In the process of global business expansion, your global employees are often very distant from the headquarters and may even be in different time zones. Ensuring that the onboarding process for new employees across countries and regions is completed correctly and on time can be achieved by introducing a checklist. This ensures you won’t miss any critical steps and adds more value to the new employee’s onboarding experience.

In this article, we provide you with the perfect checklist for new employees and share valuable insights about the entire onboarding process. Recent data suggests that how companies handle new employees, even in the early stages, significantly impacts employee retention. An excellent employee onboarding process can increase retention rates to 82%.

Pre-Onboarding Checklist (OC)

To ensure your new employees enjoy their onboarding experience, you should begin the onboarding preparation immediately after they accept the job offer. Effective onboarding is more than just completing some paperwork after recruitment.

Primary Objectives of New Employee Onboarding:

• Introduce new employees to the company culture.
• Make them feel warmly welcomed by the new team.
• Create a good first impression that lasts in the employee’s mind.

Give your new employee a welcome email

A welcome email should also include personal elements (job title, role profile, etc.) and convey the purpose of openness and inclusiveness. You should include at least the following:

• Warm welcome: We are excited to welcome you to our company and team.
• Onboarding plan: We will explain each step of the onboarding process, including a timeline.
• Start date and work hours: Your start date and work hours are as follows (don’t forget to mention the default timezone used by the company).
• Point of contact: We’ll assign you a point of contact along with their contact information.
• Checklist of necessary documents: Here’s a list of all the essential documents you will need (if these are not ready, please refer to step two).
• Dress code, company culture, and policies: We’ll provide details about the company’s dress code, culture, and regulations.
• Software and tools requirements: Necessary software and tools required so you can prepare in advance.

Notify the Team about the New Employee

If you want the new employee’s first day to be memorable, it can’t just be about you. Let the team members and the entire company know who is joining the company, what they can expect, and how to make the new employee feel welcome. Try to ensure that everyone involved benefits.

You can let them decide or choose a welcome format that best fits the company culture, such as a group chat, one-on-one meetings, or group discussions. This doesn’t have to be mandatory, but it should encourage team members to participate actively.

Establish Work Account and Set Up Software/Hardware

Nothing is more disappointing for a new employee than starting a new job and finding out there are no tools available. This is why the OC must include these sections. Below are the basic essentials:

• Official company email
• Access rights to communication software, public databases, project management software, or other job-related tools
• Laptop, headphones, mouse, desk, and chair (if available)

Prepare a Welcome Kit

A welcome kit can add the finishing touch to the onboarding process, even for remote hires. These must be fully prepared before the new employee begins their career. Ensure it includes the following:

• Personalized welcome letter from a supervisor, department head, or even the CEO
• Stationery, equipment, especially those that will be frequently used
• Gifts, discount cards, or points cards
• Passwords, links, and other downloadable materials for commonly used software and databases
• Company and department introductions

First Day Onboarding Checklist:

Greeting the New Employee

One way to improve the quality of the employee onboarding process is to have someone warmly greet and formally welcome them. It can be as simple as a brief Zoom call, with the aim of making the new employee feel comfortable and starting the day on a positive note. There’s no need to set a strict agenda for this part—you should spend some time with the new employee, making them feel at ease, getting to know them, and taking the opportunity to explain the process of the first day.

Necessary Documents and Security Issues

After the informal welcome chat, the new employee should have a remote interview with the HR team. During the call, HR can handle all necessary documents and forms and then provide the employee with a welcome kit that has already been prepared. Of course, this can also be done via email, but adding a personal touch to what would otherwise be a strictly administrative task may go a long way. The list of necessary documents can be long and it’s easy to overlook something, so be sure to include it in the new employee onboarding checklist. Here is the list:

• Contract, non-disclosure agreement, and other legal documents
• Necessary tax information checklist (as per country regulations)
• Mutually agreed-upon payment information
• Authorization agreements for alcohol and/or drug testing
• Safety and confidentiality agreements
• Emergency contact information and personal contact details

Team and Company Introductions

Once the paperwork is completed, it’s time to meet colleagues and get to know the company culture. Employee engagement is closely tied to how well a new employee integrates into the team. This part should be easy-going, not just a checklist, and encourage the new employee to ask questions. It’s also a good time for the first informal bonding. Make sure they have everything they need and feel comfortable and satisfied.

Employee Onboarding Guidance

Onboarding without guidance is incomplete. In this section, you need to cover a lot, but avoid overwhelming with information overload. Employee turnover rates significantly decrease when employees are connected to the company’s values, goals, and mission, so make sure to integrate these into every aspect—from the trainer’s attitude to the formal employee handbook. Here are all the things you should include in the first day’s employee onboarding training:

• Introduction to the company’s history, existing projects, values, missions, and visions
• Information security, online security training, and code of conduct
• Introduction to the job, software, and hardware
• Introducing them to the formal work processes and company regulations
• A brief overview of performance reviews and job expectations

Closing

If you want to ensure a high employee retention rate, you need to take the time to care for your employees. After the first day, have a brief chat, asking how the employee is feeling about the job, if the first day experience was good, and if they have any feedback. Then, if they are still happy with it, showcase them on the company intranet or even on social media to add value to their experience.

These customizable OCs can help you prepare for a good experience from the initial adaptation of new employees to the later stages. The key to every successful employee onboarding is showing dedication, transparency, and commitment to the new employee, so the onboarding process is as effective as possible. Keeping your employees happy, engaged, and committed is not easy, but without a comprehensive onboarding process, it will be even harder to achieve.