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You’ve just gotten off the phone with the interview candidate who not only met your expectations, but managed to exceed it. They’ve accepted the position you’re offering, and will be the latest addition to the team!
A new hire checklist for managers, of course. You want to onboard the new member smoothly and have all hands on deck to give them a proper welcome. To do that, you’re going to want to know what you need to keep in mind. For starters, informing your existing team and scheduling an orientation session to help new members get acquainted with people, processes and tools.
In this post, we’ll deep dive into this new onboarding checklist for managers so that your latest hire is absorbed into their new work environment without a hitch!
What is a new hire checklist?
A checklist for new hires is a document for managers to refer to before the new person joins. It lists out the things you need to arrange for, or who to assign them to. It's a compilation of tasks, functions, and equipment that you’ll need to onboard the person who is joining.
The formality of an onboarding checklist for managers may seem excessive, but bundling tasks into a checklist makes sure that everything in its place. From equipment and cubicle space to setting up accounts, this checklist will help you stay organized and ready to welcome your new hires.
What are the 4 phases of onboarding?
The four phases of onboarding around which the manager checklist for onboarding new employees is designed are;
2.1 Induction
This is the phase where new hires are formally onboarded and introduced to the rest of the team. Hiring managers usually liaise with departmental managers beforehand to initiate the new joiner to the team. If it's a remote team, everybody is scheduled to get onto a group call. If it's done in-office, the new joiner gets an office tour and verbal walkthrough of their point of contact and reporting lines.
This process can be greatly optimized by utilizing an employee onboarding system, HR software that “delivers an engaging experience” for new hires, connecting the new employee, their peers and their managers before day one. By automating the documentation process, sending out and tracking candidate emails, introducing the new hire to company culture and improving the employee experience, not only will you speed up the process, you also increase the chance of a successful hire and longer retention.
Employee onboarding software helps hiring managers to better do their job. With digitized paperwork and integrated background checks and verification, the hiring manager stays more organized, trading stacks of paper (sometimes outdated or incorrect) for a database filing system that offers fast access to resumes, emergency contacts, tax forms, and any other pertinent employee data. Employee handbooks, training guides and workplace ethics and compliance education is distributed and electronically acknowledged, signed and recorded.
If your company is currently without a human resource management system (HRMS) or hiring and onboarding software, this new hire checklist for managers is even more important!
2.2 Job Introduction
No matter how experienced new hires are, it is helpful to provide them with on-the role training relevant to the line of work. This helps them get used to the work environment. The manager either assigns a buddy to the new hires to show them the ropes, or himself/herself guides them. It includes training and bringing the person up to speed with processes, tools, and people.
2.3 Handover
When the manager is satisfied that the new hire has gained considerable knowledge and mastery over work, they formally list out their duties and entrust tasks to the new hire. They are accountable for both progress and delivery, based on which their performance is assessed.
2.4 Training and development
Training via reskilling or upskilling allows a hire to explore opportunities for professional growth. It equips them with the soft and core skills required to go up and acquaint themselves with shifts in the business landscape. They can remain work-ready. A plan for personal growth can benefit both the individual and the organization.
The New Employee Onboarding Checklist for Managers
3.1 Make it official
Onboarding preparations should start only after the candidate has confirmed his or her acceptance of the offer. The hiring manager should process the paperwork in time for the person to join.
Remember to add going over candidate documents to your new hire checklist for managers. These are the documents you’ll need the candidate to sign. Arrange to send out these documents, along with informative company brochures or pamphlets that the person joining can go through in leisure.
3.2 Announce to teams
It is important to inform both the departmental manager and the team beforehand of the new person joining and their designation. This is an essential part of the hiring checklist for managers.
It helps them prepare for the orientation. They can clear their schedules to be available for a round of introductions and get acquainted with their new teammate!
