Checklist

Staff Onboarding Process Checklist

Onboard staff in a structured way — so new hires are productive in weeks, not months.

Summary

A good onboarding covers: admin (day 1), team and context (week 1), core work (week 2-4), milestones (month 1-3).

Before day 1 (preboarding)

Laptop / equipment ordered and tested
Email, Slack, and key app accounts created
Welcome note + day 1 agenda sent
Buddy assigned

Day 1

Welcome and team intros
Workspace tour (physical or digital)
Admin: HR forms, benefits, policies
Access checks: email, VPN, key tools
Short overview of company, customers, current priorities

Week 1

Daily buddy check-in
Shadow 2-3 core processes
Meet key stakeholders (1:1, 30 min each)
Read key SOPs / documentation
Small first task completed

Weeks 2-4

Own first real deliverable
Weekly 1:1 with manager
Feedback on initial work
Start contributing to standups
30-day review scheduled

Month 1-3

30-day review: ramp-up progress, fit
60-day: own a full process / account
90-day: confirmed and full productivity

Common mistakes

No preboarding — new hire arrives to chaos
Everything front-loaded to week 1
No buddy — new hire has nowhere to ask dumb questions
No structured review — issues surface too late

Frequently asked questions

Who owns onboarding?

Hiring manager. HR handles admin. Neither should delegate the relationship work.

Next step

Keep exploring related resources to strengthen this area of the business.

Use Meeting SOP Template

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