New employee checklist 

Onboarding new team members is an ever-evolving process. No matter how many times we do it at Charlie, we always find something that can be improved. 

But one aspect we’d never remove is the employee onboarding checklist — it guides the process step-by-step and helps managers avoid easy mistakes (like forgetting to sign a document). 

This is a guide to new employee checklists for small businesses. In it, I’ll show you how to get your onboarding process sorted in under two minutes, and share an onboarding checklist template for you to start using straight away. 

If you’re short on time, just click the link below for our free onboarding documents.

The ultimate employee onboarding checklist for your business

Not all employee onboarding checklists are created equal. The onboarding checklist we use at Charlie has gone through several iterations and now contains everything you’ll ever need to onboard your new team members easily, compliantly, and professionally. 

Our new employee checklist covers pre-onboarding right through to the end of probation, with an additional tab to ensure you don’t miss any necessary onboarding documents — effectively, its six different onboarding checklists in the one onboarding checklist template.

Here’s what each tab of the Charlie onboarding checklist covers:

1. Pre-onboarding 

All the preparation you need to do before your new starter’s first day, including sending their employment contract, informing payroll, and booking any introductory meetings.

2. First day

The new employee checklist for their first day on the job. It covers the new starter checklist/ P46, welcoming them to the company, and early goal setting.

3. First week

This onboarding checklist contains all the steps and essentials you need to share during that vital first week, including company culture and values, setting up their pension, and assigning them an onboarding buddy.

4. First three months 

An important part of your employee’s journey to success includes assessing how they fit within the company, asking for peer feedback, and organising events to encourage collaboration and team bonding.

5. End of probation 

The final, crucial onboarding checklist to ensure each step of the onboarding process has been successfully completed and your new hire is ready to successfully take on their role. 

6. Documents checklist

A line manager’s best friend! A tick list of all the onboarding documents you need to share so you never forget anything.

For ease and so you always know where you are progress-wise, you assign a ‘Status’ from the pre-populated dropdown list for every task on each of the tabs of the onboarding checklist template. Status options include ‘Not started’, ‘In progress’, ‘Done’ and ‘Chase’.

Why should you bother with an employee onboarding checklist?

An employee onboarding checklist guides your onboarding process and ensures that every new employee is professionally welcomed into the business. 

‍A new employee checklist standardises the onboarding process, so that it’s consistent for everyone, and supports your managers — especially helpful in a startup or small business setting where many people often have to assume an HR role.

An onboarding checklist gives you:

A structured orientation process

This is the primary reason for using an onboarding checklist. It provides structure to your onboarding process and ensures that everyone in the company has a clear understanding of what they need to do and when.

Compliance with employment law

Whatever you do, it’s essential you comply with employment law when hiring anyone new. All of this can be combined in your onboarding checklist for due diligence.

An efficient way of sharing information 

If you want to improve your HR processes, a new employee checklist is a great place to start. You can share company policies and other relevant information with every new team member through the tasks listed on the onboarding checklist.

And it will also help you to:

Remember resources and logistics

This may seem trivial, but your employee onboarding checklist should ensure you’ve checked that every new hire has what they need to do their job. This includes everything from a laptop and access to the building, to a place to sit. 

Provide a warm welcome

Every day is a busy day for a small business — and that includes when someone new starts. But introducing employees properly to your company is really important. With an onboarding checklist, you can ensure that these introductions aren’t forgotten. Aim for a mix of formal and informal: team meetings, a welcome lunch, or a chat over a morning coffee. 

Set people up for success

A well-structured onboarding process sets people up for success right from the start. An onboarding checklist provides a clear roadmap for every new employee, and is likely to reduce new job feelings of uncertainty and stress.  

Reinforce retention and engagement

It’s been proven that a clear and efficient onboarding process gives employees more of a reason to stay. After all, a first impression is one that lasts! A new employee checklist is a simple way to consistently start off on the right foot.