The key to a smooth and successful onboarding process is being prepared and knowing what to expect. Onboarding new employees is simply the action of integrating new employees into the company, helping them feel comfortable in their new roles and boosting their confidence. The better your onboarding process, the quicker your employees should acclimatise to your company culture and make them feel like part of the team. The quicker you can reach this point in their new hire journey, the sooner you should start to see some quality work coming from their desk! An excellent onboarding process can also benefit you in the long run as it might boost efficiency, motivation, and higher employee retention rates.
You can't just wing your onboarding process and expect it to work to your advantage, which is why we highly recommend creating your own onboarding checklist and sticking with it for all employees. Keep reading to learn more about what essentials you'll need in your employee onboarding checklist, as well as why they're so necessary.
What is a new employee checklist and why do you need one?
A new employee checklist outlines each step of your onboarding process, making sure you've abided by all of the work standards and legal requirements set out in Australia. Depending on your business, you might not need to have such an extensive checklist as the one we're looking at today - or you might need one that's even longer!
You need an employee checklist to make sure you’re covering all of the vital information that your new hires need. Without a checklist to use on all of your new hires, you might find that you’re forgetting to give them everything they need such as paperwork and setting them up on computer systems.
Having a standardised checklist simply streamlines your own boarding process and makes it easier to track your employee's first day. It also helps to create a positive and welcoming atmosphere by making sure they know they are being given the most support and that they can come to you should they need anything else.
Onboarding your new employee: A checklist
1. Keep your communication lines open
The best thing to do when you’re onboarding any new employee is to make sure they know that they can contact you at any point. You can do this by keeping your communication lines open at all times during the working day and staying in touch throughout the boarding process. This shows them that you are keeping tabs on them (in a positive way!) and that they haven’t been left to their own devices on their first day. You can do this by:
Emailing to check in and ask how they’re doing
Including them in company-wide memos and emails
Inviting them to social gatherings or meetings
2. Deliver all the necessary paperwork and make sure it's completed on time
Your new employee won’t know what they need to have filled out unless you tell them, so make sure you know what paperwork they need to fill out before their first day on the job. Ask HR for the new hire kit, which should include everything they need to get your employee in the system. They might need:
Tax file number and withholding declaration
The employee’s signed contract
Their bank and superannuation details
Signed nondisclosure agreement
3. Set them up with payroll
One of the most important things an employee will be wandering about on their first day is payroll, so make sure they know you have it covered by setting them up with the correct bank details and tax information. You can also send them to HR to do this instead, although it might feel more personal coming from you.
4. Organise the electronics and tools they need
The quicker you get your employees set up with their hardware, the quicker they can start working and getting used to their new role. You might need to give them:
A laptop
A monitor, keyboard, and mouse
Office supplies
Office phone and headset
To make everything as smooth as possible, we recommend having all of this stuff ready to go for when they get to the office so that you’re not waiting for it to be delivered. If your employees work remotely, you can offer them a budget to set up their workspace or ship the supplies directly to them.
5. Set them up with new accounts and logins
Most employees will need new accounts and logins to get started at your firm - whether you use super complicated software or they simply need an email address. In touch with your IT team or HR team to set them up with the relevant systems as soon as possible, and let your employees know who they need to talk to should they run into any problems.
6. Give them the tour and set them up at their new workspace
You shouldn’t expect your new employees to do too much work on their first day, so make it easier and more sociable by touring the premises and introducing them to the people in their team. You can also introduce them to key personnel within each department, as this will help them know who to go to in the future. If you have a map of your office, you could also give them a copy to take some of the pressure away from them once you leave them to it. If your office requires any access keys or codes, the talk could be the perfect time to give them these.
During the tour, you can show them their workspace and make sure it has been cleaned beforehand. They can then drop their new equipment off here before finishing the tour. Bonus points if you can get any company-branded swag to create a welcome kit waiting for them at their workspace!
7. Make sure they're happy with the essential information they need to know
There’s a lot of information to learn when starting a new job, so go over all the essentials again and make sure they’re happy with everything. You could even write down the most important information so they can keep it with them, or let them know who they need to speak to if they need a refresher. Some of the most essential information to talk to them about:
Attitude and attendance
Conflict resolution
How to punch in and punch out
Dress code
Their probation period
Safety in the workplace
Along with anything else you think is important for their first day. You also need to do this if they are working remotely to make sure they’re aware of all the remote work policies.
8. Assign a peer mentor and send the new employee announcement
A peer mentor can be really helpful for new employees as it gives them someone to talk to and ask any questions they may have. it also gives them an easier and more direct line of communication with a senior mentor, in case you’re busy and can’t answer them right away. This mentor can also prevent any feelings of isolation. The new hire may feel, so wherever possible, we highly recommend assigning one.
Once your new hire is happy and settled in, make the news official by sending an email to the company announcing them as the newest member of the team. You could also announce this in a meeting, although some employees may prefer the informality of a simple email. This may give other employees the incentive to go and say hi to their new teammates, which can make your new employees feel more valued and confident on their first day. We’d recommend not going too big or bold, however, as this can also intimidate the new hire if they’re not fans of attention.
9. Keep all the necessary records for future reference
Australia’s workplace guidelines mention that you need to keep payroll records for your employees for seven years, so make sure you keep all necessary information, including:
Employment
Annual leave
Pay
Superannuation
Work hours
As you need to keep this from the very first day at your company, it makes sense to get it all recorded during the onboarding process.
10. Be clear about your expectations and their goals
Let your new employees know your goals and expectations for the future, including targets and milestones for them to achieve, Along with how you’ll evaluate their performance. This gives them motivation to work harder and make sure there’s no confusion as to what either of you expect from the job going forward.
11. Schedule a feedback session and plan future check-ins
Schedule a feedback session at the end of their first day to make sure they’re happy with the onboarding process and see whether they have any more questions that need answering before the next working day.
If they’re happy, schedule their future check-in dates so they know what they’re working towards. You can set these whenever you like, although most companies like to check in after 30, 60, and 90 days. You can use staff engagement surveys here to check that they're happy with your current processes.
Final thoughts
Onboarding new employees is often easy if not long-winded, but it’s essential to make them feel included, confident, and motivated going forward in their new role. Above all else, make sure they know who to talk to should they need any more help in the future, give them all the equipment and hardware they need, and schedule regular feedback sessions to let their voices be heard. Your onboarding process may look slightly different to the one we have explained today, but we hope you got a better idea of where to start!
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