Onboarding checklist: Best practices for onboarding new hires & team members

But what exactly is employee onboarding? Employee onboarding is the process of integrating new employees into an organisation. It involves familiarising them with company procedures, their specific roles, and overall organisational expectations.

The most effective employee onboarding process is one that ensures new hires feel welcomed from the very beginning. This involves thorough preparation for their arrival, a warm reception from the team, and fostering a sense of belonging to the company culture from day one.

No matter which industry you’re in, onboarding new employees isn’t just an option, it’s essential. To ensure a smooth onboarding experience and a proper welcome to the company, we’ve put together an onboarding checklist to help you welcome your new employees in the best possible way!

Love checklists? You’ll love our onboarding checklist! ✔️

New Employee Onboarding Checklist

A well-structured onboarding process provides new team members with the opportunity to settle into their role, get to know their new colleagues, understand what is expected of them, and sets them on the path to success!

Buuuuut… to achieve this, you first need a sound onboarding checklist. An onboarding checklist will help you prepare for the new hire's arrival and support them as they adapt to a new environment.

The onboarding checklist typically includes key components before, during, and after the onboarding process. If you're aiming to establish or improve your onboarding process, our onboarding checklist will guide you effectively.

You can also easily find an onboarding checklist template online to help you.

Before the Start Date - Onboarding Checklist

✔️ List out each step of the different stages of the onboarding process. Take notes on the most important aspects of your onboarding procedure and complete new hire forms in advance.

✔️ Don’t forget specific details about pre-onboarding a new employee: what equipment they will need, what their first day will look like, how to introduce them to their team and the company, and how to set them up for success in their new role—from recruitment to integrating the new employee into their new team. Make sure your onboarding checklist is as complete as possible.

✔️ Before the big day, provide them with details about what they will be doing and with whom. Equip them to join prepared and excited. This applies equally to new interns as well as new employees.

• Send an email to the new hire. The email should create a positive impression and set them up for success from day one. Include the start date, time, and location, and provide the phone number and email address of their point of contact (which may include an HR representative, the new hire’s manager, the IT department, a mentor, or others). Additionally, include a list of the documents they need to bring and a breakdown of the schedule for their first day.

✔️ Send a new employee announcement by email, including the names of the new hires, their positions, professional backgrounds, and hobbies, to ensure they receive a warm welcome. It’s always nice to arrive somewhere where you’re already a little known, isn’t it? Plus, it makes breaking the ice much easier.

✔️ Ensure they love their new job from day one and boost employee engagement if you want to retain your top talent! Discover the drives of employee engagement here.

✔️ Remote workers? Ensure that pre-onboarding is planned and meetings are scheduled. Onboarding new remote employees can bring many challenges for hiring managers and HR managers. Make this onboarding experience the best they’ve ever had! If you need ideas for remote employees, read our blog post.

First Day of Employee Onboarding - Onboarding Checklist

First day = first impression – create the ultimate welcome for new team members. Managers and HR, get out your onboarding checklists and keep them close at hand!

✔️ Introduction to Company Culture and Values: This helps new employees understand and fit in your company's work environment. - company policies. Read more about how to improve company culture here.

✔️ Welcome Lunch or After-Work Gathering: Take your new hires out for lunch or a drink. It’s a good opportunity to unwind and get to know each other in a slightly less formal setting. Beyond the formalities, the first day serves as a pivotal moment for personal connections to flourish. It’s a chance to learn about colleagues beyond their job titles, uncover shared interests, and identify common goals. Whether over coffee breaks or casual conversations, these initial interactions humanise the workplace, creating bonds that extend beyond professional realms.

✔️ Meeting with Managers and Executives: The first day serves as a crucial introduction, not only to the company’s culture and operations but also to the individuals who will guide and shape the new hire's experience within the organisation. It’s a time for open dialogue, where questions are encouraged, and concerns are addressed.

✔️ Goal Setting with Managers: This provides an opportunity to clarify job responsibilities, set performance expectations, and establish communication channels. This step is essential for your onboarding checklist!

✔️ Documentation: Provide your new employees with the resources they need to do their jobs and achieve the desired outcomes.

✔️ Office Tour: The best part! The office tour isn’t just about orientation; it’s about embarking on a new adventure with your new work family! Get ready to explore—from the open space to the meeting rooms.

✔️ Remote Employees? The online onboarding must be prepared in advance, with each meeting scheduled. Make sure to follow your onboarding checklist!

Read more about maximizing employee satisfaction here.

First week of employee onboarding

Onboarding doesn’t end after the first day! It’s a continuous process from the moment a new employee arrives until the day they leave. The first week is crucial for ensuring your new hire is engaged with the company’s culture and for reinforcing the value you see in them. Here are a few things to include in the first week of onboarding and not to forget on your checklist:

✔️ Set up One-on-One Meetings: Arrange meetings with other employees and departments to introduce them to their onboarding buddy, existing team members, and other key individuals.

