How to create an HR onboarding process: a step-by-step guide

The typical onboarding process in human resources (HR) may seem easy enough to execute. You know the drill: Have a day-one orientation, share an employee handbook, ship some startup swag — but will that process do the most for your new hires?

Probably not. Gallup found that only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization’s HR team does a great job of onboarding new employees. And that assessment may be even lower if you’re looking to onboard a remote workforce.

Creating a strong and organized HR onboarding process is an important first step for every business. Not only is it the first impression your company makes on the new employee, but when done correctly, a good onboarding system can set up your new hire for success.

In this article, we will walk you through our step-by-step HR onboarding process and provide you with some tips for success.

What is an employee onboarding process?

Employee onboarding is the process of integrating a new hire into your company, helping them understand its culture, values, and procedures. It aims to equip employees with the necessary tools and knowledge to succeed in their roles and contribute effectively to the team. Onboarding is generally carried out by the HR department. A successful process will ensure new employees have all the resources, information, and support that they need to get started.

Onboarding is a critical process that can set up a new employee to thrive. If coordinated with the right intent, the entire framework can help orient newcomers at a faster rate and set them up for future success.

How to establish an onboarding framework

It’s important to have a blueprint for your HR onboarding process in place before you actually start hiring new employees. When looking to create a new onboarding process in HR, you should first establish what first impression you want employees to walk away with at the end of their first day, first week, and first month. Define your goals and come up with ways to measure success along the way.

You should also tailor the onboarding process to fit different roles. After all, a manager’s onboarding process might require more leadership training and strategic discussions, while entry-level hires may need more hands-on training and mentorship.

You’ll also want to think about who to involve outside of HR. Engage other departments, like IT, to ensure the new hire is fully enrolled in your online systems. Who your new hires interact with within this time will greatly influence their overall experience. 

How long should the onboarding process take?

Once you determine how you want to organize your HR onboarding experience, it’s important to determine how long you have to do it all. There is a common misconception that onboarding only entails training employees and presenting a thorough orientation. However, in reality, onboarding a new employee should be a months-long process.

The amount of time that it should take to onboard a new employee depends on both the role itself and the complexity of your company’s work environment.

For example, an entry-level employee shouldn’t need more than a few weeks to train and push through the onboarding process, while a management or executive position can take anywhere from one to three months. This is because managerial roles have much more responsibility, and the managers must have a thorough understanding of how the company functions before being “set free.” Managers may also need additional time to build relationships with key stakeholders and develop a clear vision for their team’s contribution to the company’s broader objectives.

However, the onboarding process doesn’t stop at simple training. A new hire isn’t likely going to perform at the same level as other staff in your organization right away. So, you should implement long-term goals and performance evaluations to ensure the new hire gets the feedback and resources they need to succeed.

Think of it this way: A successful employee onboarding program should be structured and strategic, not just about checking boxes. If you focus on people and not administrative tasks, it takes a longer amount of time — but it is all the more worthwhile.

HR employee onboarding: 7-step process 

Many companies view the onboarding process as just a simple training and orientation for new employees. However, the framework for an effective HR onboarding system should start with posting the job advertisement and end when the employee is fully up to par and integrated into the company.

Here is our step-by-step process for boarding a new employee successfully.

Step 1: Hiring process and interviews

Proper planning and communication is crucial, especially when hiring and onboarding new staff. Put a lot of thought and effort into your job postings to make sure candidates fully understand the responsibilities and expectations of the role. Prospective employees shouldn’t have to do much guessing to understand what their duties would be on the job.

In your first interaction with a new candidate, you should clearly outline what to expect from the hiring process:

• How many interviews will there be?
• What timeframe should they expect between each stage of the process?
• What information or questions should the candidate expect to provide?

Step 2: Offering the job to a candidate and salary negotiation

Have you and the hiring team decided on a candidate to move forward with? Now it is time to officially offer the job and begin the onboarding process.

