A New Hire Checklist for Successful Employee Onboarding

Effective employee onboarding can positively impact your business in a number of ways, including higher levels of retention and engagement. Find out how you can put together a new hire checklist for best success, whether you’re onboarding someone in-office, remotely, or in a hybrid arrangement.

Updated: December 4, 2025

As the saying goes, “You only get one chance at a first impression.” When it comes to welcoming an employee to your organization, a new hire checklist is one of the best tools to help you make a great one.

Think about it: you’ve just spent weeks (maybe even months) finding, vetting, interviewing, and hiring the right person for this role. You’ve invested time, energy, and money into getting them through the door.

So, what comes next?

A chaotic onboarding experience can set that person up for failure and jeopardize things for both your employee and your business.

On the flip side, a smooth onboarding signals that your organization has its act together, values their time, and sets them up to actually succeed in the role you hired them for.

So, let’s talk a bit about how to create an effective employee onboarding process, whether your employee is in-person, remote, or hybrid.

Table of Contents

• The 4 Big Benefits of Effective Onboarding in the Modern Professional Landscape
• What Changes Based on Work Location
• The 4 Stages of Employee Onboarding
  • 1. Preboarding: Setting the Stage Before Day One
  • 2. Preparation for an Employee’s Start Date
  • 3. Once a New Hire Joins Your Team
  • 4. After Onboarding Is Complete

The 4 Big Benefits of Effective Onboarding in the Modern Professional Landscape

Companies that prioritize onboarding are doing so for good reason. According to research by the Brandon Hall Group, strong onboarding improves new hire retention by 82%. Organizations with structured onboarding processes see 50% higher retention rates than those without. Getting this right matters (a lot).

Here’s what the research shows:

• Higher Retention: Employees who experience good onboarding are significantly more likely to stay with a company for three years or longer, according to SHRM.
• Stronger Connection: People who received effective onboarding feel more strongly connected at work compared to those who had ineffective onboarding, according to BambooHR research.
• Faster Productivity: Organizations with a standard onboarding process see substantially greater new-hire productivity, helping employees ramp up quickly and contribute sooner.
• Cultural Integration: Employees who received effective onboarding feel more strongly integrated into their company culture from the start.

These numbers matter even more in 2025, where remote and hybrid work models mean new hires may never set foot in a physical office during their first weeks. Without in-person interactions to naturally absorb company culture, your onboarding process has to work harder.

Companies that make onboarding a priority are more likely to have employees who are productive in their roles faster, engaged with their work, loyal to their employer, and involved in their company culture.

The fundamentals below work for everyone. So, we’ll call out the execution differences only where they truly matter.

What Changes Based on Work Location

Here’s the thing: your onboarding checklist stays the same whether someone works in-office, remotely, or in a hybrid arrangement. The preboarding, training schedule, check-ins, and follow-ups are universal. What changes is how you execute certain steps.

• Remote employees need equipment shipped in advance, more structured communication, and intentional connection opportunities since they won’t pick up company norms by osmosis. Overcommunicate what would normally be obvious in an office.
• Hybrid employees need clarity on when they’re expected in-office, access to both physical and digital resources, and inclusion in both in-person and virtual activities so they don’t miss out on either experience.
• In-office employees benefit from face-to-face introductions and can absorb culture through observation, but still need structured onboarding to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

The fundamentals below work for everyone. We’ll call out the execution differences only where they truly matter.

The 4 Stages of Employee Onboarding

Effective onboarding isn’t a single event. Rather, it’s a process that unfolds over weeks and even months. Breaking it into clear stages helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks and your new hire gets the support they need at every step.

Below, we’ll walk through the four critical stages of onboarding:

1. Preboarding (before day one)
2. Preparation (leading up to their start)
3. The first days and weeks
4. Long-term integration

Each stage has specific actions you can take to set your new hire up for success.

1. Preboarding: Setting the Stage Before Day One

Onboarding doesn’t start on your new hire’s first day. There’s a critical window between when someone accepts your offer and when they actually start, and how you handle this “preboarding” phase can make or break their experience.

