Get the know-how
out of your head.
Into your business.

Owners: HR + hiring manager + onboarding coordinator
Suggested timing: Begin 10–15 business days before start
Prerequisites: Confirmed hire or authorized role change

Choose the onboarding path

1. Employee, contractor, or internal transfer. Identify employment type, work location, start date, manager, and contract end date if applicable. For transfers and returning workers, review existing identities, assets, and access before creating or purchasing anything.
2. Remote or onsite requirements. Record delivery and workspace needs, time zone, approved contact method, and any location-specific requirements. Route accommodation requests privately through HR; record only the operational task and completion status in general checklists.

Approve scope and assign work

1. Define role requirements. List equipment, applications, printers, shared resources, and role-based permissions. Identify prerequisites and obtain system-owner approval for sensitive access using least privilege.
2. Approve budget and responsibilities. Confirm purchasing authority and cost center before orders. Give every task a named owner, due date, prerequisite, completion evidence, and escalation contact. Assign a coordinator to track dependencies and delays.

Owners: IT + purchasing + application owners
Suggested timing: Prepare before start; validate with employee on day one
Prerequisites: Approved role requirements, spending, and access requests

Purchase, receive & assign

1. Check stock and available licenses. Review reusable hardware and existing software entitlements before buying. Confirm approved specifications, license editions, seat count, terms, business-use rights, subscription owner, and renewal dates.
2. Order and track delivery. Record purchase orders, costs, suppliers, warranty, lead times, and approved delivery details. Track remote shipments and arrange approved loaners for delays. Match receipts to orders and resolve discrepancies.
3. Record equipment acceptance. Capture serial numbers, asset tags, assigned custodian, and receipt acknowledgment. Track accessories, loaners, and return requirements.

Build, configure & secure

1. Prepare identities and access. Check for existing accounts, create or update the approved identity, assign licenses and approved groups, and schedule activation. Use a secure initial sign-in process; never store passwords in the checklist.
2. Install and configure software. Apply operating-system updates, device management, encryption, endpoint protection, and approved applications. Verify activation, single sign-on, VPN if required, and role-specific configuration.
3. Set up workspace and printers. Connect monitors, docks, headset, and network. Configure the authorized printer queue, approved driver, defaults, and secure release. Use non-sensitive test pages; verify scanning destinations if scanning is authorized.

Test real work

1. Enroll authentication and recovery. Complete approved MFA enrollment and explain account recovery through the secure company process.
2. Verify employee workflows. Have the employee test email, calendar, video calls, required applications, approved file access, remote access where needed, and printing. Record pass/fail results and assign issues to owners before sign-off.

Owners: HR + payroll + facilities + policy owners
Suggested timing: Before start and during the first week, according to company deadlines
Prerequisites: Confirmed onboarding path and applicable HR requirements

Complete employment administration

1. Payroll and benefits. Track required employment paperwork, payroll setup, benefits enrollment, and deadlines in the authorized HR system. General onboarding tickets should reference status only, not banking, identity, or other sensitive HR documents.
2. Distribute the employee manual. Provide the current approved handbook through the controlled document system. Confirm access and explain where the latest version lives.

Track agreements

1. Assign applicable policy agreements. Use HR-approved wording and signature processes for acceptable use, confidentiality, information security, privacy, remote work, and other applicable agreements. Policy owners determine requirements for employees and contractors.
2. Record acknowledgments and exceptions. Track document title, version, assignee, due date, and acknowledgment or signature status in the authorized system. Route questions, overdue items, and disputes to HR; follow approved retention and access rules.

Prepare the physical workplace

1. Building access and safety. Arrange authorized badges, keys, parking, and workspace access. Explain emergency contacts, exits, evacuation procedures, and applicable site-specific safety training.

Owners: Manager + onboarding buddy + HR + IT
Suggested timing: Send welcome details before start; complete orientation and training on schedule
Prerequisites: Start date confirmed; essential accounts and equipment ready

Welcome and connect

1. Send practical arrival instructions. Provide start time, location or meeting link, parking, dress expectations, first-day contact, and a simple agenda through the approved channel.
2. Introduce people and responsibilities. Introduce the team and key business contacts, assign an onboarding buddy, and explain where to ask routine questions and how to escalate urgent concerns.

Teach safe daily work

1. Technology and support walkthrough. Guide secure first sign-in, verify the real-work tests, and show support requests, knowledge articles, escalation paths, and lost-device reporting.
2. Security, storage, and sharing. Cover phishing and incident reporting, handling sensitive information, approved storage and sharing, and which file locations are backed up. Explain relevant expectations using approved company guidance.

Set role expectations

1. Build a training and goals plan. Assign role-specific learning, owners, and due dates. Agree on first-week activities and 30/60/90-day goals with the manager, then schedule progress discussions.

Owners: Onboarding coordinator + manager + HR + IT
Suggested timing: First week and 30-day check-in; continue goal reviews at 60 and 90 days
Prerequisites: Task completion evidence and employee feedback available

Check readiness and fix gaps

1. First-week and 30-day check-ins. Ask the employee and manager about missing tools, unclear instructions, training progress, and practical work barriers. Assign an owner and due date to each unresolved item.
2. Expire temporary arrangements. Review temporary privileges, trial software, contractor end dates, and loaner equipment. Revoke or extend access only through the approved process; record return or reassignment actions.

Reconcile and improve

1. Verify assets, costs, and licenses. Reconcile purchases and invoices, confirm asset custody, track renewal ownership, and reclaim unused licenses or equipment through approved processes.
2. Capture process feedback. Document missing instructions and improvement opportunities. Assign updates to the procedure owner and keep the checklist and supporting guides current.

Close with accountable acceptance

1. Review completion evidence. Verify test results, equipment receipt, training status, and HR/policy completion confirmations. Keep sensitive supporting records in authorized systems and link only appropriate references.
2. Record sign-off or approved exceptions. Obtain manager acceptance and required IT/HR confirmations. Close only when required onboarding tasks are complete or approved exceptions have owners and follow-up dates. Continue scheduled development reviews separately.