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Have an onboarding plan for your next team member


Based on my experience, small businesses with a well-structured onboarding process are rare. This can create a bumpy road for everyone involved. A few years ago, we introduced an online wizard that has greatly simplified the tech part of onboarding for our clients. With a few simple guided questions, we can gather all the necessary details for onboarding in a single step. This week, I want to help you further by sharing a 10-step hiring process to help you improve your onboarding and make it a smoother experience.
  1. Background Checks and References: Trust is earned over time, so it’s crucial to conduct background checks and contact references for potential employees. This helps avoid unpleasant surprises later on.
  2. Offer Letter and Document Sign-Off: Employment documents like NDAs, intellectual property agreements, W-4s, and I-9s are common. You can find references to other documents on this website. Creating templates and using an e-sign platform such as DocuSign will streamline this step.
  3. Payroll and Benefits: Set up the new employee’s payroll and benefits. On a side note, it’s recommended to review your benefits annually and seek input from others in your industry. Sometimes, offering non-monetary benefits like cellphone service can be more impactful. I use and really like Gusto as a platform for managing payroll and benefits.
  4. Provide Necessary Equipment: Ensure the new employee has the required computer and devices to perform their job effectively. Whenever possible, provide company devices to minimize the risk of cybersecurity incidents. Offering newer equipment with good processing power will make the employee feel valued and increase productivity.
  5. Assign an Onboarding Buddy: You don’t have to handle onboarding alone. Choose a team member to be a buddy for the new employee, helping them feel welcome and assisting them during the onboarding process.
  6. Onboarding Packet and Employee Handbook: Prepare a packet containing forms, policies, and company information to familiarize the new employee with your company’s rules and policies. This allows new hires to engage in self-learning during any available downtime.
  7. Provide Additional Materials: Share a directory of team members, information about working hours, and any other helpful information. Having this information ready in advance and in writing reduces stress for the new hire when they are learning this new information.
  8. Week 1 Schedule and Goals: Create a clear schedule for the first week and define goals for the first two weeks and three months. This helps track progress and address any performance issues early on. Initiate weekly check-ins for the first three months, followed by bi-weekly check-ins for 3 to 6 months, and monthly check-ins thereafter. Encourage the new hire to provide feedback and ask for help during these check-ins.
  9. Leadership Support: Have a team lunch with the new hire on their first day to break the ice. If possible, have your entire team also participate. The first two weeks are critical, so conduct 30-minute check-in calls at the end of each day to provide support and address any concerns.
  10.  Offboarding Checklist: Although this topic is for another day, it’s important to mention it. Your onboarding process can serve as a foundation for creating an offboarding checklist for when the employee eventually leaves the company. This checklist should include communication standards, system logins, device collection, compensation policies, and everything else that is necessary to complete during offboarding.

Hiring new employees can be a daunting task, but having a well-defined hiring process in place makes it easier and more efficient. Use this blueprint for your next hire, and it will not only assist with the current process but also allow you to refine and improve it for future hires.


Best of luck!
– Burak Sarac, Team Lead

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