An 80-Point Employee Onboarding Checklist for Long-term Success

Whether you work with in-house, remote contractors, or fully distributed teams, the way you onboard new employees is crucial to your long-term success.

By creating a repeatable process for sourcing, orienting, and assimilating new employees, you give your business the best chance for retention and productivity.

This process starts well before the day they begin their new role. Research shows that organizations with structured onboarding programs improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. (Glassdoor, 2024) 

“Companies that excel at onboarding and employee retention experienced 2.5 times the revenue growth and 1.9 times the profit margin of companies who struggle with these two critical skills.”

Many successful companies have begun onboarding potential employees even before they fill out an application. They reserve sections of their website to showcase their culture, career development opportunities, and success stories—setting expectations early for candidates.

How to build retention from the inside-out

We know the pain points so many businesses face engaging and retaining top IT talent. And for many tech pros, starting a new job has never been more stressful.

So we’ve put together a helpful list of some onboarding basics to help you get new hires where they need to be. And it’s built by setting them up for success in their first year.

The first six months are a proving ground for any employee. 30% of new hires will quit within six months of starting, and 16-17% within the first three (BambooHR).

Why do so many new employees leave so soon after starting? It’s not rocket science, in fact, they’re more likely to tell you in online reviews than ever:

• 23% will leave due to unclear guidelines around their new job
• 21% because they feel they’ve received ineffective training
• 17% due to a feeling of isolation or lack of social bonding
• 12% because they feel their work goes unrecognized
• And 9% will leave because of a lack of feedback from superiors and co-workers

The difference between “quick” vs. long-term onboarding

Building an effective and creative team of problem-solvers is expensive. So ensuring that your employees make it to that critical one year mark should be imperative.

Onboarding process planning questions all companies can start with:

1. Building an effective, creative team of problem-solvers is expensive. Retaining employees beyond their first year should be a top priority. A robust onboarding plan will reduce turnover and set the foundation for long-term success.
2. Here are key planning questions to consider when building your onboarding process:
3. When will onboarding begin for new hires?
4. How long will onboarding last?
5. What are the goals for new employees at key milestones:
   1. First day
   2. First week
   3. First month
   4. First three months
   5. First six months
   6. First year
6. What do new hires need to know about your company culture, mission, and office or remote setup before starting?
7. What roles do your HR team, managers, and colleagues play in onboarding?
8. Will you create an onboarding team to oversee the process?
9. Can you use social media or video content to promote your company culture?
10. Will you implement a collaboration system (e.g., a Kanban board) to track onboarding progress?
11. What milestones and long-term goals will you set for new hires?
12. How will you measure the success of your onboarding process?

Pre-onboarding for the win

According to a recent study, 83% of top-performing organizations begin onboarding before a new hire's first day (Aberdeen Group). By engaging new hires early, you can create a smoother transition and foster a sense of belonging before they even step foot in the office—or log in remotely.

Pre-onboarding ideas to set new hires up for success:

1. Create a dedicated space on your website, intranet, or Slack to welcome new employees.
2. Automate repetitive tasks like document signing and training schedules.
3. Gradual paperwork completion: Avoid overwhelming new hires by spacing out e-signatures and forms.
4. Send a welcome note from their manager or CEO, along with a personalized new hire kit.
5. Announce the hire internally to build excitement and social bonds.
6. Encourage engagement with company social media accounts.
7. Provide FAQs and a company glossary to help new hires understand internal jargon.
8. Share a digital handbook outlining job expectations, team structure, and key resources.
9. Ensure all tech equipment, software, and logins are ready before day one.
10. Schedule a pre-start coffee chat or informal virtual meet-up to ease social integration.

Expectations at the outset build engagement

Accountability and small wins breed success. And giving your new team members all of the tools they need is a key to retention and attaining objectives. The first day can set the tone for a new hire's entire experience. Aim for a mix of structure, social interaction, and early wins to build engagement.

