New Starter Checklist: A Practical Induction Checklist for Employers

A new starter checklist is one of the simplest HR tools a business can have, and one of the most often skipped. When a growing organisation is hiring quickly, induction tends to happen on the fly: a desk is found, a laptop appears eventually, and the paperwork is chased weeks later.

In more than 20 years working in HR, I have seen how much a poor first week costs. People who start well settle faster, become productive sooner and are far more likely to stay. People who start badly often leave within months, and you are back to recruiting. A checklist will not fix every onboarding problem, but it makes sure the essentials happen, every time, whoever the manager is.

The checklist below is the one I give clients. It is free to download and you can adapt it to your own organisation.

What is a new starter checklist?

A new starter checklist (sometimes called an induction checklist or onboarding checklist) is a list of the tasks a manager needs to complete when someone joins. It covers the legal paperwork, practical set-up, introductions and the policies a new employee needs to understand.

It also gives you a record. When the checklist is signed and dated, you can show what information an employee was given and when. That matters if questions come up later about whether someone knew a policy or received health and safety information.

What to do before a new employee's first day

Some of the most important tasks need to happen before the person arrives.

• Right to work checks. You must check that every employee has the right to work in the UK before their employment starts. Getting this wrong can lead to a civil penalty of up to £60,000 per worker, so do not leave it until the first morning. The checklist does not include it for that reason: it belongs before day one.
• The written statement of terms. Employees and workers are entitled to a written statement of their main terms on or before their first day. If your contracts need attention, my guide to employment contracts for SMEs explains what should be in them.
• Equipment and access. Order the laptop, phone, log-ins, keys or passes in advance. Nothing says "we weren't expecting you" like a new starter waiting for a password.
• A plan for the first week. Decide who they will meet, what they will learn and who their day-to-day contact is.

What to cover on day one

The first day should leave someone feeling welcome and clear about what happens next. As a minimum, cover:

• introductions to their manager, their team and a buddy they can go to with everyday questions
• a tour of the workplace, including toilets, kitchen, first aid and fire exits
• fire evacuation procedures and the key points of your health and safety arrangements
• how to report sickness and who to call if they cannot come in
• their working hours, breaks and how to book holiday

Try not to overload people. Day one is about orientation; detailed training can follow over the coming days.

New starter paperwork checklist

The paperwork is where most gaps appear. Before the end of the first week, make sure you have:

• a signed written statement of terms or contract of employment
• issued your employee handbook, or told the employee where to find your policies
• given them your privacy notice, explaining how you use their personal data
• collected bank details, their National Insurance number and a P45 (or a starter checklist for payroll if they do not have one)
• recorded emergency contact details
• set up pension auto-enrolment where it applies
• checked a driving licence if the role involves driving for work

Keep copies on the employee's personnel file, stored securely.

The first few weeks

Induction does not end on Friday. Book short check-ins at the end of the first week and the first month, and agree objectives for the probationary period early, so that the probation review is a conversation about progress rather than a surprise.

If you need to raise a concern during probation, do it early and keep it factual. My guide to handling difficult conversations covers how to do that well.

How to use the checklist

The download is a two-page checklist covering documentation, introductions, procedures, health and safety and wellbeing. Each task has space to record the date and who completed it.

1. Print it, or save a copy for each new starter.
2. Remove anything that does not apply to the role and add anything specific to your organisation.
3. Work through it with the new starter during their first days.
4. Ask the employee and manager to sign it, then keep it on the personnel file.

Need help with onboarding?

If you are hiring faster than your recruitment and onboarding can keep up with, I can help you put a simple, consistent process in place. Book a free 30-minute consultation and we can talk through what your organisation needs.