During the weeks between acceptance and start date, new hires are excited but also potentially anxious. They might be wondering if they made the right choice, feeling disconnected as they finish out their notice period elsewhere, or eagerly wondering what they need to do on day one.

So, during this period, aim to:

• Stay Connected: Send periodic emails with helpful information, team introductions, or company news. A simple “thinking of you” message with a link to a recent company win or a fun team photo keeps them engaged.
• Ship Equipment Early: Get laptops and equipment to remote employees several days before their start date so they can troubleshoot any technical issues. Nothing kills first-day excitement like spending three hours on the phone with IT.
• Share Culture Content: Send links to company blogs, recent wins, employee spotlights, or videos that help them start absorbing your culture before day one.
• Assign a Buddy: Pair them with a peer (not their manager) who can answer casual questions. This gives new hires someone safe to ask “dumb questions” to without worrying about looking incompetent to their boss.

Preboarding reduces first-day anxiety and increases the likelihood that new hires show up engaged and ready to contribute.

Here’s a sample email you can adapt and send about two weeks before their start date:

Subject: Looking forward to your first day at [Company Name]!

Hi [Name],

We’re counting down the days until you join the team on [Start Date]! I wanted to reach out with a few quick updates to help you feel prepared.

What to expect on Day 1:

• Your first day will start at [Time] at [Location/Video Call Link]
• You’ll meet with [Manager Name] for orientation and then have a team lunch at [Time]
• Dress code is [casual/business casual/etc.]

A few resources to check out before you start:

• [Link to recent company blog post or news]
• [Link to team intro video or about page]
• [Any other relevant content]

Your laptop and equipment should arrive by [Date]. If anything’s missing or not working, just reply to this email and we’ll sort it out immediately.

If you have any questions before your start date, don’t hesitate to reach out. Otherwise, see you on [Day]!

[Your Name]

2. Preparation for an Employee’s Start Date

Your checklist should begin before your new hire even starts in their role. Here’s how you can prepare for their first day:

• Set Up All Tools: Activate accounts for email, Slack or Teams, project management tools, and any role-specific software before day one. Platforms like Rippling, BambooHR, or Deel can automate provisioning so nothing falls through the cracks. Day-one disasters like missing login credentials are completely preventable. Remote/hybrid note: Ship equipment at least three business days early. For hybrid employees, set up their desk space for the days they’ll be in-office.
• Touch Base: Contact your new hire before they begin and ask if they have any questions. Share relevant materials for their start date, such as parking details and building access for in-office employees, communication norms and time zone expectations for remote employees, and in-office day clarity for hybrid employees. Include dress code expectations where relevant.
• Spread the Word: Send an email or Slack announcement about the new team member’s first day, name, role, and a brief intro. For distributed teams, include a photo and bio so people can put a face to the name before the first video call.
• Send a Welcome Package: Leave a small gift on their desk. This could be a branded water bottle, notebook, or company swag. For remote employees, ship a welcome package to their home. For hybrid employees, do both. Services like SwagUp or Printfection streamline this for distributed teams. Cards signed by future colleagues add a nice personal touch.

Getting these basics in place before day one shows your new hire that you’re organized and ready for them. It sets the tone for everything that follows.

By the way, here’s an announcement template you can customize:

Subject: Welcome [Name] to the team!

Hey team,

Exciting news! [Name] is joining us as our new [Job Title] starting [Date]!

[Name] comes to us from [Previous Company/Background] and will be working on [Brief description of what they’ll be doing]. A few fun facts about [Name]:

• [Fun fact 1]
• [Fun fact 2]
• [Fun fact 3]

[Name]’s first day is [Date], so please make sure to stop by and introduce yourself. [For remote teams: Feel free to send them a Slack message or drop into their virtual coffee chat on [Date/Time].]

Looking forward to having you on the team, [Name]!

[Your Name]

3. Once a New Hire Joins Your Team

Alright. All the preparation is finished. It’s day one, and your new employee’s about to join your team. This is a big day! It’s exciting for you, your new colleague, and your organization. So, what should you do to make sure it starts on the right foot? You’ll want to make sure to check a few big boxes and to do it in the right sequence.

