The onboarding checklist you’ll use again and again

Giving new employees a great onboarding experience is essential to their engagement and retention.

Yet, shockingly, around 60% of businesses skip setting any goals or milestones for their new hires. And only 12% of employees feel that their employer has a good onboarding program.

That’s why it’s important for you to have a slick and effective onboarding plan and we’re here to help.

Here’s your new onboarding checklist:

Before your new hire starts

• Talk to the new employee’s future manager to understand their aims and objectives for the first few weeks
• Get all the essential documents ready, including induction checklists, new starter forms and your employee handbook (if you don’t have an employee handbook yet, get in touch as we can help you with this)
• Make sure they have a clean, tidy workstation with all the equipment they’ll need
• Create accounts for them to access email, software and any websites essential for their role
• Send them any information you’d like them to read before they start, giving them plenty of time to digest it

Day 1

• Introduce your new employee to the rest of the team and show them around the workplace. A warm welcome goes a long way
• Verify their ID and right to work in the UK (we can help you with this if you’re not sure) and go over their P45, if applicable
• Provide them with all the materials they need to get the hang of their new role
• Walk them through key health and safety points, like the location of fire exits and the first aid kit
• Explain precisely what they’ll be doing and how their role contributes to the bigger picture
• Make sure they have a signed contract of employment in place – this must be in place on or before Day 1

Week 1

• Assign them a challenging-yet-doable project that showcases their skills without overwhelming them
• Make sure they’ve read and filled out all relevant documents, such as new starter forms and induction checklists
• Set clear goals and milestones for their probation period (if relevant) and schedule regular probation/performance check-in meetings

Month 1

• Share your company’s long-term goals and how you see them contributing to the journey
• Check in with them to ensure they’re happy in their role and crystal clear about your expectations
• Help them build relationships with colleagues who they’ll be working closely with

This onboarding checklist gives you a great starting point for the things you need to think about when someone new joins your team.

But as always, if you need a helping hand or would like to find out more about our fully customisable digital Onboarding Toolkit, please get in touch!

Drop us an email: info@applehr.co.uk

Happy Onboarding!