The Complete 60-Day Onboarding Checklist for New Hires
A checklist template to help you get started with an exceptional employee onboarding process in the first two months
What is employee onboarding?
Onboarding is the initial process of orienting new employees and training them to become contributing members of the team. In addition to equipping new hires with the knowledge and tools they need to be successful in their new roles, the onboarding process should also help new employees become fully engaged and culturally acclimated, which means fostering the relationship with your new hires and proving the company’s dedication to investing in their professional growth.
Check out our employee onboarding guide for in-depth resources and information!
Learn more about employee onboarding best practices:
• Why is employee onboarding important?
• Balancing compliance and engagement
• Onboarding remote employees
• Using AI for employee onboarding
Employee onboarding checklist: This 6-phase onboarding process will set the stage for the entire employee experience.
When a new hire joins your company, the first few months set the tone. If things go smoothly, the process can improve their long-term satisfaction, job performance, and retention. As a manager, you play a critical role in the success of every new hire. This guide can help you build an effective, scalable onboarding process that gets your employees off to a good start.
After a strong onboarding process, new employees are 2.8x more likely to say they have the best job.
Download LinkedIn’s employee onboarding checklist for managers.
PHASE 1 Onboarding Steps
Before an Employee's First Day
A new employee's hire’s first day can be overwhelming. So the goal is to eliminate friction and help them feel confident they’ve made the right decision. The onboarding process should begin about 15 days before the new hire’s start date.
Did you know?
Best-in-class companies are 53% more likely than others to undertake a pre-boarding process.
Phase 1 Onboarding Tasks
✓ Answer any of the new hire’s questions
✓ Make sure the new hire receives any necessary technology and is set up on company systems
✓ Provide the date, time, and dial-in information (if applicable) for all first-day meetings
✓ Explain the company’s guidelines for virtual meetings
✓ Set up a welcome-to-the-team meeting
PHASE 2 Onboarding Steps
New Hire's First Day
Avoid overloading your new hire by treating this day like an overview of what’s to come. Introduce your new hire to the team, cover basic information, and outline how the rest of the week will look. By the end of the day, your new hire should feel welcomed, appreciated, and eager to dive in.
Pro tip:
To fully support new hires, onboard for 90 days or longer. Most companies only focus on the first week.
Phase 2 Onboarding Tasks
✓ Detail relevant processes such as timesheets
✓ Show your new hire how to use company systems
✓ Announce the new hire to appropriate teams, sharing their bio and title
✓ Arrange introductions to coworkers and other key partners
✓ Send invites to team events
PHASE 3 Onboarding Steps
Second Day
To help your new hire get to know you as a manager, block off time to talk one-on-one. Detail your management style and expectations, and answer any questions. You can also discuss the position duties and review the training schedule.
Did you know?
60% of companies don’t set short-term goals for new hires.
Phase 3 Onboarding Tasks
✓ Clarify the week’s schedule and confirm relevant training
✓ Review internal processes and workflow
✓ Go over job description, duties, and expectations
✓ Share preferences and ask questions to determine how you can best work together
✓ Leave plenty of time for questions
PHASE 4 Onboarding Steps
First Week
Start your new hire off with the type of daily work that can be expected — and make their first assignment challenging but attainable. It’s also a good time to pair your new hire with a buddy who performs similar work. This can help your new employee make connections, get their questions answered, and feel like part of the team.
Did you know?
According to Gallup data, having a "best friend" at work has become more important since the pandemic.
Phase 4 Onboarding Tasks
✓ Supply essential resources, including product information and brand materials
✓ Assign an onboarding buddy to your new hire
✓ Review the company’s mission, values, and goals
✓ Schedule check-ins to review onboarding progress and discuss any questions
✓ Design a challenging but attainable first assignment
PHASE 5 Onboarding Steps
First Month
At this point, your new hire should clearly understand what’s expected and how to achieve it. Be sure to check in, provide feedback regularly, and establish performance goals to be covered in the annual review. This period is a great time to assign a formal mentor — someone in a more senior role who can help guide the new hire’s future success.
Did you know?
77% of employees who went through a formal onboarding program achieved their first performance goals.
