5 onboarding templates for a great new hire experience

Many people believe that once the contracts are signed, the hiring process is over and there’s nothing more to worry about. This could not be further from the truth. The reality is the onboarding process has only just begun and companies that fail to onboard new hires effectively will leave themselves at risk of losing great talent and be left with a serious turnover problem. A great way to mitigate against a chaotic and ineffective onboarding process is by building clear, repeatable onboarding templates that you can use repeatedly. Here are 5 templates you can use to perfect your onboarding experience.

What to include in your onboarding templates?

There are several key things that should be included in any new employee onboarding template to ensure that the new employee has a positive first impression and a successful experience day one. These include:

1. Introduction to the team members: The new employee should be introduced to their team and the broader company. This could include a welcome message from the CEO or a tour of the office.

2. Review of company policies and procedures: The new employee should be provided with information about the company's policies and procedures, including things like dress code, work hours, and expectations for performance.

3. Onboarding paperwork: The new employee should be provided with any necessary paperwork to complete during the onboarding process. This could include forms for benefits, tax withholding, and other important information.

4. Training on company systems and processes: The new employee should receive training on the company's systems and processes throughout the first week and maybe even the first month. This should include things like how to use the company's software and how to access important information.

5. Performance evaluation: The new employee should be evaluated on their performance during the onboarding process. This could include feedback from their manager and colleagues, as well as a review of their progress and goals.

Gantt chart onboarding templates

This template is a visual representation of the tasks and timeline for onboarding a new employee. It allows the team to see the entire process and track progress. An example of what the template could look like:

Gantt chart (for an IT technician)

• Introduce new IT technician to team 1/1/2022 1/1/2022 1 day

• Set up computer and equipment 1/2/2022 1/2/2022 1 day

• Review company policies 1/3/2022 1/4/2022 2 days

• Complete onboarding paperwork 1/5/2022 1/5/2022 1 day

• Training on company systems 1/6/2022 1/10/2022 5 days

  The Gantt chart is a useful tool for organizing and tracking the onboarding process. It allows the team to see the tasks that need to be completed and the timeline for completing them. This ensures that the new employee is getting all the necessary information and support to be successful in their new role.

This kind of template also allows the team to identify potential bottlenecks or issues with the onboarding process. For example, if the training on company systems is scheduled for the end of the onboarding process, the team may want to adjust the timeline to allow more time for this important task.

Checklist onboarding templates

This onboarding checklist template is a list of tasks that need to be completed during the onboarding process. It ensures that nothing is missed and allows the new employee to track their own progress. An example of what the template could look like:

Checklist (for a customer service rep)

• Introduce new customer service rep to team

• Set up computer and equipment

• Review company policies and procedures

• Complete onboarding paperwork

• Training on customer service techniques and systems

 A checklist is a simple but effective way to manage the onboarding process. It allows the team to identify all the tasks that need to be completed and ensure that nothing is missed. This is especially important for complex onboarding processes with many different tasks and stakeholders.

The checklist also gives the new employee a better sense of tracking progress. Each task completed can be checked off and archived so there are no loose ends hanging around.

Milestones onboarding templates

This template outlines key milestones during the onboarding process. It allows the team to focus on the most important aspects of onboarding and ensure that the new employee is progressing on schedule. An example of what the template could look like:

Milestones (for a marketing executive)

• Day 1: Introduce new marketing executive to team (if virtual, a welcome email works great)

• Day 3: Review company policies and procedures

• Day 5: Complete onboarding paperwork

• Week 2: Training on marketing techniques and systems

• Month 1: Performance evaluation

Milestones are important markers in the onboarding process. They provide a clear and concise way to check-in on progress and ensure that the new employee is meeting the necessary goals and expectations. This is especially important for long onboarding processes with many different tasks and stakeholders.

Orientation schedule onboarding templates

This template is a detailed schedule for the first few days of the onboarding process. It helps the new employee understand what to expect and plan their time accordingly for their new job. An example of what the template could look like:

Orientation schedule (for an HR employee)

Day 1:

• 9:00 AM: Welcome and introduction to team

• 10:00 AM: Tour of office

• 11:00 AM: Review of company policies

• 12:00 PM: Lunch with team

• 1:00 PM: Set up computer and equipment

• 2:00 PM: Review of onboarding paperwork

Day 2:

• 9:00 AM: Training on HR policies and procedures

• 10:00 AM: Meet with manager to discuss goals and expectations

• 11:00 AM: Review of company benefits

• 12:00 PM: Lunch with team

• 1:00 PM: Training on HR policies and procedures (continued)

 An orientation schedule provides a clear and organized structure for the onboarding process. It allows the new employee to know what to expect on each day of their orientation, which can help reduce anxiety and stress. It also helps the team to plan and coordinate the various tasks and activities involved in the onboarding process.

 The orientation schedule is highly regimented which can be useful for entry level starters who aren’t yet comfortable with the expectations of your business environment. The clear guidance can be seen as hand holding for more senior starters so it probably wouldn’t be the best fit for them.

New employee packet onboarding templates

This new hire onboarding template is a packet of information that is given to the new employee on their first day. It contains all the necessary information and documents they will need during the onboarding process. An example of what the template could look like:

New employee packet (for a marketing executive)

• Welcome letter from the CEO

• Company policies and procedures

• Employee handbook

• Onboarding paperwork

• Company benefits information

• Training schedule

• List of contacts for HR, marketing, and other departments

• Map of the office and parking instructions

• Company culture guide

A new employee packet is a valuable tool for providing the new employee with all the necessary information and documents they will need during their onboarding process. It allows the team to provide the new employee with a comprehensive overview of the company and their new role.

The new employee packet should be carefully designed and organized. It should include all the necessary information and documents, but it should also be easy to understand and navigate.

While it provides plenty of information, it’s not overly structured and allows the new starter to tackle their orientation at their own pace. This can be useful when the job role is flexible or not fully defined.

Summary

Employee onboarding templates are so important in ensuring that the onboarding process is consistent and the workflow is efficient. Having a clear process means you aren’t leaving anything up to chance and these 5 templates are hopefully a good starting point for you to build your ideal template. Ultimately, any onboarding plan templates will need to be tweaked and adjusted to match your systems, so it’s important to measure what works best for your business.

Learn More About Employee Onboarding: 

• Employee onboarding process
• Employee onboarding checklist
• Remote onboarding