Employee onboarding checklist: from offer to the first 90 days

A successful hire needs more than a signed offer letter. Before a new employee starts, employers need to organise the practical details, introduce the right people and make sure the person understands what to expect.

A structured onboarding process helps new starters settle into their role and begin contributing with confidence. It also gives managers an opportunity to spot any gaps in training, equipment or support before they become problems.

Whether you are recruiting a permanent employee, an apprentice or a temporary professional, use this employee onboarding checklist to plan what happens before day one, during the first week and throughout the first 90 days.

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Why is employee onboarding important?

The first few weeks shape an employee’s understanding of their role, their team and the organisation. A clear onboarding plan helps them feel welcomed while giving managers a consistent way to introduce expectations and provide support.

Effective onboarding can:

• Help new employees settle in and build confidence
• Make responsibilities and expectations clear from the outset
• Support productivity and professional development
• Build relationships and encourage engagement
• Improve retention by helping employees feel valued and supported

The right approach depends on the role, experience and working arrangements. A senior interim professional may need a focused handover, while an apprentice may benefit from more structured guidance.

Use the following timeline as a starting point, then tailor the activities and pace to each new starter.

Before day one: prepare your new starter

Start preparing as soon as your new employee accepts the offer. A few practical steps can prevent avoidable delays and make the first day more welcoming.

1. Confirm the practical details

Send a welcome email to the email address you've been using to communicate with your new employee, so they can access all the information they need before their first day. Include:

• Start time and date: Confirm when they should arrive or log in and who will welcome them.
• Location and access: Explain where they need to go, including travel, parking, or building access information.
• Working hours: Clarify their expected hours, breaks and hybrid or remote arrangements.
• Dress code: Share any dress code guidelines so your new employee knows what to expect on their first day.
• Paperwork: Confirm any documents or information they need to provide.
• First-day arrangements: Share a simple schedule, including introductions, breaks and the name of their main contact.
• Accessibility and adjustments: Ask whether the new starter needs reasonable adjustments, accessible equipment or other support, and agree what you can put in place before they join.

2. Complete essential checks and paperwork

Before your new starter begins work, ensure the necessary pre-employment checks are complete, including right-to-work checks and any role-specific requirements. For employees you hire directly, provide the principal written statement of employment particulars no later than their first day.

3. Get equipment and systems ready

Make sure IT equipment in good time. For remote employees, confirm delivery and provide clear set-up instructions.

Arrange the appropriate access to email, internal systems and role-specific software, and check that someone can help if the employee cannot log in. Avoid leaving essential access requests until day one.

4. Plan the first week

Prepare a realistic first-week schedule that includes essential training, introductions, initial tasks and time with the line manager. Identify who will deliver each part of the induction.

Share an outline before the start date so the employee knows what to expect without facing an overloaded diary.

Day one: make your new employee feel welcome

Keep the first day focused. Welcome your new colleague, check that they can get started and explain where to find help. Leave time for questions rather than trying to cover every policy and process at once.

1. Introduce the people they will work with

Start with the line manager, immediate team and the people who will help the new starter with day-to-day questions.

In a larger organisation, arrange introductions to other teams over the following weeks. Explain who does what and when the new employee might need to contact them.

For remote starters, a short video call with key colleagues can make future conversations easier.

2. Explain essential systems, policies and safety

Help your new starter access their computer, email and relevant software. Do not assume that an experienced professional will know your internal processes. For example, a legal locum might be familiar with the work but still need a demonstration of the case management system, file-handling procedures and available administrative support.

Cover the policies people need to work responsibly, including confidentiality, data protection, conduct and how to report concerns. Explain practical arrangements such as absence reporting, working hours, communication channels and where to find further guidance.

Explain emergency procedures, how to report an accident or health and safety concern, and any relevant role-specific safety requirements. For homeworking arrangements, address applicable health and safety responsibilities as part of the induction.

3. Make time for questions

Break essential information into manageable sessions and allow time to practise using new systems. A short first-day timetable is more useful than a long presentation that is difficult to absorb.

The first week: provide support and set expectations

During the first week, move from introductions to the practical work the employee will be doing. Make it clear what they should prioritise and who can help.

1. Agree early priorities

Explain the main responsibilities, how work will be allocated and what the first few deliverables should look like. For example, agree which tasks the new starter can handle independently, which need a review and when they should escalate a problem.

2. Provide a buddy or mentor

A buddy can offer informal day-to-day help alongside the support provided by the line manager.

Choose someone who can explain everyday processes, answer practical questions and make introductions. This can be particularly helpful for apprentices and people entering a new type of workplace.

3. Encourage open communication

Arrange brief check-ins during the first few days, then agree a regular schedule that suits the employee and the role. Ask what is going well, where they feel unsure and whether anything is preventing them from getting started.

For remote workers, agree how to ask quick questions and when a phone or video conversation is more useful than an email.

The first month: focus on learning and feedback

Once the essential introductions are complete, the focus should shift towards developing skills, building working relationships and responding to early feedback.

