Imagine this scenario: A new marketing manager joins a company without receiving structured explanation of their KPIs, responsibilities, and reporting structure.
Few months into the role with unclear expectations, underperformance and frustrations, the employee finally resigns – putting the company to reinvent the entire hiring and onboarding process.
While the experience the employee gathers is mostly in the negatives, the company faces increased turnover costs, productivity losses, and disruption. Not good for either one.
There’s a term for this scanerio: Empoloyee Wrongboarding. It refer to poorly executed onboarding process that leaves new hires confused, often disengaged, or highly unprepared for their roles.
If you want increased employee engagement, it is not a choice, but a must to define your expectations from day one. Done well, productivity boost in new hires can be seen by over 70%, as revealed in a research by the Brandon Hall Group.
While HR onboarding checklist templates will differ from one company to another, generally speaking, they cover the following points. Bookmark this page and adjust, customise it based on your needs.
Pre-Onboarding (Before Day 1)
- ✅ Send offer letter & contract for signing
- ✅ Collect necessary documents (ID, tax forms, bank details, etc.)
- ✅ Set up email, system logins, and workstation
- ✅ Share employee handbook & company policies
- ✅ Assign a mentor or onboarding buddy
First Day Essentials
- ✅ Welcome the new hire with a personalized introduction
- ✅ Conduct an office tour / virtual walkthrough
- ✅ Introduce team members and key stakeholders
- ✅ Provide necessary equipment (laptop, access cards, etc.)
- ✅ Explain work schedules, policies, and expectations
First Week Goals
- ✅ Schedule HR orientation & benefits enrollment
- ✅ Set up 1:1 meetings with manager and teammates
- ✅ Assign initial training modules or company learning resources
- ✅ Ensure access to collaboration tools (Slack, Teams, etc.)
- ✅ Gather employee feedback on the first-week experience
First Month Milestones
- ✅ Set clear performance goals and expectations
- ✅ Check-in on workload, challenges, and needed support
- ✅ Encourage participation in team meetings and events
- ✅ Evaluate onboarding experience and gather feedback
90-Day Checkpoint
- ✅ Conduct a performance review & career development discussion
- ✅ Gather feedback from both employee and manager
- ✅ Identify additional training needs or mentorship opportunities
- ✅ Ensure employee feels integrated and engaged within the team
Please note, this HR onboarding checklist template serves as a general guideline for hiring professionals looking for onboarding checklist online. Companies should modify and customize it to align with local labor laws, industry regulations, and internal policies. The information published here does not constitute legal or compliance advice.
