New Employee Onboarding Checklist (Reusable Template)

A printable checklist is good once.You customize it for one hire, then start over for the next person who joins.

This one comes back every new hire.Open it in Recurbit, set the start date, and every task lands where it should — for this hire and the next.

Onboarding is one of those processes that's the same every time - but the details are easy to drop when you're busy, and a rocky first week leaves a lasting impression on a new hire. A good checklist turns "hope we remembered everything" into a repeatable routine.

Below is a complete onboarding sequence, grouped by when each task typically happens. Treat it as a starting template and adjust it to fit your organization's roles, tools, and policies - every workplace has its own paperwork, systems, and culture to fold in.

Tip: Assign an owner to each task. "IT sets up the laptop," "the manager schedules the first 1:1," "HR files the paperwork." Onboarding fails most often not because a step is unknown, but because no one owned it.

↓ The checklist

These steps are a starting point, not a rulebook. Add, remove, reorder, or re-time anything below so it matches how you actually work — that's what the template is for.

Pre-start

Before day one: prepare ahead

After offer accepted, before start date

Send the welcome email and confirm start detailsStart date, time, location or video link, who to ask for, dress code, and what to bring. Collect and file new-hire paperworkOffer letter signed, tax forms, direct deposit, emergency contacts, and any role-specific agreements. Request IT accounts and equipmentEmail account, logins, laptop/phone, security badge — give IT enough lead time to have it ready on day one. Set up their workspaceDesk, supplies, or a shipped equipment package for remote hires. Prepare a first-week scheduleBlock time for orientation, intro meetings, and training so day one isn't an empty calendar. Notify the teamLet colleagues know who's starting, their role, and when — so someone's expecting them.

Day 1

Day one: welcome and set up

First day

Greet them and give the tourIn person or virtual — introduce the team, show key spaces or channels, cover the basics. Hand over equipment and confirm logins workWalk through first sign-in for email, chat, and core systems so nothing's blocked. Review the essentialsHandbook, key policies, timekeeping, where to get help, and who to go to for what. Assign an onboarding buddy or point personSomeone approachable for the "silly" questions new hires hesitate to ask their manager. Set up a first-day check-inA short end-of-day touch base to answer questions and make sure they feel settled.

Days 2–5

First week: orient and train

Days 2–5

Complete required training and complianceSafety, security, harassment prevention, and any role- or industry-specific certifications. Schedule intro meetings with key peopleThe teammates and cross-functional partners they'll work with regularly. Walk through role responsibilities and toolsWhat success looks like, the systems they'll use daily, and where documentation lives. Set initial goals for the first 30 daysA few concrete, achievable objectives so they know where to focus. Confirm benefits enrollmentHealth, retirement, PTO — make sure they've completed selections within any deadline.

Ongoing

First 30–90 days: integrate and follow up

Ongoing after week one

Hold regular 1:1sWeekly at first — answer questions, remove blockers, give early feedback. 30-day check-inHow's it going? Is anything unclear? Are the tools and access all working? 60-day progress reviewRevisit the initial goals, adjust as needed, confirm they're ramping up well. 90-day review and onboarding wrap-upFormal check on performance and fit; gather their feedback on the onboarding itself. Collect onboarding feedbackAsk what was helpful and what was missing — it's how you improve the process for the next hire.

Make it repeatable

Add this onboarding checklist to Recurbit. Set the start date and every task schedules itself around day one — then reuse it for every new hire.

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Onboarding someone new every few months?

Recurbit turns this into a reusable template. Set the start date and every step gets a due date — 'set up accounts before day 1,' 'check in at week one.' Assign items across your team so nothing lands on one person.

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A general onboarding guide, not HR or legal advice. Follow your organization's policies and applicable employment law.

The New Employee Onboarding Checklist

Before day one: prepare ahead

Day one: welcome and set up

First week: orient and train

First 30–90 days: integrate and follow up

Make it repeatable

Onboarding someone new every few months?