Good onboarding starts before the first day and continues to the end of probation, so it is more than a tour of the office. Prepare the tools and accounts in advance, assign a buddy, and set a written plan for the first 90 days with clear goals and regular check-ins with the manager.
Step by step
- 1
Before day one
Contract and documents complete, laptop, email and access ready, and a welcome message with the start time and who will meet them.
- 2
The first day
A welcome from the manager, an introduction to the team and the workplace, the employee handbook, and a simple first task.
- 3
The buddy
A colleague on the team who answers the small daily questions a new employee hesitates to ask the manager.
- 4
A 30, 60 and 90 day plan
What the employee learns and what they deliver at each stage, written down and agreed.
- 5
Check-ins
A short weekly meeting in the first month, then a meeting at the end of each stage to review progress and obstacles.
- 6
Review before probation ends
The decision to confirm the employee rests on the written goals, and the employee hears it before probation ends.
Leaving a new employee to learn alone in the first weeks delays the point when they become productive and makes an early resignation more likely.
- new employee onboarding plan
- first day for a new employee