New Employee Training Checklist and Onboarding Guide

88% of employees say they didn't have a good onboarding experience. It should come as no surprise as many companies are hesitant to invest in their onboarding processes.

But the first impression your new recruit has of your company is crucial. And onboarding introduces new team members to your company's culture, lets them know what to expect when they take on their role, and gives them everything they need to know to get started. It may even contribute to whether or not they stay with your business long term.

So get ahead of your competition and impress your new team members with a dynamic and thorough onboarding process. A good starting point is an effective checklist for training new employees. Let's look at an example of just one and all of the essential onboarding steps you need to include.

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Why is an employee onboarding checklist important?

Writing up and using an employee onboarding checklist has many benefits for you, your new hires, and the rest of your staff. Here are some of the most compelling reasons to have one:

A new hire knows what to expect: Starting a new job can be a daunting experience. Your new hires will feel better when they know what their first days and weeks will be like. That's why welcome emails and confirmations about their salary, hours, and job offer are essential parts of any checklist. Make sure you don't miss a thing: There are many parts to the onboarding process. Having a checklist in place means you're less likely to forget something in the hustle and bustle of your new hire's first week. For example, less exciting tasks like health and safety training may elude you but are essential for all employees to master. Keep your onboarding process consistent. Small businesses are constantly going through shifts and changes, which can make it difficult for you to give all employees the same onboarding experience. But you should always strive to keep your onboarding process as consistent as possible. Staff members need to be on the same page when it comes to their day-to-day and other tasks or your business won't run smoothly. Maintain compliance. It is essential that your new hires submit certain forms and documents during the onboarding process. And if you miss or delay any of them – especially tax forms – you could be fined. Listing all the paperwork new hires need to complete on your checklist can prevent this from happening. New Employee Checklist Template

Our new hire checklist includes all the essential steps and tasks you need to complete for an effective onboarding experience. This template should work for most small businesses, but you may need to modify some steps to meet your specific needs.

New Hire Checklist

Pre-arrival

Send the official job offer Send a welcome message Confirm new employee start dates and availability Perform a background check Check the new employee's preferred name Send new employee's first schedule Add the new employee to your schedule, timesheets and payroll

Optional

Send the new employee an invitation to join your team's app Preparing the new employee's workspace Request uniform sizes and/or measurements Display the new employee's uniform and/or other accessories like name badges and aprons Make adjustments for new hires with health issues and/or special needs