The Ultimate New Hire Checklist [+ FREE Templates]
A new hire checklist is like a roadmap for onboarding—guiding you step-by-step to ensure no turn is missed on the journey to employee success.
Recruitment is just the first step in attracting and retaining top talent. A new hire checklist that ensures a successful onboarding process is essential if you want to achieve greater hire retention and boost the productivity of new hires. As an HR professional, your role is to create an exceptional new hire onboarding process that meets your organization’s talent objectives.
This guide will provide you with a 5-step process for creating effective new hire checklists and several new hire checklist templates, from a general onboarding checklist to a new employee training checklist.
Contents
What is a new hire checklist?
What should be included in a new hire checklist?
Why implement a comprehensive new hire checklist?
Risks of poor new hire onboarding
How to create an effective new hire checklist
New hire checklist templates
1. New hire onboarding checklist for HR
2. New hire IT checklist
3. New hire checklist for managers
4. New employee training checklist
What is a new hire checklist?
A new hire checklist is a structured list of tasks and documents that HR professionals and managers use to ensure a smooth and efficient onboarding process for new employees. This checklist typically covers all essential activities and requirements to help the new hire integrate into the company, understand their role, and comply with necessary policies.
What should be included in a new hire checklist?
Key components of a new hire checklist often include:
- Completion of employment forms: Such as tax forms like W-4 forms and I-9 forms, direct deposit forms, and employment contracts.
- Welcoming new employees: For example, creating welcome packs and introducing the new hire on internal communication channels.
- Introduction to company policies: Providing access to the employee handbook, code of conduct, and compliance-related materials.
- Technology setup: Ensuring the new hire has access to necessary software, email accounts, and hardware (computer, phone, etc.).
- Role-specific training: Scheduling initial training sessions and introducing them to relevant systems and processes.
- Orientation and team introduction: Planning meetings with key team members, managers, and department heads.
- Benefits enrollment: Offering guidance on selecting healthcare, retirement, and other benefits.
A well-structured new hire checklist helps complete all the steps systematically, facilitating a positive onboarding experience and enabling new employees to be productive faster.
Why implement a comprehensive new hire checklist?
A thorough new hire checklist helps you create a structured onboarding process, which is essential in a business environment where 75% of organizations experience difficulties filling roles. Many companies operate in hybrid or remote settings, and solid onboarding and building a strong company culture are critical to getting new hires to feel connected, engaged, and aligned with the organization’s goals. Yet many businesses do not have a structured onboarding process.
Why does this matter? Let’s look at the stats:
- According to a Harvard Business Review study, up to 20% of new hire turnover occurs within the first 45 days of employment, often as a result of poor onboarding and employees feeling unwelcome and like they do not know what they are doing or what is required of them.
- The same research found that organizations with a standardized onboarding process experience 50% greater new hire retention and 62% higher new hire productivity.
- O.C. Tanner’s 2025 Global Culture Report found that only 62% of surveyed employees have a positive onboarding process experience.
- A positive onboarding experience has a major impact on employees – they are 11 times more likely to feel that they’re thriving at work.
- The average onboarding program lasts 90 days, but according to Gallup’s “Creating an Exceptional Onboarding Journey for New Employees” report, it takes new employees 12 months to reach their full performance potential.
It’s clear from the findings that organizations that invest time and effort in their new employees reap the benefits. As an HR professional, you can support your business and build an employer brand of choice that attracts and retains top talent through an onboarding plan based on an onboarding checklist for new hires.
A well-defined checklist ensures that new employees receive the necessary tools, training, and support, setting them up for long-term success.
Harvard Business Review says that the most effective organizations spend one year onboarding new hires, with a minimum 90-day process that is documented and monitored. These successful onboarding processes focus on three key dimensions: the organizational, social, and technical, and thanks to this integrated approach, they enable their employees to stay, engage, and thrive.
Risks of poor new hire onboarding
It’s clear that there are many pros to using a new hire checklist to structure an onboarding program that is at least 90 days long. But what happens without one in place? Do organizations simply miss the benefits of a good onboarding program, or are there negative impacts to consider? Once again, let’s take a look at what the stats tell us:
- Without a solid onboarding process, new hires may feel lost, disconnected, or misaligned with the company culture. This leads to dissatisfaction, with 16% of new hires leaving within the first week.
- Inadequate onboarding can lead to negative employee experiences, which may damage the employer’s brand. A CareerBuilder survey found that 72% of employees with a negative onboarding experience were more likely to share it online, affecting the company’s ability to attract future talent.
HR tip
A new hire onboarding checklist aligns the entire organization around the same goals, lays a solid foundation for company culture, and supports an environment of clarity, engagement, and alignment.
It’s also worth noting that failing to implement a structured onboarding process may also expose the organization to legal risks. Not properly informing new hires about compliance, regulations, and expectations can result in violations and potential legal liabilities, while the absence of a structured onboarding process can extend the time it takes for new hires to reach full productivity, leading to delayed projects and financial losses.
How to create an effective new hire checklist
Developing a well-crafted onboarding checklist for new hires covers all essential steps in the onboarding journey. This process is essential in integrating new hires into your organizational structure, culture, and workflow.
Here’s how to create a comprehensive new hire checklist that supports both the employee and the organization:
1. Preboarding period
The new hire onboarding process begins the moment a candidate accepts the job offer. The preboarding phase is an excellent opportunity to make the new hire feel welcome and prepared for their first day. Key tasks to include in your checklist for this phase are:
- Send a welcome email that outlines what to expect on the first day
- Share essential information, such as the employee handbook, dress code, parking, or login credentials for remote workers
- Provide any pre-arrival forms, like tax documents, direct deposit details, and benefits information, to be completed ahead of time
- Invite the new hire to engage with the team through a virtual introduction or share key team contacts.
