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

But what is employee onboarding, then? Employee onboarding is the process of integrating new employees into an organization. It involves familiarizing them with company procedures, their specific roles, and overall organizational expectations.

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

Regardless of the industry you're in, onboarding new employees isn't just a choice, it's essential. To prepare a smooth onboarding and a proper welcome to the company, we have prepared an onboarding checklist for your onboarding process, to welcome your new employees in the best possible way!

Checklist lover? You're going to love our onboarding checklist ideas! ✔️

New employee onboarding checklist

A solid onboarding process gives new team members the chance to settle into their role, get to know their new colleagues, understand what's expected of them, and sets them on the path to success!

Butttt...To achieve this, you first need a solid onboarding checklist. An onboarding checklist will help you prepare for the new hire's arrival and support them as they settle into a new environment.

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

You can also easily find an onboarding checklist template on the internet to help you.

Before the start date - onboarding checklist

✔️ List out each process of the different stages of the onboarding process. Make notes of the most important aspects of your onboarding process and complete new hire forms beforehand.

✔️ 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 acclimating the new employee to their new team. Make sure your onboarding checklist is as complete as possible.

✔️ Administrative setup: before the big day, give them details about what they will be doing and with whom. Give them the means to come onboard 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 the new hire up for success from day one. Include the starting date, time and location, provide the phone number and email of their contact person (which may include an HR representative, the new hire's manager, the IT department, a mentor, or others), a list of the documents they should bring, and the schedule breakdown of their first day.

✔️ Send a new employee announcement by email with the names of new hires, their positions, professional backgrounds and hobbies to be sure they have a warm welcome! It's always nice to arrive at a place where you're already a little known, right? Plus, it makes breaking the ice much easier.

✔️ Make sure they will love their new job from day one and boost your employee engagement, if you want to keep your top talent ! Discover the drivers of employee engagement here.

✔️ Remote workers? Make sure the pre onboarding is planned and meetings are scheduled. Onboarding new remotes 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, 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 and company policies. Read more about how to improve company culture here.

✔️ Welcome lunch or afterwork: take your new hires out for lunch or for a drink. It's a good moment 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, to uncover shared interests and common goals. Whether over coffee breaks or casual conversations, these initial interactions humanize the workplace, creating bonds that extend beyond professional realms.

✔️ Meeting withs 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 your experience within the organization. It's a time for open dialogue, where questions are encouraged, and concerns are addressed.

✔️ Goal setting with the managers provides a chance to clarify job responsibilities, set performance expectations, and establish communication channels. This one is not to forget on your onboarding checklist!

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

✔️ Office tour: the best part, because 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 kitchen and coffee machine!

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

Read more about maximizing employee satisfaction here.

First week of employee onboarding - onboarding checklist

Onboarding checklist and onboarding never end! It's a continuous process from the moment a new employee arrives until the day they leave. The first week is about making sure your new hire is invested in the company's culture and reinforcing the value you see in them. A few things to do in the first week of onboardingand not to forget on your onboarding checklist:

✔️ Set-up one-on-one meetings with other employees and departments to introduce them to the other his/her onboarding buddy, existing employees and team members.

✔️ Training sessions and development to make sure the new hires know exactly what their job responsibilities are and how to pull them off efficiently.

✔️ Review the company's mission, vision, values and company policies. We never know them enough! Employees serve as the ambassadors of your brand, making it imperative that they fully embody its values and ideals in every interaction, both within the organization and externally.

✔️ Provide an overview of the employee's role within the team and organization and discuss short-term and long-term goals and expectations.

✔️ Review any ongoing projects or initiatives the new employee will be involved in.

✔️ Offer opportunities for the new employee to ask questions and provide feedback. They must feel at ease and comfortable to ask questions.

First month to 6 months: long-term onboarding process

✔️ Weekly meetings with new hires and new employees. It's super important to continue those meetings for setting providing support and fostering communication. Communication is key!

✔️ Performance evaluations and getting feedback. Employee feedback is a great way to review the results of your onboarding process and programs. HR managers and team leaders can accomplish this through scheduling 1:1s with the employee. There, they can share their onboarding experience and any questions or concerns they have.

✔️ Progress review and training resources. Recognize and reward achievements and contributions, celebrate milestones and achievements

✔️ Discuss opportunities for growth and advancement within the organization

✔️ Continuously reinforce the company's values and culture.

✔️ Address any performance issues or concerns promptly and constructively.

• ...

What are the key components of an effective onboarding process?

A successful onboarding is a prepared one. It's effective if it encompasses before-the-start welcome activities. The human resources department has to make sure to prepare your new hire onboarding checklist before the D-Day.

So, it's important to prepare the office properly. Setting up workstations in advance, everything from the new hires paperwork (training documents and other onboarding documents) to the set up of their devices and office equipment should be ready for the moment the new hires arrive, coordinating with staff members, assigning immediate tasks and mentors for guidance. That's a way to demonstrate that you've made an effort to ensure they feel welcomed and valued.

And obviously, create a pre onboarding checklist and onboarding templates that reflect your company culture!

New hires welcome packs & kits - custom corporate gifts

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

On the onboarding day of your new team member, make an impact with custom corporates gifts and personal touches! According to Glassdoor, efficient onboarding can improve new hire retention by up to 82% . A great onboarding process enables employees to reach full competency more quickly and start making money for your company.

So here's what tot to forget for your onboarding checklist: the onboarding welcome packs & kits for the new hire's.

Here are a few onboarding box ideas that we really like at Merchery. Doesn't it also starts with a great welcome pack?

The classic one

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

• A classic Caran d'ache for the new hires to tickle their new to do list.

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

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

The trendy one

• A custom Nalgene - a must to add on your onboarding checklist. Stylish and functional for their everyday routine.

• Karst stone paper notebooks, new hire always loves it. It's made from pure graphic, 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 bags to carry all the new hire essentials, including books, laptops, groceries, and gym clothes.

• A wellness gift, because we all love to take care of ourselves! Add a personal message, custom the corporate gifts with your logo!

The cosy one

• A 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, 100% organic candle made from natural soy wax and lasts for houuuuuuurs.

• A cosy custom organic cotton tshirt, a good basic.

Discover more cozy items in our home category.

The premium one

• Camelbak backpack https://us.merchery.co/shop/camelbak-backpack, a bag made with consciousness for our beloved planet.

• The North Face eco jacket, an essential to every wardrobe, but make it premium.

• Craighill pen, the pen they will keep for life.

• Desk Puzzle, a unique and aesthetic object for those who love design. Discover more premium corporate gifts to level up your desk here.

• Kinto day off, not your average bottle.

Employee onboarding checklist: merch & welcome packs ✔️ Discore more corporate gift ideas on our webshop.

Conclusion

Onboarding is a crucial process for any company and new hire, and using an effective first-year onboarding checklist can go a long way in ensuring the success of this process. You can also modify it to fit your company's specific needs. Just make sure you always prioritize making new hires feel welcome and valued from day one!

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

Looking for new hire checklist and onboarding program? You can find lots of onboarding checklist templates on internet or juste create yours for your new hires!

Good luck with your future onboarding, you now have all the cards in your hands!

Discover more about HR tips & tricks about culture index and [employee engagement committee here. ](https://us.merchery.co/blog/understanding-employee-engagement-committees-roles-impact-and-best-practices here)