Employee Onboarding Template

What is an employee onboarding checklist?

Welcoming new employees might seem like a relatively straightforward process, but we can assure you that your human resources department wouldn't agree.

Fortunately, onboarding templates help organize and streamline the onboarding process as they contain lists of the most important actions, information, and documentation required for new hires. Onboarding programs can be formal or informal depending on the work environment and can last anywhere from a couple weeks to several months.

Onboarding checklists vary between companies and industries and largely depend on individual company policies, but usually include the following:

• A welcome letter or welcome email introducing the company, providing a sneak peek into the company culture, and letting new hires know what to expect on day one of their new jobs.

Pro Tip: Onboarding checklists can also include onboarding-related reminders for the human resources department. This might include ordering supplies, first week or first month follow-ups and check-ins, reminders to organize meetings with managers and/or supervisors, and notes to set up training and/or professional development.

• Mandatory paperwork. This can include background checks, payroll & employee benefits information, relevant certifications and/or qualifications, and other new hire paperwork.
• General company policies & basic information. This can include introductions to team members, building and/or office tours, dress code details, time logging information, and working hours. Note: This step is sometimes accomplished by providing a link to the company's employee handbook.
• Initial training & work environment set-up. This is especially important if you use company-wide systems or tools. Also, make sure not to leave your new hires hanging without an internet connection or printing code.

What can an employee onboarding checklist do for me?

You might be wondering whether putting together an employee onboarding checklist will really make your life that much easier. We can assure you that it will, because it'll...

• Increase employee satisfaction and retention from the get-go. Arriving for your first day of a new job can be intimidating and overwhelming. Having a consistent onboarding process helps new employees overcome those sensations and feel welcome and oriented instead. Onboarding checklists have been proven to increase employee satisfaction and retention in the short and long term.
• Give your company a great first impression. If your company's onboarding practices are well-organized and thorough, that first impression will be reflected back onto your company in general.

Pro Tip: Some companies have fun with their employee onboarding process and offer new hires small gifts or include them in fun welcome activities.

• Encourage transparency, open communication & mentorship. Onboarding checklists help start the employer-employee relationship off on the right foot. You can transmit a company culture of openness and communication by encouraging mentorship, guidance, and questions as part of your onboarding practices.
• Save you time! No two onboarding processes are exactly alike, but most of them are pretty similar. Putting together an accurate new hire checklist will save you time welcoming new employees and help you avoid forgetting key steps.

Slite's free employee onboarding checklist

Ready to start putting together an onboarding process template? We thought so!

One of the biggest barriers to using onboarding checklists is the daunting task of developing them. Don't worry... Slite's got your back! Our employee onboarding templates look great, are 100% customizable, can be worked on collaboratively with the whole human resources team... and did we mention that they're free?

What are you waiting for?

How can I get started?

Starting working on your onboarding process template by:

Collecting Key Paperwork

Onboarding processes always require a lot of paperwork. Don't forget any and make a list of all the key forms, information, and documents that new hires need to fill out and include them on your checklist. It's not glamorous, but it's necessary!

Brainstorming

This should be done with all the human resources team members that are usually part of the hiring and/or onboarding process. Organize a collaborative brainstorming session to make the most out of your onboarding checklist and cover all your bases.

Introducing Key Company Information

Ask yourself questions like: "What company values do we want to transmit to new hires on day one?" and "What aspects of our company culture do we want to highlight in our onboarding process?" This will give new employees the right impression of their new workplace and help inform the rest of your onboarding checklist.

Outlining A Typical Week

Sketching out a week in the life of one of your employees will help you determine all the basic information you need to provide new hires with. It will also be a valuable tool for new hires to refer back to throughout their first months and when their performance review comes up!

...there you have it! You're well on your way to transforming your onboarding process into a streamlined, efficient, and inspiring experience that will make new hires excited to be working for you.