Free Employee Onboarding Checklist Template for Managers
Plan a new colleague's first month: steps before day one, on day one, in week one and month one, with who does what and when. Free, no sign-up, prints to PDF.
This tool runs entirely in your browser. Toolcrow stores nothing — no input, no results, no tracking.
What is an employee onboarding checklist?
An employee onboarding checklist is a list of everything that has to happen when someone new joins your team: from sending the contract and getting a laptop ready, to the first day, the first week and a review after about a month. Every step has someone who does it and a date, so nothing depends on someone remembering it.
In a large company, HR runs this. In a small business without an HR or IT department, it usually lands on the manager. This checklist is made for that manager.
How to use this onboarding checklist
- Fill in the name of your new colleague and their start date.
- Pick a role. Every role starts with the basics and adds its own steps, such as CRM access for sales or a safety walk-through for warehouse work.
- Every step shows who does it and when, counted from the start date. With a start date filled in, you see real dates, and late steps are marked as overdue.
- Add, change or remove any step, and tick steps off as you go.
- Use Print or save as PDF to hand the plan to your new colleague or their buddy, or Copy as text to paste it into an email or chat.
Your checklist is saved in this browser only, so you can close the page and come back later.
What should happen before the first day?
Most onboarding problems start before day one: no laptop, no logins, nobody who knows someone is starting. One to two weeks before the start date:
- Send the signed contract and a short welcome message with the start time, the address and who to ask for.
- Collect what payroll needs, such as ID, tax and bank details, so the first salary is not late.
- Get the equipment and logins ready, and pick a buddy.
- Tell the team who is starting, and plan the first week.
What to cover on day one and in week one
Day one is about feeling welcome, not about reading manuals. Show them around, check that every login works, explain what the company does and who does what, and go through the house rules: working hours, sick leave, holidays and expenses. End the day with a short check-in.
In week one, agree on goals for the first 30 days, let them work alongside a colleague on real work, and give them a first small task they can finish. A short talk at the end of the week shows what is still missing.
When is onboarding done?
Plan at least the first month. Start a weekly one-on-one, check after two weeks that they have all the access and training they need, and hold a 30-day review: how are the goals going, and what are the goals for month two and three? Ask your new colleague what could be better about the onboarding itself, and update the checklist for the next person.
Make it your own
Every company onboards a little differently: your own systems, your own house rules, your own steps for each role. With Make this your own you get a copy of this checklist in your own Toolcrow account.
- Put in your company's steps. Change the steps per role, your company name and who does what. All of it sits together at the top of the code, so you can change it by hand, or ask Claude or ChatGPT to make the changes and paste the new version back in.
- Private by default. Only you can open your copy until you decide to share it with your team, with a link or behind a password.
- Better with every new hire. Turn on feedback, and your colleagues can tell you right from the checklist which step was missing.
Is my data private?
Yes. This checklist runs entirely in your browser. Names, dates and steps are saved in this browser only and are never sent to a server. Use Start over to clear everything, for example on a shared computer.
Frequently asked questions
How long should onboarding take for a new employee?
Plan at least the first month for most roles, and up to three months for jobs with a lot to learn. This checklist runs from two weeks before the start date to a 30-day review. Want a 60 or 90-day review as well? Add a step with that day and it appears under "After month one".
Who should run onboarding in a small business without HR?
The direct manager owns the plan and the check-ins. A buddy handles the everyday questions, whoever does payroll collects the paperwork, and the new hire owns a few steps too, like reading the handbook. What matters most is that every step has a name next to it.
What does an onboarding buddy do?
A buddy is a colleague, not the manager, who shows the new hire around, has lunch with them and answers the small questions they would not want to ask their manager. Pick someone friendly who knows the work well, and give them time for it, about an hour a day in the first week.
What paperwork does a new employee need to fill in?
Usually a signed contract, proof of identity and the right to work, tax details, bank details for payroll and an emergency contact. The exact forms depend on your country. In the US, for example, that includes Form I-9 and Form W-4; in the UK, a right to work check and HMRC's starter checklist.
Can I use this checklist for remote employees?
Yes. Pick "Remote role" and the checklist swaps the in-person steps for remote ones: ship the laptop so it arrives before day one, a video welcome with the whole team, which chat or channel to use for what, and short video coffees with each colleague.
What is the difference between onboarding and orientation?
Orientation is the welcome on the first day or two: the tour, the paperwork, the house rules. Onboarding is the whole period until someone can do their job on their own, from before the first day to the first review. Orientation is one part of onboarding.
Make this tool your own.
Get your own copy in your Toolcrow account. Change it with your AI, add your company's details and share it with your team. Your copy is private until you share it.
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