Do you want your new hires to be productive and engaged from day one? If so, you need a good onboarding process, especially for remote employees, as they do not have the same opportunities to interact with their colleagues and learn about the company culture in person.
New employees with positive onboarding experience are more likely to stay with their company and be productive. And the best way to ensure a smooth and effective onboarding process is with a well-crafted onboarding checklist. But what exactly is an employee onboarding checklist, and how do you create one?
In this article, we will explore what it is, how to create one and provide insights and examples that HR managers and companies can't afford to miss.
In this article
Part 1: What Is Onboarding?
An onboarding process is a series of steps companies take to integrate new employees into their culture and workflow. It typically begins before the employee's first day and continues for several months afterward. Onboarding is a critical part of the employee lifecycle, as it can set the tone for the rest of their employment.
What Makes a Good Onboarding Experience?
A good HR onboarding experience is personalized, informative, and supportive. It should give new employees everything they need to know to succeed in their roles and make them feel welcome and valued.
Some of the key elements of a good onboarding experience include:
- An overview of the company's mission, vision, and values
- An introduction to the company's work environment, practices, and operational guidelines
- A detailed overview of the employee's role and responsibilities
- Clear expectations for performance
- Opportunities to meet and learn from other employees
- Access to training and development resources
- Ongoing support and guidance
Part 2: What Is an Onboarding Checklist?
An onboarding checklist is a tool that helps hiring managers and HR professionals ensure that new employees have a smooth and successful transition into their new roles and company. It is a step-by-step guide that outlines the tasks that need to be completed before, during, and after a new hire's first day on the job. But what should your HR onboarding checklist include? Here are a few key considerations:
- Welcome email and orientation
- Role-specific training
- Compliance training
- Set-up and onboarding
- Feedback sessions
Other times, you can also use an onboarding checklist for the role being filled or for the company's clients and suppliers. For example:
- You can create an IT onboarding checklist for a new employee, including specific training on the company's IT systems and security procedures. New hires are more likely to be engaged and productive when they feel welcomed and supported during their first few weeks on the job.
- A client onboarding checklist might include setting up a new account, providing access to company systems, and scheduling a welcome meeting.
- A vendor onboarding checklist helps to ensure that all the necessary tasks are completed, such as collecting vendor information, verifying credentials, and setting up payment terms.
Keep reading about how a well-designed employee onboarding checklist can help to create a positive onboarding experience, even for remote workers.
Part 3: Why Is Onboarding Important?
Onboarding integrates new employees, clients, and vendors into your company. It is a critical process that can significantly impact their success, engagement, and satisfaction. There are many benefits to effective onboarding, including:
- Improved employee retention
- Improved employee satisfaction
- Stronger relationships with clients and vendors
How an Onboarding Checklist Can Help?
An onboarding checklist is a valuable tool to help you ensure that all your new stakeholders are properly welcomed and equipped to succeed in their new roles. An onboarding checklist can assist you with the following:
- Streamline the onboarding process
- See to it that all the necessary steps are completed in time and efficiently
- Identify any gaps in your onboarding process and make necessary adjustments
- Ensure consistency
- Establish that all new stakeholders receive a consistent onboarding experience
Part 4: How To Create Your Onboarding Checklist?
Do you feel overwhelmed by the thought of creating an onboarding checklist? Create a visually appealing and easy-to-follow employee onboarding checklist with a diagram maker like EdrawMax in minutes.
Step 1: Download EdrawMax on your desktop or try it on your browser.
Note: You can log in to EdrawMax with your Google account.
Step 2: From the right-side navigation pane, go to Templates, use the search bar, scroll down, and click Use Immediately to select the template.
Step 3: To add or edit text, double-click on the text box and start typing. To move a text box or an element, drag and drop it anywhere on the canvas.
Step 4: Customize the checklist in several ways:
- From the More Symbols in the left panel, search for built-in shapes. Drag and drop the selected symbol on the checklist.
- Select the text box, and from the floating toolbar, you can edit the font type and size or add quick styles.
- In the upper navigation pane, go to Design > One Click Beautify and select One Click Beautify to change the theme instantly. Alternatively, select an element in the checklist and select a color from the color palette in the lower navigation pane.
Step 5: Go to File > Export & Send from the upper navigation pane, then select a file format.
Part 5: Onboarding Checklist Templates & Examples
Onboarding checklist templates can save you a lot of time, especially if you have multiple new employees starting at the same time. The EdrawMax Templates Community is a great resource for finding onboarding checklist templates. These templates are printable and editable, so you can customize them to fit your company's and new employees' needs.
HR Onboarding Example
below. 
This HR onboarding template has five sections for the first day to the first year of an employee. You can add the list of tasks to be completed during that period to each section. The template also includes checkboxes for marking tasks as completed.
Client Onboarding Checklist Example
This client onboarding checklist template can help businesses onboard new clients. It covers all aspects of the onboarding process, from welcome and initiation to follow-up and closing.
Conclusion
With the workforce going remote, it's more important than ever to have a good onboarding process for new hires, clients, and suppliers. It will help everyone get on the same page and start on the right foot. An onboarding checklist can help ensure that everyone covers all the bases during the onboarding process.
Adding a diagram maker like EdrawMax to your work apps can also help you create other onboarding materials, from welcome packets to org charts. Once everyone has completed the checklist, keep in touch and offer support to strengthen relationships and ensure everyone is working towards the same goals.
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