including executives and the C-suite, customers/clients, suppliers/vendors, and contractors/consultants
- Provide systems and software training
- Confirm that all equipment is working correctly
First Month And Beyond
It's a good idea to plan for ongoing onboarding activities that extend for as long as six months post-hire to make sure new hires stay on track. The following items can build a firm foundation for future growth.
- Work with the new hire to create weekly “to do” itineraries
- Schedule ongoing, job-specific training as needed
- Conduct check-in meetings on a daily or weekly basis, depending on the new hire’s progress
- Create 30-, 60-, and 90-day development plans based on the new hire’s needs
- Ask for feedback about the onboarding process
Conclusion
Effective onboarding creates connections, clarifies expectations, and shows new hires that your company wants them to succeed. Time investment can result in a payoff of commitment and performance as new employees grow into their roles and become the peer mentors and organization ambassadors who welcomed them on board.
Download the eBook The Pillars Of Strategic Employee Onboarding for insider secrets to launching a new hire training program that's adaptive, personalized, and perfectly suited for your modern workforce. Also, join the webinar to discover how onboarding drives business success!