When it comes to hiring new employees, it is critical to have everything organized and planned out to make the entire process run smoothly and efficiently. There is frequent employee turnover within the first 45 days of their new positions, with regular feedback consisting of poor onboarding experiences. My mission here is to help you, and your company avoids being part of this statistic. I have created a completely free new hire checklist as part of my free HR Toolkit. The checklist will help you in every step to ensure happy and successful employees that ultimately benefit the company as a whole.
I have received many questions about the new hire process. I know how confusing and overwhelming this can be, especially if you are not sure precisely what you need to do. To give you a bit of guidance, the first thing you need to do is create a plan. Make it flexible, but a plan nonetheless to keep you on track. Then, assign someone to be in charge of that entire plan. I recommend having one person oversee the whole process to make sure everything is getting done. Not only does this ensure government compliance, but you will also be setting up the new employee for success as well as keeping your sanity in check.
In my new hire checklist, I go over an array of essential factors to make onboarding positive and successful. To give you a glimpse of what you can expect to see with this product, here are the three main features that every company needs to have in place before, during, and after the new hire's first day.
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Pre-employment Planning
Giving the Job Offer
It only stands to reason that you need to give the candidate a job offer for them to either accept or deny before diving into the rest of the new hire checklist plan. However, the way you deliver the offer is critical. Stay away from casual emails or text messages. The best and most professional route is to use a letter (you can email the letter).
In this letter, make sure you are addressing compensation and the position requirements to avoid any confusion. If you are not sure how to write an offer letter, then let us know.
Paperwork Preparation
If you sent out your offer letter and the candidate accepted congratulations! Now the paperwork fun begins. Before your new hire's first day, make sure to have all your paperwork ready and prepared ahead of time, so you are not scrambling the day they start working. Necessary paperwork to have available for the new hire to review includes I9, tax forms, state forms, new hire packet, their job description, and the employee manual. Completing this paperwork can be a daunting task. Still, your organization will pay off with an excellent first impression for your new employee.
Set The New Hire Up for Success
As the leader, it is your job to set your employees up to be successful. Think of it in a way such as your company being privileged to have high-quality skillsets working for you. The more successful your employees are, the more your company will benefit from it. Ways to do this include making sure your new employee has the proper tools and equipment to get their tasks done. If they are remote, ensure they have the right software and useful contact information, so they feel included even when not in the office.
Chances are the new person will not be diving into detailed tasks on day one, but it is still helpful for them to be able to see that they are well taken care of and prepared ahead of time. Also, new hires witnessing this level of company preparation and readiness help reduce turnover rates drastically.
Welcome Video
Nothing is more inviting than a personalized welcome video to the new hire before they start. I am not talking about the manager or supervisor reading a script in front of a camera. I mean a real video, where you take the time to tour the office, show the new person their workspace and allow the coworkers to say hello and introduce themselves. Seeing this will make the new hire feel welcomed and a part of the team even before they walk in on their first day.
New Hire's First Day
The day has finally come where your new hire walks in on their first day. If you followed the first few steps in the pre-employment phase, you should have everything already prepared to make this day go as smoothly as possible. There are so many things you need to do on this first day, and it is incredibly vital that you do not skip any of them.
More Paperwork
Paperwork is never a fun task, but it is necessary. Some paperwork needs to be completing after the employee starts work, such as adding the employee to the payroll system and any other forms that require signatures. When you go through the rest, make sure you make plenty of copies for company and employee records.
Introductions
It is crucial for you as the manager to take the new hire around the office and introduce them to their coworkers. If you are overloaded with work and cannot carve out the proper time to do this task, then delegate it to another person. You could appoint this to another employee that can dedicate their day to being a peer mentor. These actions enhance their feelings of being involved and included in the team culture.
Go Over Key Policies
What may seem obvious to you may not be to others. You should never assume that your key policies are known to everyone. If you have a dress code, make sure to let the employee know so they can follow that rule. Does your company not allow photos at the worksite? Then bring that up, so you do not have to worry about any unwanted social media photo posts. Another first policy you will want to cover is time and attendance. Inform the new hire on how to go about taking time off and attendance or performance rules. Make sure to take the time to go over your critical policies to clear the air of any confusion or unprepared work culture situations.
After the First Day
If you made it past the first day, you still have quite a long road ahead of you to ensure your new employee succeeds and is happy where they are. Check-in with your employees. See how your employees are feeling and don't forget to address their concerns.
Schedule Weekly or Bi-Weekly Check-Ins
One way for you to stay on top of how your new hire is fitting in is by setting up check-ins. These check-ins can be conducted as often as needed, based on the employee's needs. But in general, aim to have at least two and space them out over the course of a few weeks. During these mini-meetings, do not focus on tasking them or assigning more work. Look at it as a way for you to see how they are feeling and if they are happy or not. Your actions will help build trust and a good working relationship with the employee. This will also allow you to help solve issues that they may be facing to give them a better experience.
Set Up Goal and Performance Standards
Another way to monitor your employee's success is to establish personal goals and performance standards for them to reach. Have regular meetings with them to develop these goals to set them up for success.
More Paperwork
Again, there will be more paperwork to keep track of even after a few weeks. Things such as employee benefits and 401k forms must be completed and submitted within a strict timeline. Make sure you keep track of this and set reminders for the employee if they choose to opt on the company benefit plans.
No one wants to work at a disorderly company. Employees want to be working at a place that is well established and knows what they are doing for everyone involved to succeed and benefit. To ensure that your company is on the right track to give your new hires the best first impression, you can obtain my FREE new hire checklist. This checklist dives much deeper into each of the above topics. It provides you all the information you need to be successful in onboarding.