Make sure to:

• Prioritize Your Training: Not everything needs to be covered on day one. Information overload is one of the fastest ways to overwhelm new employees. Evaluate what information each new hire actually needs and when. Spread training out over the first few weeks rather than cramming everything into the first two days. This sense of overload is especially true with employees who aren’t spending their first working day in the office. So, make sure those employees know who to contact with questions or how to source answers.
• Provide a Road Map: Let your new employee know what’s in store for their first day, week, month, all the way through to the end of their probationary period. Use platforms like BambooHR, Notion, or a shared Google Doc to track progress as you move through the schedule. Remote note: Be extra explicit about expectations and timelines since remote employees won’t observe office norms organically.
• Introduce Your Leadership Team: Arrange for your new hire to meet with department leaders and senior management. Quick 15 to 30-minute meetings help employees understand different teams’ roles. For distributed teams, schedule video calls rather than waiting for in-person opportunities. Consider recording brief welcome videos from leadership for asynchronous viewing across time zones.
• Incorporate Social Activities: Book time for your new hire to meet their colleagues away from formal work settings. Team lunches and coffee chats work for in-office teams. Virtual coffee chats, online team building activities, or meal delivery gift cards work for remote teams so they can “lunch together” over video. Hybrid teams should be included in both in-person and virtual events. Why this matters: These informal connections help new hires feel like part of the team, not just another name on the org chart.
• Be Intentional About Inclusion: Make sure remote and hybrid employees are invited to both virtual and in-person events, not treated as afterthoughts. Schedule regular check-ins during their first 90 days to address feelings of isolation. Create opportunities for them to build relationships across the organization. For remote employees, especially, overcommunicate. What feels obvious to in-office workers may be completely invisible to someone working from home.

The first few weeks set the foundation for how your new hire experiences your company culture and understands their role. Make them count.

Your First-Week Onboarding Roadmap Template

Not sure how to structure this? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Here’s a sample first-week agenda that balances training, meetings, and hands-on work:

[New Hire Name]’s First Week at [Company]

Monday, [Date] – Welcome & Orientation

• 9:00 AM: Welcome meeting with [Manager Name]
• 10:00 AM: IT setup and account access walkthrough
• 11:00 AM: Company overview and culture presentation
• 12:30 PM: Team lunch
• 2:00 PM: Meeting with HR to complete paperwork
• 3:00 PM: Meet your buddy, [Buddy Name]
• 4:00 PM: Settle in, explore tools, end-of-day check-in

Tuesday, [Date] – Meet the Team

• 9:00 AM: Department overview with [Manager]
• 10:00 AM: Meet [Department Lead 1] (30 min)
• 11:00 AM: Meet [Department Lead 2] (30 min)
• 1:00 PM: Product/service deep dive
• 3:00 PM: Shadow [Team Member] on [specific task]

Wednesday, [Date] – Training & Tools

• 9:00 AM: [Software/Tool] training
• 11:00 AM: [Software/Tool] training
• 1:00 PM: Q&A with manager
• 2:00 PM: Start working on first assignment

Thursday, [Date] – Hands-On Work

• 9:00 AM: Work on first assignment
• 11:00 AM: Check-in with buddy
• 1:00 PM: Continue first assignment
• 3:00 PM: Team collaboration session

Friday, [Date] – Wrap-Up & Reflection

• 9:00 AM: Continue work on assignment
• 11:00 AM: End-of-week check-in with manager
• 1:00 PM: Team social activity
• 3:00 PM: Wrap up week, review next week’s plan

Note for remote employees: All meetings will include video call links sent 24 hours in advance.

Social Activities to Incorporate Into Your Onboarding Process

You’ve probably noticed that the sample agenda above includes social time and team activities, and that’s intentional.

Why?

New hires often feel awkward in those first few days. They’re trying to figure out who everyone is, what the social dynamics are, and where they fit in. Structured team building activities can break through that awkwardness fast.

Instead of relying solely on “let’s grab lunch” or hoping people naturally click, use getting-to-know-you activities that give everyone (not just your new hire) a reason to share and connect.

