Employee onboarding template

Getting a new employee set up and ready to work involves coordinating a lot of different tasks. You need to handle paperwork, set up accounts and equipment, introduce them to the team, provide training, and make sure they understand how things work. Without a clear process, it's easy to forget important steps or leave new hires feeling lost. An employee onboarding template gives you a structured way to welcome new team members and make sure they have everything they need to succeed.

What is an employee onboarding template?

An employee onboarding template is a tool that helps you organize all the tasks and information needed to get a new hire up to speed. It gives you a place to track paperwork, equipment setup, training schedules, introductions, and check-ins. The template comes with common onboarding tasks already laid out, so you don't have to remember everything from scratch each time you hire someone new.

Using the same template for all new hires helps you stay consistent and makes sure everyone gets the same experience. It also makes it easier to see what still needs to be done and keep track of progress as new employees get settled in.

Why do you need an employee onboarding template?

Onboarding new employees without a clear system often leads to missed steps, delays getting them productive, and a poor first impression. An employee onboarding template helps you stay organized and gives new hires a better experience. Here's what it does:

• Task tracking keeps all onboarding activities in one place so you can see what's been done and what's still pending
• Timeline management helps you plan out when things should happen, from pre-start date tasks to first week and first month activities
• Document organization keeps important forms, handbooks, and paperwork easy to find and share
• Equipment setup tracks what needs to be ordered or configured before the new hire starts
• Account provisioning makes sure email, software access, and other accounts are set up on time
• Training schedules helps plan out what training needs to happen and when
• Team introductions ensures new hires meet the right people at the right time
• Check-in reminders helps you schedule follow-up meetings to see how things are going
• Progress visibility lets you see at a glance how far along the onboarding process is
• Consistency ensures every new hire goes through the same process and gets the same experience

Without a template, onboarding tends to be haphazard. Tasks get forgotten, paperwork gets delayed, and new employees end up waiting for things they need to do their job effectively.

A static template is a good starting point, but using a project management tool like Breeze makes employee onboarding much more effective. With Breeze, you can collaborate in real time with your HR team, get automatic reminders when onboarding tasks are due, track progress as new employees complete each step, share documents and resources directly in the project, and create templates that you can reuse for every new hire. Instead of managing onboarding through emails and spreadsheets, you get a clear workflow that helps new team members get started faster.

What goes into an employee onboarding template?

An employee onboarding template should include sections for organizing all the tasks and information needed when someone new joins your team. Here's what typically goes into it:

1. Create a new project using the onboarding template and name it with the new hire's name
2. Set start dates for when they'll begin and when tasks need to be completed
3. Fill in personal details like their name, role, department, and start date
4. Assign tasks to team members like IT for equipment setup, HR for paperwork, and managers for training
5. Set up pre-start tasks like ordering equipment, setting up accounts, and preparing workspace
6. Plan first week activities including welcome meetings, introductions, initial training sessions, and orientation
7. Schedule first month check-ins to see how they're settling in and address any questions
8. Add role-specific training based on what their position requires
9. Track completion by checking off tasks as they're done and updating progress
10. Follow up regularly to make sure nothing gets missed and the new hire has everything they need

Customize the template to match your company's specific onboarding needs. Add or remove tasks based on the role, adjust timelines for different positions, and include company-specific information and resources.