1. Set realistic learning goals

Agree a small number of learning goals with the employee and identify the training or support they will need to achieve them.

SMART goals can help make expectations clear: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. For example, a new finance team member might first shadow the month-end reporting process, then prepare a section of the next report for their manager to review.

2. Provide regular feedback

Use one-to-one meetings to review progress, workload, early achievements and any additional training needs. Give specific feedback so the employee understands what to continue or change.

Ask for feedback too. Which parts of the induction helped? Which instructions were unclear? Is there anything the team could improve for the next new starter?

3. Help employees build relationships

Give the employee opportunities to join team meetings and work with colleagues beyond their immediate contacts. For remote or hybrid teams, make space for informal conversations without making social activities compulsory.

By day 90: review progress and plan ahead

The 90-day point provides a useful opportunity to check how the employee is settling in, review the support they have received and agree what comes next.

Treat 90 days as a planning framework, not a fixed requirement. Some specialist or senior roles need a longer introduction, while a short temporary assignment may call for a much more focused induction.

Use a structured review to discuss:

• Progress against initial objectives
• Confidence in completing key responsibilities
• Strengths and achievements
• Any gaps in knowledge, training or support
• Workload and wellbeing
• Priorities for the next three to six months

If the role includes a probationary period, follow the employment contract and your organisation’s procedures. Raise concerns as they arise instead of waiting for a formal review. An onboarding review does not automatically replace a probation meeting.

Adapting onboarding for different employees

Keep the core principles consistent, but adapt the detail to the person and their working arrangements.

Apprentices and early-career employees

People at the start of their careers may need guidance on workplace routines, professional communication and systems that other colleagues take for granted. Demonstrate tasks, allow time for practice and explain how to ask for help.

For apprentices in England, coordinate with the training provider (if there is one) and agree how workplace responsibilities, the apprenticeship agreement, the training plan and required off-the-job training fit together. Protect time for training and review progress throughout the programme.

Remote and hybrid employees

Remote starters can miss the informal conversations and opportunities to learn by observing colleagues in an office. Plan these opportunities rather than relying on them to happen naturally.

Use video calls and screen-sharing sessions to demonstrate systems and introduce key contacts. Make sure the new starter has a suitable workspace, appropriate equipment and a clear route to technical support.

Agree when colleagues should use email, instant messaging or calls, how quickly people should normally respond and how the new starter can ask for help without feeling they are interrupting someone.

For hybrid employees, use shared office days for introductions, training and collaboration where appropriate, while ensuring remote days offer the same access to information and support.

Temporary and interim employees

Temporary and interim professionals often join to provide specialist support, cover an absence or deliver a defined piece of work. Their induction may be shorter, but they still need the information required to contribute safely and effectively.

Prioritise:

• Assignment purpose, expected duration and immediate deliverables
• Workload, responsibilities and any handover priorities
• Reporting lines, escalation routes and key contacts
• Access to the right systems, records and role-specific procedures
• Confidentiality, information security and site-specific health and safety
• Available supervision, support and feedback arrangements

A focused induction can help an experienced professional contribute quickly without overlooking essential checks, training or support.

If you're recruiting temporary or interim staff through a recruitment agency, speak to your Recruitment Consultant about the pre-start arrangements. Your team should still provide a clear workplace induction and ongoing support to help them settle into their assignment.

Employee onboarding FAQs

How long should employee onboarding last?

There is no single required duration for onboarding. A 90-day plan gives employers a useful structure, but the process should reflect the role, the individual and the length of the assignment.

Who is responsible for onboarding?

The line manager should lead the employee’s day-to-day introduction to the role, with HR handling relevant employment documents and policies, and IT arranging access and equipment. A buddy, trainer or other colleague can provide additional support. For agency-supplied workers, clarify responsibilities with the recruitment agency.

How is onboarding different from induction?

Employers often use ‘induction’ and ‘onboarding’ interchangeably. In practice, induction commonly refers to the initial introduction to people, systems and policies, while onboarding can describe the wider period of training, feedback and integration.

How can employers tell whether onboarding is working?

Ask new starters and managers what is working, review progress against agreed objectives and look for recurring problems such as delayed system access or unclear responsibilities. Over time, you can also review early turnover and feedback from employees who have recently joined.

Employee onboarding checklist: from offer to 90 days

Use this checklist as a starting point. Assign an owner, agree any role-specific tasks and tick off each action as you complete it. The exact timing will depend on the employee and the organisation.

How Sellick Partnership can help

Recruitment does not end when a candidate accepts an offer. A clear introduction to the role helps employers build on the positive experience they created during the hiring process.

At Sellick Partnership, our specialist Recruitment Consultants support employers across professional services with permanent, temporary and interim recruitment. We understand the importance of clear expectations and communication throughout the recruitment process.

If you are planning your next hire, speak to our recruitment team or submit a vacancy. For more guidance on the wider employee experience, read our employer resource on how to attract and retain talent.