Employee Onboarding Checklist

A free, ready-to-use checklist with 32 actions that take a new hire from two weeks before their first day to the 90-day review. Each action says who does it and on which day: HR, the manager, the buddy, IT or the new joiner.

Try it in Newployee, free: the checklist is already in your template library when you sign up. Or download the Excel with the form on this page.

What's in this checklist

• HR, 7 actions: contract and signatures, payroll and benefits check, the 60-day HR check-in.
• Manager, 11 actions: welcome message, first-week schedule, the 30, 60 and 90-day reviews.
• Buddy, 5 actions: a hello before day one, lunch on day one, a mid-point coffee.
• IT, 3 actions: laptop order, accounts, first sign-in on day one.
• New joiner, 6 actions: profile and documents, trainings, 30-60-90 day goals, onboarding feedback.

Two actions need the manager's approval: the required trainings and the 30-60-90 day goals.

The checklist, phase by phase

Before day one (preboarding)

Good onboarding starts before the first day. Two weeks out, HR sends the contract for signature and collects the details payroll needs: tax forms, bank account, ID or right-to-work documents and an emergency contact. IT orders the laptop and equipment ten days ahead, so it arrives in time, and creates email, chat and tool accounts five days before the start.

The manager sends a personal welcome message a week ahead, picks a buddy who is not the new joiner's manager, and puts the first week's meetings in the calendar. Three days before the start, the buddy says hello, and the new joiner fills in their profile and reads the welcome pack. Two days before, HR introduces the new joiner to the team. The day before, the manager checks that the desk or remote setup is ready.

Day one

HR runs a welcome and orientation session: a tour (office or virtual), key policies, benefits and who to ask for what. IT hands over the laptop and helps with the first sign-in and two-step login. The manager holds the first one-to-one about the role, expectations and first goals. The buddy takes the new joiner to lunch or a virtual coffee, and the new joiner sets up their accounts and profile photo.

First week

The new joiner completes the required trainings, such as security, data protection and code of conduct, and drafts their 30-60-90 day goals. The manager approves both. The manager also sets up introductions with the people the new joiner will work with most, and ends the week with a short check-in. The buddy shows the everyday tools and the unwritten rules, and HR confirms payroll and benefits are set up before the first payday.

First month

The buddy checks in during week two. The manager holds a two-week feedback conversation that goes both ways, and then a 30-day review against the 30-day goals.

Months two and three

At day 45 the buddy has a mid-point coffee. At day 60 the manager reviews the 60-day goals and HR holds a short, confidential check-in. At day 90 the manager runs the final review and sets goals for the months ahead. The new joiner shares feedback on their onboarding, and HR closes the journey.

Three messages and five check-in surveys included

The checklist comes with three ready-to-send messages: a welcome from the manager a week before the start, an announcement to the team two days before, and a "your first day" email from HR the day before. Five short surveys check in at 7, 30, 60 and 90 days, plus a final onboarding evaluation.

How to use it in Newployee

1. Sign up free. The checklist is already in your template library.
2. Make it yours. Change, add or remove actions, days and owners.
3. Start a journey. Pick the new hire and their start date. Newployee works out every date and reminds each person when their action is due.

Preboarding (the actions before day one) is part of the paid plans. Every new workspace starts with a 14-day free trial that includes it.

Try the employee onboarding checklist in Newployee

Want more background on each step? Read our new hire onboarding checklist guide.