Purpose

The goal of this SOP is to standardize the onboarding process for all new employees to ensure a smooth, professional, and compliant experience. Effective onboarding improves retention, accelerates productivity, and aligns employees with company culture from day one.

Scope

This SOP applies to all full-time and part-time employees being hired across the company, regardless of department or location. It is the responsibility of the HR department, hiring managers, and IT support to collaborate and ensure the onboarding process is followed.

Roles & Responsibilities

• HR Team
• Coordinates the overall onboarding experience, collects employment documentation, manages compliance acknowledgments, and introduces company policies and benefits.
• IT Support
• Prepares hardware and software resources, ensures access to systems, and assists with tech onboarding on Day 1.
• Hiring Manager
• Serves as the primary point of contact for the new hire, sets job expectations, introduces the team, and assigns early-stage projects or goals.
• New Hire
• Completes onboarding tasks, attends scheduled training, and engages with their team and assigned materials to fully integrate into their role.

Process Steps

1. Pre-boarding (Before Day 1)

Pre-boarding starts once the candidate has accepted the offer. HR is responsible for sending a welcome email that includes important documentation such as the signed contract, confidentiality agreement, and first-day instructions. IT receives a system access request to provision a company laptop, user accounts (email, Slack, HRIS, etc.), and necessary software licenses.

HR also prepares the digital new hire packet, which may include an employee handbook, benefits overview, and an onboarding timeline. The hiring manager selects a team "buddy" to act as a peer guide and schedules a welcome lunch or team introduction. Everything should be finalized no later than two business days before Day 1.

2. Day 1 Activities

On the first day, the HR team welcomes the new hire, either in person or via video call. They walk through the company’s history, mission, and structure, followed by an overview of policies including code of conduct, IT security, and workplace expectations. HR also collects any outstanding paperwork, such as ID verification and tax forms.

IT meets with the employee to guide them through their device setup and ensure access to all required systems. This includes a walkthrough of email, document drives, password managers, and communication tools. The hiring manager meets with the new employee to review their role responsibilities and outlines their initial 30-day objectives. A brief team introduction is also scheduled for Day 1 to foster early connection.

3. Week 1 Milestones

During the first week, the new hire completes mandatory training modules, which may include security awareness, compliance topics, or software tutorials. They should be given access to the Learning Management System (LMS) and a checklist of required completions.

The team buddy checks in by mid-week to offer informal guidance, answer questions, and share helpful tips. The hiring manager schedules short check-ins to reinforce priorities, provide early feedback, and answer any role-related questions. By the end of Week 1, the employee should have a basic understanding of tools, expectations, and team dynamics.

4. 30-Day Check-In

At the 30-day mark, the hiring manager conducts a formal 1:1 to evaluate the new hire’s progress. This includes reviewing completed training, assessing how well they’ve understood their role, and identifying any roadblocks. Constructive feedback is offered, and new 30-day goals are defined to build momentum.

HR may send out a quick onboarding feedback form to the employee, gathering insights on their experience and identifying any process gaps. This is also a good opportunity to discuss early impressions of company culture and workflows.

5. 60-Day and 90-Day Follow-Ups

At 60 days, the hiring manager assesses deeper integration into the team, increased responsibilities, and growing independence in the role. It’s recommended to give the employee an internal project to own or co-lead at this point.

By Day 90, a final onboarding review is held. This may be a joint conversation between HR and the manager to evaluate the full onboarding experience. The employee should now be fully autonomous, and if applicable, move from probationary to permanent status. HR records the completion of onboarding in the employee’s file.

Documentation & Tools

• Onboarding checklist (pre-made, department-specific)
• New hire welcome email template
• Employment agreement, NDA, tax documents
• LMS and training dashboards
• IT system access request form
• Onboarding feedback form

Compliance & Policy Requirements

• Signed employment contract and NDA prior to Day 1
• Completion of all mandatory compliance trainings (e.g., cybersecurity, harassment prevention)
• Policy acknowledgment receipts (Code of Conduct, IT Acceptable Use, Data Privacy)