Checklist for a successful first day:

• Ensure office or tech setup is complete (laptop, software, security access, etc.).
• Set up emails, aliases, and communication tools (Slack, Teams, etc.).
• Reiterate roles and responsibilities for both the new hire and the team.
• Share a company directory, org chart, and office map.
• Introduce the onboarding roadmap with clear short-term goals.
• Add them to your onboarding collaboration tool to track progress.
• Begin training sessions with a clear timeline.
• Assign a mentor to guide the new hire through their early weeks.
• Host a team lunch or virtual social event to foster connections.
• Assign an introductory task that sets them up for an early win.

Confidence builds long-term loyalty

Companies most successful at onboarding saw 62% of their new hires meet their first performance milestone, and 91% were still part of the team after their first year.

First-week onboarding ideas:

1. Be sure to re-emphasize new team member’s responsibilities and accountability for tasks in the weeks ahead.
2. Clear goals + realistic expectations = Short term wins.
3. Arrange daily one-on-one check-ins with either mentors or managers to establish consistent support.
4. Get feedback — anonymously when possible — as to what they feel is or isn’t working in their first week.
5. Continue to include new hires in company events, social gatherings, and ways to promote your business culture and diversity.
6. Establish ongoing training updates, cross-training timelines, and details for any upcoming sessions.
7. Set expectations for what knowledge or testing to expect after additional training is completed.
8. Give ongoing reviews and establish high-level goals and deliverables for 3-6-9 month intervals. 

Inclusion, empowerment, and social acceptance

Success is built iteratively and each new team member will have their own concerns, feedback, needs, and hopes for their future with your organization. Taking the time to onboard over the first year will save you money in the long run. 

First-month onboarding ideas:

1. Establish a one-month check-in and informal review to ensure team members are finding the resources they need to succeed and hit benchmarks.
2. Get more feedback — anonymously when possible — as to what they feel is or isn’t working.
3. Check-in with their mentors to establish the effectiveness of training and guidance.
4. Continue to encourage engagement in company events, social gatherings, and promotion of your business culture and diversity.
5. Establish ongoing training updates, cross-training timelines, and details for any upcoming sessions.
6. Set expectations for what knowledge or testing to expect after additional training is completed.
7. Give ongoing reviews and establish high-level goals and deliverables for 3-6-9 month intervals.

Build culture, community, and ongoing communication

After the first three months, your new team members should be well familiarized and entrenched in both your company culture and their new responsibilities. Ongoing communication and engagement are key to ensuring long-term success. Companies that invest in social onboarding report significantly higher retention rates.

Three-month onboarding ideas:

1. Establish a three-month check-in and informal review to ensure team members are finding the resources they need to succeed and hitting benchmarks.
2. Get more feedback — anonymously when possible — as to what they feel is or isn’t working.
3. Check-in with their mentors to establish the effectiveness of guidance and finalize training.
4. Continue to encourage engagement in company events, social gatherings, and promotion of your business culture and diversity.
5. Give ongoing reviews and establish high-level goals and deliverables for 6-9 month intervals.

Six-month onboarding ideas:

1. Establish a six-month check-in and performance review.
2. Get more feedback — anonymously when possible — as to what they feel is or isn’t working.
3. Check-in with their mentors to establish the effectiveness of guidance and set goals for the next two quarters.
4. Confirm that employee has received all required training.
5. Continue to encourage engagement in company events, social gatherings, and promotion of your business culture and diversity.
6. Establish high-level goals and deliverables for the first year.

First-year review:

1. Perform a yearly performance review with your star employee.
2. Be sure to broadcast their first successful year at the company.
3. Discuss the hopes for the upcoming year’s projects, milestones, and KPIs.
4. Address any feedback, questions, and needs your employees may have for the future.
5. Review compensation and raise policies.
6. Celebrate!

Organizations that excel at onboarding see 91% of their new hires still on the team after their first year, compared to much lower retention rates for companies with inadequate programs. By focusing on structured onboarding and continuous feedback, you create a workplace where new employees feel confident, engaged, and ready to succeed.

With over ten years of helping clients find the right IT professionals for the job, we’ve seen the results speak for themselves. Onboarding the right way is an investment in your future.

If you need help finding the right team of qualified and talented tech professionals, drop us a line! We love helping businesses reach their goals.