Ensure that the offer letter outlines every detail about the role including the job title, responsibilities, salary, benefits, and any other key terms. It’s also a good idea to call the candidate and offer the job over the phone, as this adds a personal touch and helps build excitement.

During salary negotiations, your HR staff should clearly understand the company’s compensation structure and budget, as well as the candidate’s expectations. After finalizing negotiations, confirm the agreement in writing and ensure that both parties sign the offer letter before moving forward with the next steps of onboarding.

Step 3: Sign Paperwork

Before the employee actually comes into the office to start work, you’ll need to fill out all the necessary paperwork and contracts. This paperwork will likely be the same for each new employee, so it shouldn’t be too complicated to set up an automated process. We recommend using a software solution that can organize these tasks and remind new hires to complete them via email or SMS. Here are some of the most important documents for new employees to fill out:

• Employment contract/agreement
• IRS W-4
• IRS W-9 (for independent contractors)
• I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification
• Non-compete agreement (if applicable)
• Non-disclosure agreement (if applicable)
• Direct deposit form and banking details
• Employee invention agreement (if applicable)

Step 4: Pre-onboarding process

There are quite a few tasks that go into preparing for a new employee’s first day of work. You’ll need to coordinate with the IT department to get the new hire set up with a company email, the messaging system, work management tools, and any other internal systems or software.

Additionally, you’ll want to make sure the new employee has all of the physical equipment (computer, monitor, keyboard, headphones, mouse, etc.) that they need to perform their duties. And if your company is located in a physical office, ensure that the new hire has a working access card.

Finally, your HR team must assign team members to assist the new employee with orientation and training on their first week of work.

Step 5: Week #1 orientation and training

The best way to make a new employee feel welcome is to have a “buddy” greet them on their first day and show them around the office. This helps ease first-day nerves by providing a point of contact for any questions. The first week should be well-structured and should focus on integrating the new hire into the company’s culture, introducing them to key team members, and setting them up with the necessary tools and knowledge to perform their role successfully.

Here are some important things to include in the training/orientation for the new employee:

• • Office tour: A detailed tour of the office helps the new hire get familiar with the work environment, facilities, and layout.
  • Welcome meeting: Set up an initial meeting between the new hire and their direct manager or team. This meeting should provide an overview of the team, the new hire’s responsibilities, and clear performance expectations.

• Introduction to different teams: The new employee will likely be collaborating with or contacting other teams and departments, so it is important to introduce them to other departments so that they understand where they are located and who to contact for different issues.

• Training and shadowing: The most important part of the orientation process is to train the new hire. Most of the first week of work should be dedicated to introducing internal systems, processes, and tools they’ll need to use. Depending on the role, this could include shadowing a current employee or completing a structured training session alongside other new hires.

You can provide the new employee with a clear schedule for their first week, along with resources and guides, so that they can fully understand what their first week of work will look like.

Step 6: Set clear performance goals

It is crucial to be clear about performance expectations from day one when onboarding new employees. After all, how is a new hire going to meet your expectations if they do not understand what is expected of them? Without a clear roadmap, it can be difficult for a new hire to gauge whether they’re meeting expectations or falling short.

Start by introducing a 3-month plan that outlines the specific projects and tasks the employee will be working on. This will clarify their short-term goals and set the pace for their progress. You should also establish clear expectations for how the company will evaluate their performance.

Provide the new hire with information on what the company will expect from them at the 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month mark. 

For example, this is what the benchmarked goals for a new marketing coordinator could look like:

• 3 months: Understand and become proficient in the company’s marketing tools and platforms, complete a competitor analysis, and assist in executing at least two campaigns.
• 6 months: Take ownership of one marketing channel (e.g., social media or email marketing), develop and execute a content calendar, and contribute to the company’s quarterly marketing strategy.
• 12 months: Lead a major campaign, demonstrate growth in your assigned marketing channel, and present a year-end performance report to management with recommendations for future strategies.