This phase helps build excitement and reduces first-day anxiety for a smooth start.
2. First day
The first day is critical in setting the tone for the employee’s experience. Your checklist should ensure the new hire feels welcomed and begins to understand the company culture. Include the following steps:
- Provide a personalized greeting and a virtual or in-person office tour
- Introduce the new hire to key team members and stakeholders
- Share an overview of company values, mission, and culture, helping them understand the bigger picture
- Ensure they have the necessary tools and access, such as computer setup, email, and software logins.
Your new hire should end the day feeling like they are a full team member, even if they still have a structured onboarding process ahead of them.
HR tip
Explain your onboarding process for your new hire so that they can know what to expect and to assure them that they will be heavily supported while they are finding their feet.
3. First week
During the first week, the focus shifts to helping the new hire understand their role and how they fit into the team. Your checklist should cover:
- Organize meetings with team members and relevant departments to establish relationships and encourage collaboration
- Provide a detailed job description outlining expectations, goals, and immediate projects
- Start any necessary role-specific training to help them become familiar with the tools, systems, or methodologies they will use
- Offer an initial check-in meeting to gather feedback on how they’re adjusting and clarify any questions.
4. First 90 days (30-60-90 day plan)
An effective onboarding process typically spans at least 90 days, giving the new hire enough time to acclimate and feel fully integrated. Break this period into three phases:
- 30 days: Focus on helping the new hire understand their role, company culture, and tools they will use. Set initial performance expectations.
- 60 days: Encourage them to participate in projects and collaborate with team members actively. Schedule regular feedback sessions to monitor progress and address any challenges.
- 90 days: Conduct a 90-day review, evaluate accomplishments, address challenges, and set goals for the next phase. Ensure the new hire feels comfortable and has the resources to continue thriving.
A structured 30-60-90 day plan helps the new hire gradually progress and get the necessary support to succeed.
Dr. van der Merwe explains why onboarding should be 90 days long
“90 days is long enough for employees to have moved through the initial ‘honeymoon phase,’ where they might not be as objective about their role and the organization yet. This also gives new hires enough time to start building relationships and deliver at least one piece of meaningful work.
At the end of the 90 days, the employee should have achieved 3 things:
1. Made a connection to the organization
2. Understand how they will contribute and;
3. Feel like they are valued.”
5. First 12 months
While your new employee checklist typically won’t extend beyond the first 90 days, continued support and monitoring are essential throughout the first year to ensure the new hire remains engaged and on track. After the initial onboarding phase, regular check-ins help solidify the new employee’s integration into the company and ensure they are thriving in their role.
This should involve:
- Regular performance reviews and feedback sessions to align the new hire’s progress with organizational goals
- Career development discussions to explore future prospects, such as additional responsibilities or potential promotions
- Collecting feedback on the onboarding process to identify areas for improvement and make adjustments for future new hires.
New hire checklist templates
1. New hire onboarding checklist for HR
Your organization’s new hire onboarding checklist documents your onboarding process and ensures a consistent onboarding experience for all new hires. You can download our new hire checklist template in Word or Excel and customize it according to the steps in your organization’s onboarding process.
2. New hire IT checklist
While all new hires should go through the basic new hire checklist for HR, the integration of a new hire into an organization requires collaboration between multiple departments. The IT team, in particular, plays a crucial role in ensuring that an employee has the necessary tools and access to perform their duties.
Below is a comprehensive IT checklist template for HR professionals to arrange and manage the new hire’s tooling.
3. New hire checklist for managers
A seamless transition into a new organization not only benefits the new employee but also enhances team dynamics and contributes to overall business success. As an HR professional, you can work closely with management teams to guide them through the process. Below is a new hire checklist for managers.
4. New employee training checklist
New hires will require introductory training to fully understand the organization’s core values and strategic goals, as well as get to grips with company systems and policies. A new employee training checklist will help you to ensure that all new hires are given the best start within the company.
Dr. van der Merwe’s onboarding top tips for HR
- Don’t underestimate the value of relationships in the onboarding plan: This helps to create a sense of belonging, gets new hires up to speed quicker, and reinforces positive perceptions.
- Leave room for employees to co-create their 90-day plan: This allows them to commit to mutual goals and creates a greater sense of accountability and achievement.
- Don’t neglect leadership onboarding: The same principles of the 90-day plan apply to leadership onboarding, which can be tailored to reflect their people management and additional deliverables.
- Always make sure that hygiene factors are delivered seamlessly: These are things like building and system access, payroll, parking, and time and attendance. These make a big impact on the overall experience.
- Create mechanisms for feedback from new hires throughout the 90 days: This allows you to monitor the overall experience and address anything that is detracting from the experience, before it becomes a risk.
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Improve your onboarding with new hire checklists
A new employee checklist covers various stages, tasks, and information required to integrate a new hire into an organization efficiently. These checklists show how successfully onboarding programs are delivered.
An effective onboarding not only helps new hires to become productive more quickly and effectively but also significantly influences their decision to commit long-term to the organization. For HR professionals, having these detailed checklists at hand is invaluable. They offer a clear roadmap for the entire business, ensuring consistency, thoroughness, and high standards in the onboarding process.
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