Onboarding Checklist: 20+ Onboarding Tasks That Help New Hires Feel Welcome

When a new employee joins your team, their first impressions of the company can color their perception of everything that follows.

Yet too many companies waste hundreds of hours on paperwork and other manual tasks — while also losing focus on critical onboarding tasks that help new hires feel welcomed and supported.

We recently interviewed more than 75 hiring managers and human resources leaders who cited unclear expectations, technical stumbles, and information overload as the most common pitfalls.

Developing an onboarding checklist can help you avoid these types of oversights altogether. An onboarding checklist documents essential tasks ranging from collecting tax forms to scheduling intro meetings. Not only will your organization align around best practices—but you'll also provide a consistent, thoughtful experience for all new hires.

In 2022 alone, BambooHR helped companies onboard more than 735,000 new hires. Our award-winning HR software makes it simple to customize onboarding checklists, gather e-signatures, and offer self-service options that streamline the onboarding process. Learn more with a free demo today!

Free Resource: BambooHR Onboarding Checklist

Create better first days with BambooHR's onboarding checklist. We've broken down essential tasks for HR pros, IT managers, managers, and peers so your new hires will hit the ground running.

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Onboarding Checklist: 22 Essential Tasks

Tasks for Managers

Tasks for Human Resources

IT Onboarding Checklist

Mentor or Onboarding Buddy Checklist

Required Onboarding Documents for New Hires

Spend Less Time on Paperwork and More Time on People

Companies that switch to e-signatures can save 30 hours and $300 per new employee.

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New Hire Orientation Checklist

While onboarding is a continuous process, orientation applies to a new hire's first day on the job. You can adapt orientation best practices to remote and on-site employees—the key is to make all new hires feel immediately welcomed, included, and supported.

On-Site Orientation

Virtual Orientation