A few quick wins could include:

• Two Truths and a Lie: Each person shares three statements about themselves—two true, one false. The group guesses which is the lie. This works in 10 minutes, doesn’t require prep, and helps your new hire learn interesting facts about their teammates while sharing their own story.
• Rose, Bud, Thorn: Everyone shares their “rose” (a recent win), “bud” (something they’re looking forward to), and “thorn” (a current challenge). This creates vulnerability and connection quickly, and helps your new hire understand what their team is working on and celebrating.
• Would You Rather: Rapid-fire questions like “Would you rather work from a beach or a mountain cabin?” or “Would you rather have an extra hour of sleep or an extra hour in your day?” It’s low-stakes, fun, and reveals personality quirks that help people bond.

These activities work whether your team is in-office, remote, or hybrid. For virtual teams, use breakout rooms or tools like Zoom polls to keep everyone engaged.

Want more options?

Check out our full guide to 25+ getting to know you activities with dozens of icebreakers and team building games designed to help new and existing team members connect.

4. After Onboarding Is Complete

Once your official onboarding and training wrap up, your work isn’t done. Here’s how to ensure that all your hard work pays off long-term.

• Schedule 30-60-90 Day Check-Ins: Onboarding doesn’t end after the first week or two. Schedule structured check-ins at 30, 60, and 90 days to assess progress, address challenges, and make adjustments. These conversations are especially critical for remote employees who may hesitate to raise concerns proactively. The 90-day mark is particularly important. It’s when the honeymoon phase wears off, and you’ll get the most honest feedback.
• Have a Follow-Up Meeting: Touch base with your employee after onboarding to check in and revisit important training pieces you previously covered. Ask if they have questions about their role and responsibilities. Create space for honest feedback. Sometimes new hires notice inefficiencies that tenured employees have stopped seeing.
• Send a Survey: When your entire process is complete, send your employee a survey to understand what’s working and what needs tweaking for future hires. Include questions specific to their work arrangement. Ask remote employees if they feel connected to the team, ask hybrid employees if they have clarity about in-office expectations, and ask everyone about async versus synchronous communication effectiveness.

A strong onboarding program can help your company build lasting loyalty with your employees. By putting together a comprehensive new hire checklist that covers preboarding, the first day, the first 90 days, and adapts execution based on where people work, you can help individuals flourish in their positions.

You can use these questions to guide your check-in conversations:

30-Day Check-In Questions:

• How are you feeling about your role so far?
• What’s been the most helpful part of your onboarding experience?
• What’s been confusing or unclear?
• Do you have the tools and resources you need to do your job effectively?
• How comfortable do you feel asking questions or raising concerns?
• Is there anything we should have covered by now that we haven’t?
• [For remote/hybrid]: Do you feel connected to the team? Are there ways we could improve that?

60-Day Check-In Questions:

• How confident do you feel in your day-to-day responsibilities?
• What aspects of your role are you most excited about?
• What challenges are you facing that we can help with?
• How would you describe our team culture so far?
• Are there any skills or areas where you’d like additional training or support?
• Who have you connected with on the team? Anyone you’d like to meet that you haven’t yet?
• [For remote/hybrid]: Are the communication norms working for you, or would you prefer more/less async work?

90-Day Check-In Questions:

• Looking back at your first 90 days, what’s been the biggest surprise?
• Where do you feel you’re adding the most value?
• What could we do differently to support new hires in the future?
• How clear are you on expectations for your role and how success is measured?
• What are you hoping to learn or accomplish in the next 90 days?
• On a scale of 1-10, how likely are you to recommend working here to someone in your network? Why?
• [For remote/hybrid]: Do you feel equally included in team activities and decisions, or are there gaps we should address?

You’ve already done the hard work of finding and hiring great people. Don’t let a disorganized onboarding process waste that investment. When you get onboarding right, you’re not just checking boxes. You’re setting people up to succeed and stick around.

Add an Element Of Team Building and Employee Engagement to Your Onboarding Process

If you’re looking to strengthen team connections during onboarding or throughout the employee lifecycle, book a free consultation with one of our knowledgeable Employee Engagement Consultants.

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