✔️ Training Sessions and Development: Ensure the new hire understands their job responsibilities and how to perform them efficiently.

✔️ Review Company Mission, Vision, Values, and Policies:** Familiarise the new employee with these aspects, as employees are the ambassadors of your brand and should embody its values and ideals in every interaction, both internally and externally.

✔️ Provide an Overview of the Role: Discuss the employee’s role within the team and organisation, and set short-term and long-term goals and expectations.

✔️ Review Ongoing Projects or Initiatives: Go over any current projects or initiatives the new employee will be involved in.

✔️ Offer opportunities for questions and feedback, making sure the new employee feels at ease and comfortable asking questions.

First Month to Six Months: Long-Term Onboarding Process

✔️ Weekly Meetings with New Hires: It’s crucial to continue these meetings to provide ongoing support and foster communication. Communication is key!

✔️ Performance Evaluations and Feedback: Gathering employee feedback is a great way to review the effectiveness of your onboarding process and programmes. HR managers and team leaders should schedule one-on-one meetings with the employee to discuss their onboarding experience, address any questions or concerns, and review their progress.

✔️ Progress Review and Training Resources: Regularly assess the employee’s progress and provide additional training resources as needed.

✔️ Discuss Opportunities for Growth and Advancement.

✔️ Continuously Reinforce Company Values and Culture.

✔️ Address Performance Issues Promptly and Constructively.

✔️ Recognise and Reward Achievements: Celebrate milestones and achievements to acknowledge and reward the employee’s contributions.

What Are the Key Components of an Effective Onboarding Process?

A successful onboarding process is one that is well-prepared. It is effective if it includes welcome activities before the start date. The human resources department must ensure that the new hire’s onboarding checklist is prepared before D-Day.

Prepare the Office: Set up workstations in advance, ensuring that everything from the new hire’s paperwork (training documents and other onboarding materials) to their devices and office equipment is ready by the time they arrive. Coordinate with staff members, assign immediate tasks, and arrange mentors for guidance. This demonstrates that you’ve made an effort to ensure they feel welcomed and valued :)

Create a Pre-Onboarding Checklist and Onboarding Templates that reflect your company culture!

New Hires Welcome Packs & Kits

If you're wondering how to make the onboarding process even more exciting, we have the solution for you as a corporate gift supplier.

On the onboarding day of your new team member, make a lasting impression with custom corporate gifts and personal touches! According to Glassdoor, efficient onboarding can improve new hire retention by up to 82%. A great onboarding process helps employees reach full competency more quickly and start contributing to your company’s success.

So, here’s what not to forget for your onboarding checklist: the welcome packs and kits for the new hires.

Here are a few onboarding box ideas that we really like at Merchery.

The classic one.

Doesn't it also starts with a great welcome pack?

• A block note for better informed, more productive employees from Moleskine.

• A classic Caran d'ache to check the hire checklists.

• A Patagonia sweater, a new employees favorites! The personal touch that drives onboarding success.

• A Camelbak bottle, to keep them hydrated all day long.

The stylish one.

• A custom Nalgene bottle – a must-have for your onboarding checklist. Stylish and functional for their everyday routine.

• Karst stone paper notebooks - new hire always loves it. Sustainable and recyclable stone paper, amazing right? From sales reps to marketing team, they all love it.

• A custom hoodie for the win, branded to your colours!

• A custom tote bag: to carry all the new hire essentials, including books, laptops, groceries, and gym clothes.

• A wellness gift, because why not?

Add a personal message, custom the corporate gifts with your logo!

The cosy one

• Chocolate bar, we all love a good snack at the office. (one step not to forget to include in all onboarding checklists: don't forget the chocolate!!)

• A Yeti mug to drink coffee in style.

• A custom candle, with the finest smells: Fig and sandalwood; Yuzu, neroli and sage; Monoi, Ylang Ylang and coco; or Edelweiss blossom, amber and linen.

• A cosy custom tshirt.

  Discover more items in our home category.

The premium one

• Rains Backpack, a bag made perfect for city commutes by bike or foot.

• Patagonia Puff Jacket, an essential to every wardrobe, but make it premium.

• Montblanc Ballpoint Pen, the pen they will keep for life.

• Alessi Paper Knife, a unique and aesthetic object for those who love design. Discover more premium corporate gifts to level up your desk here: https://merchery.co/shop/c/office

• Kinto day off Not your average bottle.

Conclusion

Onboarding is a crucial process for any company and new hire, and using an effective first-day onboarding checklist can significantly contribute to the success of this process. You can also adapt it to fit your company’s specific needs. Just ensure that you always prioritise making new hires feel welcome and valued from day one!

A good employee onboarding checklist covers typical responsibilities for managers, from introducing an employee to the workplace to providing performance evaluations and obtaining feedback.

You can find many onboarding checklist templates online or create your own tailored for your new hires!

Discover more about HR tips & tricks about culture index.