Prepare the arrival before day one
Onboarding starts before the person walks through the door, physical or virtual. Check that their workstation, access, and accounts are ready. Let the team know about their arrival and role. Appoint a buddy, separate from the manager, who will answer the small practical questions. A newcomer who is waiting for their login credentials on Monday morning mostly remembers the disorganization.
Make the first week count
During the first few days, the goal is for the person to feel expected and to understand where they fit. Plan for:
- a welcome from the manager, with the schedule for the week;
- an introduction to the team and key contacts, including remotely;
- a walkthrough of the tools, working habits, and communication rules;
- a first small task they can complete on their own, to give a sense of usefulness.
Avoid saying everything on the first day. It is better to spread out the information and regularly check what has been understood.
Set clear goals for the first thirty days
A new employee needs to know what is expected of them. Write two or three realistic goals for the first month together: master a process, meet certain contacts, deliver a first project. Write them down and review them together at the end of the month. This avoids implicit expectations, a frequent source of disappointment on both sides.
Hold regular check-ins and ask for feedback
A twenty-minute weekly meeting, always at the same time, is often enough to spot roadblocks before they take hold. Ask open questions: what is unclear? What would you need? What surprised you? Also ask what the company could improve in its welcome: a fresh perspective is a valuable source of information.
Onboarding remotely: a few precautions
When the new employee works remotely or in another country, informal opportunities to meet disappear. Make up for them with planned moments: a virtual coffee with each team member during the first few weeks, a chat channel where they can ask questions without fear of disturbing anyone, and written documentation of the team’s practices.
Review at three months
At the end of the third month, set aside an hour for a review conversation. Compare the goals that were set with the results, talk about what worked well and what needs to change, and define the next steps. It is also the time to gather feedback on the onboarding process itself, to improve it before the next arrival.
Common mistakes to avoid
The first mistake is leaving onboarding to human resources: the manager remains the newcomer’s main point of reference and cannot delegate this relationship. The second is overwhelming the person with documents on the first day, without leaving them time to ask questions. The third is planning nothing after the first week: without fixed appointments, follow-up meetings get dropped as soon as calendars fill up.
Finally, do not confuse autonomy with abandonment. Letting someone work on their own is part of learning, provided they know who to turn to and you regularly check that everything is going well. A short message in the middle of the week, asking how it is going, is often enough to keep the connection.
Train to structure your approach
If you want to formalize your welcome process, the Successful Onboarding for Your Teams course presents the approach of a well-structured onboarding. If you welcome new hires in a management context, Successfully Integrating Your New Hires is a useful complement to the path. Find our full offering in our course catalog.
