Onboarding checklist — manager

Your onboarding process should help ensure new employees are welcomed to the organization and given
all the support they need to quickly become effective in their new roles. It should be a two-way process
that allows them to get to know the organization, and allows the organization to get to know them.
Onboarding activities typically fall into one of five categories:
• HR information/processes
• Getting to know the organization
• Getting setup with tools and equipment
• Building a network of contacts
• Getting introduced to the job

Your onboarding checklist should help you document and track the completion of all the tasks you have to
complete to successfully onboard a new employee.

Employee information

Name: Department:

Job title: Manager name:

Instructions
For each task, choose Yes or No to confirm whether you have completed it, the date you completed it,
and add any comments as appropriate.
For all tasks that you have not completed, please add a note in the Comments field to explain why the
task is incomplete.

Onboarding checklist — manager

HR information/processes
Task Confirmation Date Comments:

Verify that the employee has Yes No

completed required training
(e.g., health and safety,
harassment, information
security, ethics, etc.)

Discuss the vacation/sick Yes No

leave policy and any
departmental procedures to
follow (e.g. who to notify and
how).

Verify that the employee has Yes No

verified/updated their
employee profile information.

Getting to know the organization

Task Confirmation Date Comments:

Verify that the employee has Yes No

participated in the
onboarding session and
answer any questions.

Verify that the employee is Yes No

familiar with the
organization’s mission and
vision and answer any
questions.

Verify that the employee is Yes No

familiar with the
organization’s goals for the
coming year and answer any
questions.

Verify that the employee has Yes No

been introduced to the
organization’s values and
culture and answer any
questions.

Onboarding checklist — manager

 Verify that the employee has Yes No
a basic understanding of the
organization’s products/
services, target markets, and
competition, and answer any
questions.

Verify that the employee has Yes No

been introduced to the
organization’s structure and
answer any questions.

Getting setup with tools and equipment

Task Confirmation Date Comments:

Review building access Yes No

restrictions and procedures
with the employee.

Verify that the employee's Yes No

workstation is set up and that
they have all the furniture
and supplies they need.

Verify that the employee's Yes No

computer is setup and that
they have all the software
and passwords they need to
work (e.g., network, email,
voicemail).

Verify that the employee has Yes No

been given a tour of the
facilities and can find their
way around.

Verify that the employee Yes No

knows where to find the
equipment they’ll need to do
their work (e.g., office
supplies, printers, mail).

Onboarding checklist — manager

Building a network of contacts
Task Confirmation Date Comments:

Let your department know Yes No

when the new employee is
starting and what their role
will be, so people are
prepared for their arrival.

Identify someone who can Yes No

act as a buddy to the
employee.

Introduce the new employee Yes No

to their buddy.

Verify that the employee has Yes No

met their teammates and
colleagues.

Introduce the employee to Yes No

other managers and leaders
in your department’s
hierarchy.

Verify that the employee has Yes No

been introduced to all the
key contacts outside your
department that they'll need
to interact with in their role.

Introduction to the job

Task Confirmation Date Comments:

Review the employee's Yes No

onboarding/development
plan with them.

Have the employee review Yes No

and sign their job
description.

Review and discuss the core Yes No

and job-specific
competencies the employee
will be evaluated on.

Onboarding checklist — manager

 Discuss and collaboratively Yes No
establish goals for the
coming period.

Ensure the employee is Yes No

familiar with the
department’s mandate and
goals.

Ensure the employee Yes No

understands how their goals
will help in the achievement
of departmental and
organizational goals.

Establish a regular schedule Yes No

for reviewing/discussing
progress and dialoguing
about performance.

Collaboratively establish a Yes No

development plan that will
support their success.

Review the organization’s Yes No

performance management
process and activities.

Invite the employee to apply Yes No

their personal strengths to
their job.

Closely follow the new Yes No

employee's performance
and development in their
first two years of
employment.

Conduct 30-, 60-, and 90- Yes No

day onboarding performance
reviews.

Onboarding checklist — manager

Onboarding checklist — manager