I spend a lot of time talking with leadership teams about best practices for new employee onboarding. Most of the time, we’re talking about the strategies and tactics available to their organization to ensure that every new hire is onboarded consistently.  Prior blog posts reference many of these ways to improve your company’s onboarding process:

        Read:

        Teach core values during new hire onboarding

        Employee onboarding: Three critical components of success

Let’s come at this from a different angle.  If you’re thinking about your current new hire onboarding process and you’re worried that you’re piloting a leaky boat, check this list to find out the cause.  

New employee onboarding - a checklist for success

Job Offers

• You initiate a phone call with the finalist and walk them through the job offer verbally to trial-close the candidate, and to confirm their onboarding timeline
• You have a legally-compliant, standard offer template that you send to each potential new hire
• Once the offer is accepted, you send the candidate a “Red Carpet” email welcoming them to the team, and laying out expectations for their first 90 days

New hire paperwork

• You send pre-hire employment documents (tax forms, employment eligibility, new hire manual, licensing, etc) electronically, and the new hires have them filled out prior to their first day
• You follow up within twenty-four hours after sending these pre-employment documents to ask if your new hire has any questions

Activities prior to Day One

• New hires are provided with a 30-60-90 day schedule that sets their expectations for their first three months; this plan is sent to them by their direct manager
• Any canned, basic training (videos, manuals, web sites, documentation) is sent to the candidate prior to their first day, with specific instructions about what to watch and/or accomplish before they arrive. [Note: You may need to pay your new hires for their time spent prior to their first day; consult your labor attorney. In my opinion, these extra paid hours are worth it!]

Make Day One great

• Everyone on the management team of the company (or department, if a larger organization) is provided with a New Hire Announcement so they’re aware that there’s a new team member starting
• The new hire’s workspace is set up and ready for them when they arrive; phone, laptop, logins and any other IT or systems access related items are completed
• Business cards are sitting at their workspace
• At their workspace is a New Hire Welcome Package that includes a handwritten or signed note from their manager or team, some company swag, and a bottle of your libation of choice
• Everyone on the team knows that it’s their responsibility to introduce themselves to the new hire, hand them a business card, and welcome them to the team

Creating clarity

• Hold a Fast Start meeting with your new hire, ideally during the first 48 hours of their employment.  This Fast Start meeting will accomplish three goals:

• Provide organizational clarity
• Provide role clarity
• Provide social clarity

Checking in at 30/60/90 days

• Utilize the 30-60-90 day plan that you created during the interview process
• Hold meetings at 30, 60, and 90 days to check in on progress and course correct, if necessary

Performance feedback

• Provide your new hire with specific, measurable and timely feedback on any performance issues
• Document all performance issues in accordance with your company’s HR/talent policies

Bookmark this page as I’ll be referring back to it often with new updates and ideas.