Onboarding checklist

• Product and technology

Is a new employee starting at your organization? You want to set them up for success so they can be productive as quickly as possible. A checklist helps you onboard new employees. This allows you to train them efficiently, engage them right away, and make a strong first impression of your organization.

What is an onboarding checklist and why is it important?

Employees need several items in order to work efficiently and effectively. This includes collecting the right data, sharing relevant documents, and creating the correct accounts. An onboarding checklist supports this and ensures you complete all required steps on time. This way you can be sure an employee is productive on the first day. You also project professionalism to the employee, which can help retain staff in a tight labor market.

Onboarding step-by-step plan

Effectively onboarding a new employee involves several points of attention and actions. A step-by-step plan helps you run the onboarding process as smoothly as possible.

Step 1: Share the right documents

To set an employee up for success, make sure they have access to all relevant documents. This includes contracts and payroll information, as well as job descriptions and manuals. This allows the employee to prepare well before the first working day. You can share documents digitally, or on paper if desired. In practice, we increasingly see employees receiving access to their new employer’s intranet before their first day. There they can start reading, sign any documents, and complete training. HelloID can support you in granting this access, for example by creating an intranet account prior to the start date.

Step 2: Introductions and orientation

For new employees it is helpful if someone guides them through your organization. This includes the use of systems and applications, as well as relevant locations and rooms in your office building. The employee can also meet colleagues and other staff members. You can schedule these introductions and orientation on the first day, or you can plan a session before the start date.

Step 3: Provide the right resources

In many cases, employees need equipment and resources to get started. This includes a suitable desk and office chair, as well as a laptop, headset, and company phone. Ensure these resources are available and configured on time so the employee can start right away.

The various integrations with Facility Management Information System (FMIS) and IT Service Management (ITSM) solutions that HelloID enables help with this. Access to physical spaces and assets is also essential. If you use access badges for your building or specific rooms, make sure to issue these badges on time so employees have the correct access on their first day. Depending on the integrations you have implemented, you may be able to automate the configuration of access systems through an Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution such as HelloID from Tools4ever.

Step 4: Provide training and courses

Depending on your organization and the role an employee will fulfill, training may be required. For example, to familiarize an employee with a system used in your environment or to work with certain internal processes. Scheduling these training sessions is therefore an important part of the onboarding process.

Step 5: Assign a buddy

Some companies use a buddy system. You pair a new employee with an experienced colleague who can answer practical questions. Think of simple tasks such as forwarding a phone call or changing settings in a dashboard, as well as any unwritten internal rules and habits.

Step 6: Create an account

To be able to start work on the first day, an employee must have an account. This account gives the user access to the applications, systems, and data sources needed to perform their work. An IAM solution such as HelloID can significantly simplify this process and automatically create the account for you based on data from your HR system. An IAM solution also assigns the correct access rights and authorizations immediately. This is important, because in practice we still see that employees cannot access everything and therefore cannot be productive. In some cases, employees even feel compelled to log in with colleagues’ accounts, which is undesirable, particularly with regard to digital security.

Step 7: Communicate credentials

To gain access to their account, users must have the temporary credentials for that account. Communicate these credentials on time, for example through the manager, email, or SMS. Do you use Single Sign-On (SSO)? In most cases this means only one set of credentials that provides access to all required applications and systems through an SSO dashboard. If you do not use SSO, you may need to share multiple credentials with a user. You will want employees to choose a strong password themselves so they can remember it and do not have to write it down. Preferably require employees to reset their password after the first login.