New Employee Onboarding Plan Explained Simply
- An employee onboarding plan is a list of steps, tasks, and activities that a company needs to prepare for a new employee.
What an Onboarding Plan Means for Small and Growing Businesses
With an onboarding plan, you clearly define a list of all activities related to bringing on a new employee, outlining who prepares what, hands over information, completes tasks, and so on. Companies typically divide these lists into preparation before starting (pre-boarding), the first day, and the first month, two, and three months (30-60-90 days)
Our Recommendations: What an Onboarding Plan Should Include and How to Divide It
1. Pre-boarding – Preparation Before Start Date
- Finalize employment contract and other documents
- Secure workspace and equipment (laptop, access credentials, PPE)
- Create email account and system access
- Introduce to the team via email or intranet
- Send first-day invitation and schedule
2. First Day – First Day at Work
- Personal welcome and equipment handover
- Introduction to the team and mentor
- Initial Health & Safety, Fire Safety, and GDPR training
- Provide access and system logins
- Initial office tour and company culture orientation
3. Onboarding – First 30-90 Days
- Job-specific training (e.g., technical, product, soft skills)
- Regular meetings with manager (1:1)
- Setting goals and expectations
- Ongoing performance review and feedback
- Integration into team processes and projects
How to Create an Employee Onboarding Plan
- We recommend creating the training plan as part of the overall onboarding plan
- See the guide on how to create an onboarding and training plan for a new employee