Phase 5 Onboarding Tasks
✓ Help the new hire meet new people
✓ Assign a mentor and make introductions
✓ Set aside time to discuss the new hire’s first assignment
✓ Set clear goals for a six-month review
✓ Set performance expectations and establish that you’ll provide monthly feedback
PHASE 6 Onboarding Steps
Second Month and Beyond
Many experts agree it can take up to a year to get new employees fully up to speed. Over the first six months, you’ll get a feel for your new hire’s work style. Let them know what they’re doing well — and gather their feedback on their onboarding experience so you can improve your process.
Did you know?
A strong onboarding program can improve employee retention by 82%.
“The programs that learning and development pros provide, from onboarding to mentoring to specific upskilling, transcend skill-building; they help employees align their learning with their growth at a company.” - Alex Halem, Head of Learning, Mars Global Services at Mars, Incorporated, in the 2024 Workplace Learning Report
Phase 6 Onboarding Tasks
✓ Ensure the new hire’s workload is manageable
✓ Offer opportunities for cross-training
✓ Note the tasks and projects the new hire enjoys most
✓ Play to your new hire’s strengths
✓ Gather feedback from your new hire and share it with HR, IT, and your recruiting team
Bonus
5 ways to improve employee retention
Set clear expectations about the role.
Make sure you’re clear about what the job entails, giving real examples, to help new hires envision themselves in the role.
Understand the leadership style that works for them.
Meet with candidates during the interview process to help them get a feel for your managerial style— and find out how you can meet their unique needs to help them do their best work.
Facilitate growth through learning and development.
During one-on-ones, ask new hires if there are areas where they feel they need additional training. If so, schedule that training as soon as possible.
Match them with the types of work that they enjoy.
Give new hires the opportunity to work on different assignments with different teams, so they can find the right fit.
Help them feel appreciated.
Provide regular feedback about your new hires’ accomplishments to show them you value their hard work.
90% of organizations are concerned about employee retention and providing learning opportunities is the No. 1 retention strategy. (Workplace Learning Report)
Why is employee onboarding important?
A successful onboarding process benefits you, your new hire, and the company as a whole. So plan ahead and set clear expectations from the moment an offer is extended. It’s the best way to ensure that your new hire gets up to speed quickly — and stays for the long haul.
Balancing compliance and engagement
Of course, paperwork and legal requirements are an essential part of most onboarding processes, often owned by human resources. To maximize engagement, it’s smart to strike a balance between these necessities and activities that make new hires feel welcome and engaged, such as team introductions, company culture discussions, and interactive orientation sessions. Streamline and automate what you can from a paperwork perspective.
"Rather than having a stack of papers waiting for their signature, send them out to the employee beforehand, for electronic signature,” advises Ben Peterson, CEO of BambooHR, at SHRM. “Give them their benefits selection. Find the technology to help you automate the paper-pushing process."
Onboarding remote employees
Remote and hybrid teams have become far more prevalent in the reshaped world of work. Although the same steps above generally apply for any type of employee onboarding experience, there are some specific considerations to account for when onboarding remote workers.
These remote onboarding considerations include:
• Sending over any necessary paperwork to be signed electronically
• Ordering any equipment the new hire will need and sending it to them
• Making sure they can access your company's systems
• Introducing the new hire to their entire team on a video call
• Recurring video one-on-ones with their manager
• Training new hires on your company's systems and communication tools
Using AI for employee onboarding
Don’t overlook the potential for artificial intelligence to enrich and enhance your employee onboarding process! “Generative AI can make onboarding more efficient and pleasant for everyone,” writes Laura Hilgers on the Talent Blog. “And every interaction an employee has with your company, from onboarding to compliance training, shapes how they view your organization and perform on the job.”
Here are some of the key benefits AI can offer for employee onboarding:
• Automating administrative tasks
• Designing personalized checklist of tasks new hires need to complete
• Sending tailored messages at 30, 60, and 90 days
• Giving new hires access to information 24/7 with chatbots
• Personalizing learning for each new hire
• Gathering feedback and analyzing data about your onboarding
Learn about AI features and capabilities in LinkedIn Recruiter to see how you can best tap into this powerful technology with your talent strategy.
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