3.3 Compile employee profiles
Personnel files that are detailed and well-documented help you retrieve information about the person. This includes references, previous workplaces, interests and competency areas. Keep a virtual as well as offline copy for easier, quicker access. Add this to the manager checklist for onboarding new employee as well
3.4 Schedule welcome email
Send out a welcome email to the candidate(s), and mark relevant managers and team leads in it. Let them know what to expect before and after joining, and who they will be speaking with. The email compilation is an important part of the hiring checklist for managers.
Remember to include things such as work hours, dress codes, parking, and access codes. Also, let them know what they should get with them on the first day. Include information on cab or shuttle services. If you’re treating them to lunch, let them know this as well over a phone call or email.
3.5 Create employee records
On the day of their joining, collect their documents and make copies for your internal records. Also, record their biometric information and let the IT and security department configure access to designated areas. Creating a new employee account can be a time-consuming process, more so if you’re mass-hiring. Issue temporary access to training material, entry and exit points so that they’re not left stranded.
3.6 Request, reserve and allocate
As a part of the manager checklist for onboarding new employees do the inventory of company resources beforehand. You can then see if you’re running low on equipment, stationery, hardware or outfits and ensure that these are purchased before the person joins.
Keep spare equipment around in the event there are some issues while configuring settings. If any device is password-protected, disable it and ask the joinee to reset it once they get onto the system.
3.7 Orient and introduce your new hire
Now that they’re here, it's time to give them a warm welcome! Remember, the goal is to make the introduction session interactive and immersive!
Check with the team how they’d like the ice breaking to start off before gathering them. Would they rather have you introduce them by turn , or do they want to do it themselves? Start by introducing the new joinee to the team, and then spare sufficient time for everyone to acquaint themselves with the employee.
3.8 Break the ice
As part of the hiring checklist for managers plan out ice breaker games, puzzles and questions. Hint at it to your team and new hire before the actual joining so that they know what to expect, and how long the session will run for.
The point is that orientation shouldn’t eat too much into the team's bandwidth, but should give them time to meet and greet the new person.
3.9 Assign a buddy
Implementing a buddy system at work is beneficial to both the business, and the new hires. It depends on the department size and the availability of existing members. Float the idea around to see how many people would be interested to mentor someone who is about to join. They can let you know of their availability and how they’d like to proceed.
You can then assign this person to support and guide the onboarded hire. A buddy system helps new people ease into the business and understand how things work. In turn, you get regular updates and reports on how he or she is doing.
3.10 Conduct a virtual tour
A virtual tour is the only way when some of your teams are working remotely or are distributed. You can schedule them for a call to introduce them to the person who is joining. And while you’re at it, you can also run a virtual tour of offices in other geographic locations.
3.11 Request onboarding feedback
Create a feedback survey and send it to your employee to fill out while they’re on their probation. The responses you get will help you formulate a better onboarding checklist for managers. It indicates if your onboarding process went off as smoothly as you envisioned. Add this to your new hire checklist for managers to make the list more comprehensive!
3.12 Facilitate quarterly check-ins
Remember to check in on new hires every quarter or bi-annually. Get direct updates from them to see how they work with the team. You can also check in on their assigned buddy to see how they respond and react, and whether they are able to work equally well independently.
How do you welcome an employee on the first day?
The onboarding checklist for managers depends on your company’s work policies. If you’re a fully remote firm, you’ll need to follow the process entirely online and be more intentional about it so as to not risk losing sight and track of current and new members.
The best way to welcome an employee is to take the time to show them around, and introduce them to the current workforce in gradual steps.
Most new hires experience some level of nervousness and shyness on their first day. This arises from them being in a new work environment. In some cases, the new hire is returning to the workforce after a career break, or has left a company that they were associated with for several years. It takes time for such employees to find their groove.
Phase out the onboarding process so that the newly-onboarded employee does not feel overwhelmed trying to absorb all the information. Make the time to really get to know them, and encourage teams to involve them in daily stand ups, watercooler conversations and work-related discussions. The more they get to talk to the others, the quicker they’ll get up to speed. Using the new hire checklist for managers, you’ll be able to ensure that they fit right in and are part of an inclusive, supportive work culture!
