Free New Hire Checklist

A New Hire Checklist outlines the tasks an employer needs to complete after hiring an employee. The list includes everything a hiring manager must do before, during, and after onboarding someone.

As an employer, a checklist helps you manage all the moving parts involved in the onboarding process, simplifying an employee’s transition into your company. You can create a New Hire Checklist for each employee or make a reusable template for all future hires.

A New Hire Checklist is also known as an:

• Onboarding plan
• Onboarding checklist
• Onboarding process

New Hire Checklists make onboarding processes more efficient for both employers and employees. A strong onboarding process allows you to easily manage employment paperwork and seamlessly integrate employees into your company. In fact, proactive and efficient onboarding is often a key to maintaining happy, healthy, and productive employees.

A well-managed onboarding process can increase:

• Job satisfaction
• Performance
• Retention rates

A successful onboarding strategy consists of six areas of integration. By including these six areas in the onboarding process, you can help your new employees feel welcome and secure in your organization. 

1. Compliance

Compliance means you’re following legal rules and fulfilling obligations. By completing all compliance tasks, your business can keep running, and your new employees have the tools to fulfill their job responsibilities.

Compliance covers the base level of onboarding a new employee, involving tasks such as:

• Preparing new hire documents
• Supplying workspace and equipment
• Setting up work accounts and access

2. Clarification

Clarification covers a new hire’s understanding of their job. By clarifying their role and responsibilities, you can ensure they understand the expectations and feel equipped to meet them.

Clarification is usually covered in the orientation topics and training with a peer mentor or immediate supervisor. Clarifying a new hire’s role and duties can include:

• A description of company policies
• An introduction to role expectations
• A discussion about employee responsibilities

3. Confidence

When employees are confident about their ability to tackle their responsibilities, they’re more likely to succeed. You can help your new hires feel comfortable with their tasks by offering support and encouragement.

Things that can increase a new hire’s confidence in their position include:

• Clear instructions about role expectations and responsibilities
• Guidance from a peer mentor
• Regular check-ins

4. Connection

For a new employee to feel accepted and valued in the company, they need to connect with their peers. By arranging for social engagement and interaction with other team members, you can help a new hire feel welcomed and supported.

Some things that can help a new employee create connections within the company are:

• Introducing them to the team
• Arranging social events or team activities
• Setting up time with a peer mentor

5. Culture

Exploring company culture lets new hires see their role in the bigger picture. Discussions of company background and time spent with their peers will allow new team members to grow an understanding of company values.

Ways to inform new hires about company culture include:

• Discussing company background
• Arranging for a peer mentor
• Letting the new hire spend time with their team and immediate supervisor

6. Checking back

The onboarding process isn’t complete without a check-in. By following up with the new employee, you can ensure they are integrating into the company and feel comfortable completing their duties.

Most companies will check in with new hires after 30, 60, or 90 days. You should also ask for orientation feedback to help polish your onboarding process for future employees.

A big part of the New Hire Checklist is the paperwork required for hiring a new employee. The required paperwork can be divided into government-required documents and business-required documents. Both categories are vital in the hiring and onboarding process.

Government-required documents

Government-required documents are legally required by federal and state law and include tax forms and proof of eligibility to work in the United States. Since local state law varies, check with your local state labor laws to ensure you’re following all regulations. 

The standard government-required forms for new employees are:

• Form-W4, or Employee's Withholding Certificate, to calculate federal income tax.
• Form I-9, or Employment Eligibility Verification, to prove the employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States.
• State employee withholding form to calculate state taxes (check with your local state revenue department to find out if you need one).

Business-required documents

Business-required documents include forms that are essential to the onboarding process. They outline responsibilities and obligations, contain important information, and are helpful for future reference.

Business-required documents include:

• Employment Contract, which outlines the responsibilities and obligations of your organization and the employee
• Direct deposit form, which lets you deposit paychecks into the employee’s bank account
• Employee Privacy Policy, which defines the privacy rights of the employee in the workplace
• Benefit enrollment forms, which let the employee sign up for any benefits your company offers

After you have hired a new employee, you’ll need to prepare for the employee onboarding. The onboarding process starts as soon as the employee accepts the Offer Letter. LawDepot’s New Hire Checklist template separates the onboarding tasks into preboarding, onboarding, and other tasks.

Preboarding

Preboarding tasks include the things that need to be done after an employee accepts the employment offer but before their official start date. These tasks cover the legal obligations of hiring a new employee and some steps to welcome them into your organization. 

Preboarding tasks often include:

• Asking the new hire to sign the Offer Letter and arranging to have it collected
• Preparing the necessary paperwork to be signed on the employee’s first day
• Completing any state-required paperwork
• Preparing the new hire’s workspace, equipment, and all necessary accounts
• Assigning a peer mentor and preparing a welcome kit
• Sending the new hire a welcome email with instructions for their first day

Onboarding

Onboarding tasks are the tasks that need to be completed within the first few days of employment. These tasks let the new hire get to know the company, their role, and their peers.

Onboarding tasks often include:

• Having the employee fill out paperwork
• Conducting a company and job orientation, with topics like:
• Company background and culture
• Company policies
• Role expectations and responsibilities
• Pay and benefits
• Conducting an office tour
• Introducing team members and, if applicable, a peer mentor
• Introducing the new hire to their immediate supervisor

Other tasks

After a new hire’s preboarding, onboarding, and first few days, there may be other tasks to complete, but the time frame is more flexible. These tasks let you check in on the new hire’s progress and ensure they thrive in their new environment. 

These tasks may include:

• Scheduling check-ins
• Organizing social events or team activities
• Requesting orientation feedback