It is a good idea to assign the employee tasks early on in the onboarding process. This way, they will see the exact scope of the work from the beginning and can address challenges or issues during the training process.

Step 7: Get the employee ramped up with ongoing 1:1 meetings

To keep communication and expectations clear as the onboarding process moves forward, schedule ongoing 1:1 meetings with the new hire’s manager. These meetings provide a platform for discussing the process, addressing challenges, and offering feedback. This creates a two-way system of communication that allows the employer to provide feedback and the employee to ask questions.

This is also a good opportunity for the HR team to ask for feedback from the new hire to see if there is anything they could be doing differently or tweaks that could help improve the onboarding process.

Use HR software to automate the onboarding process

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into creating a successful HR onboarding process, so any way to simplify and automate procedures is helpful. One of the best ways to do this is to invest in HR software that streamlines all onboarding processes. This allows you to set up a consistent system for bringing on new hires to lessen the workload for the HR team.

There are hundreds of different HR software providers out there, but here are a few of our top picks for automating onboarding procedures:

• Rippling
• Userlane 
• BambooHR
• Gusto

Advantages of crafting a solid onboarding process for new employees

Creating an organized and efficient onboarding system for your company can work wonders and help to transform the productivity of your HR team and even the overall company culture. Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits of crafting a solid blueprint for your HR onboarding process.

Smoother experience for employees and employers

It may seem obvious, but employees are going to have a much easier time getting settled in a position if the onboarding system is seamless and organized. A well-organized first few weeks at a new job can work wonders in terms of how comfortable the new hire feels in the position and how quickly they get up to speed on internal systems.

Better overall communication

Communication is a key factor in running a successful business, and there are few situations in which communication is more important than onboarding. New hires are going to have a lot of questions and will need more assistance than veteran employees. An effective onboarding plan can improve overall communication within your organization.

Stronger understanding of expectations and roles

It will be difficult for a new hire to perform their job successfully if their role isn’t well defined from day one. A strong onboarding strategy ensures that there is no room for interpretation when it comes to job duties. By clearly outlining responsibilities, companies help new employees build confidence and reduce the chances of costly mistakes.

Increased productivity

An effective onboarding process can improve your new employee’s productivity by up to 60%. New hires are more likely to get comfortable in their roles and start taking on more work early on when companies invest in efficient onboarding and training programs. HR automation tools can significantly reduce the amount of time new hires spend onboarding. This allows HR teams to focus on personalized support, creating a smoother transition for new employees.

HR onboarding best practices

Many companies have described their own onboarding process as informal, inconsistent, and reactive. Don’t let those words describe your new hire experience. Here are some tips and best practices for ensuring your company has a seamless and effective onboarding system.

Communication, communication, communication

Communication in the workplace is a pillar of trust and productivity in any business setting. According to a 2024 study by Forbes, 40% of workers lose trust in their company’s leadership due to a lack of communication. You should ensure you keep an open and clear line of communication from a new employee’s first day of work. Companies can improve communication during onboarding by assigning a dedicated mentor or “buddy” who can answer questions and guide new hires. The HR team and management should also regularly check in with the new employee throughout their first few weeks and months in the role.

Create a structured training program

While an organized training/orientation program may not be necessary for every new hire, it is a great way to introduce employees to your company’s culture and values. A training program for new employees not only sets them up for success but also shows that your company is dedicated to creating a comfortable work environment. The last thing you want as an employer is for your employees to feel like you are setting them free in the workplace before they are ready.

Provide and receive feedback

Feedback should be a two-way street in your onboarding process. You should address room for improvement with new employees and correct things they are doing incorrectly. However, it is also good practice to allow new hires to give you feedback on the onboarding and training process. This allows you to tweak and make improvements to your systems based on the experience of your hires.

Once the onboarding process in HR is complete, you can focus on future development of the individual — HR’s job is never done. Employee benefits, along with other protections for employees and employers like EPLI, will help build a robust program for your company to attract and keep talent.