NEW HIRE CHECKLIST TEMPLATE
- Prepare an employment contract and have it signed, if applicable. This contract is usually written as a detailed job offer that includes:
- Job information (job title, department)
- Work schedule
- Length of employment
- Compensation and benefits
- Employee responsibilities
- Non-disclosure agreement
- Non-compete agreement
- Time off policy
- Termination conditions
- Send an offer letter. This is a document (often an email) that spells out the basics of the relationship between employer and employee. In your job offer letter or email, include:
- Job title
- Department
- Name and position of direct report
- Work schedule
- Start date
- Compensation
- Benefits (brief mention)
- Length of employment
- Date by which candidate needs to respond to your offer
You could also attach the employment contract, where you describe terms of employment in detail.
- Tasks to do before a new hire’s first day
Ask new hires to send you:
-
- Personal data for HR records (e.g. ID or passport number, contact details, PIN no., NSSF and NHIF details etc)
- Bank account information, if you are using direct deposit to pay employees
- Copies of certificates and diplomas that are necessary to perform the job (e.g., for nursing or accounting positions)
- Any food allergies or preferences they may have (e.g., vegetarian)
- Send new hires a welcome email that includes:
- Arrival time on their first day
- A copy of your office map
- A rundown of the dress code, if you have one
- A first day or first-week agenda
- Invite new hires to join corporate accounts, including:
- Messaging software
- Password security
- Send a new hire announcement email to all employees to make sure they give a warm welcome to their new colleague.
- Remind new hire’s manager to send a chat message announcing the new employee on their start date. Make sure to mention:
- New hire’s name and job title
- Department/team they’ll be joining
- A few things about their professional or academic background
- Welcome events you may have organized (e.g. an after-work dinner)
- Send a reminder to hiring managers to make sure they prepare new employee’s first-day tasks.
- Send new hire’s data to:
- The accounting department, so that they add a new employee to payroll
- IT team, so that they can help them set up accounts for corporate software
- Office Manager, so that they can set up their workstation
- Prepare your new hire’s tech, including:
- Laptop
- Monitor
- Phone
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- Headset
- Arrange for new hire’s ID card, building access fob, and personal locker.
- Order new employee’s business cards and/or nameplates.
- Ask for a new hire’s T-shirt size and place an order for a work uniform and/or a company T-shirt as a welcome gift.
- Prepare and send an on-boarding kit. Here’s what you could include:
- Employee handbook
- A welcome letter from their manager or CEO
- Computer setup instructions
- Stationery (e.g. notebook, pens, stickers)
- A company t-shirt
- A company mug
- A copy of your organizational chart
- A copy of a book relevant to your company or its culture
- A guide of local points of interest (e.g. nearby cafes and restaurants)
- Prepare a tentative first day and first-week agenda that covers:
- A company overview, including mission, teams, and policies
- meeting with the manager and team members
- Completing the HR paperwork
- Role-specific training
- Product-related demos
- Team-building activities (e.g., a group lunch)
- Assign a someone to help new hires through first few weeks or months in the role.