A new joiner decides a lot about your organisation in the first few weeks. When the laptop is ready, the manager has a plan, and payroll details are captured on time, people settle in quickly. When things are missed, the first impression is chaos. Use this checklist for every new hire, from the day they accept the offer to the end of their first 90 days. Assign an owner to each item so nothing falls between HR, IT, and the manager.
Copy this template into your document editor, or manage it inside Qrew HR's document workflows.
Onboarding checklist template
| Employee name | [Full Name] |
| Employee ID | [ID] |
| Designation | [Job Title] |
| Department | [Department] |
| Reporting manager | [Manager Name] |
| Onboarding buddy | [Buddy Name] |
| Date of joining | [DD Month YYYY] |
| Work location | [Office / Remote / Hybrid] |
| HR owner | [HR Name] |
1. Before day one (after offer acceptance)
| Task | Owner | Due | Status |
|---|
| Send welcome email with joining date, time, location, and first-day agenda | HR | [Date] | [ ] |
| Share list of documents to bring (PAN, Aadhaar, certificates, relieving letter, payslips, UAN, bank details) | HR | [Date] | [ ] |
| Initiate background and reference checks | HR | [Date] | [ ] |
| Create employee record and employee ID | HR | [Date] | [ ] |
| Order or allocate laptop, ID card, access card | IT / Admin | [Date] | [ ] |
| Create email, chat, and tool accounts with correct access levels | IT | [Date] | [ ] |
| Set up HR system login and mobile app access | HR | [Date] | [ ] |
| Prepare workstation or ship equipment for remote joiner | Admin / IT | [Date] | [ ] |
| Assign onboarding buddy and brief them | Manager | [Date] | [ ] |
| Prepare 30-60-90 day plan and first-week schedule | Manager | [Date] | [ ] |
| Announce the new joiner to the team | Manager | [Date] | [ ] |
2. Day one
| Task | Owner | Status |
|---|
| Welcome at reception or welcome video call | HR / Manager | [ ] |
| Collect and verify original documents; keep copies | HR | [ ] |
| Sign appointment letter, employment agreement, confidentiality and IP agreement | HR | [ ] |
| Collect bank details, PAN, Aadhaar, emergency contact, nominee details | HR | [ ] |
| Collect PF declaration and UAN or initiate new UAN; ESI registration if applicable | HR / Payroll | [ ] |
| Collect tax regime choice and investment declaration | Payroll | [ ] |
| Hand over laptop, ID card, and access card; record in asset register | IT / Admin | [ ] |
| Walk through HR system: attendance, leave, payslips, helpdesk | HR | [ ] |
| Office tour or virtual tour of key tools and channels | Buddy | [ ] |
| Lunch or coffee with the team | Manager | [ ] |
| One-on-one with manager: role, expectations, first-week plan | Manager | [ ] |
3. First week
| Task | Owner | Status |
|---|
| Share and collect acknowledgement of code of conduct, POSH policy, leave and attendance policies, IT policy | HR | [ ] |
| Company overview session: mission, products, customers, structure | HR / Leadership | [ ] |
| Introductions to key stakeholders outside the team | Manager | [ ] |
| Role-specific tool training | Manager / Buddy | [ ] |
| Assign a small first task that can be completed this week | Manager | [ ] |
| Confirm employee appears correctly in payroll for the current month | Payroll | [ ] |
| End-of-week check-in: what is clear, what is confusing | Manager | [ ] |
4. First 30 days
| Task | Owner | Status |
|---|
| Agree 3–5 goals for the probation period | Manager | [ ] |
| Weekly one-on-ones | Manager | [ ] |
| Complete mandatory trainings (POSH awareness, data security, [others]) | HR | [ ] |
| Confirm background verification closed | HR | [ ] |
| Check first payslip was correct and understood | Payroll | [ ] |
| 30-day feedback survey or HR conversation | HR | [ ] |
5. Days 31–90
| Task | Owner | Status |
|---|
| 60-day progress review against goals | Manager | [ ] |
| Identify one development area and plan support | Manager | [ ] |
| 90-day review; recommend confirmation or extension (if probation is 3 months) | Manager / HR | [ ] |
| Issue confirmation letter or probation extension letter | HR | [ ] |
| 90-day onboarding feedback; record improvements for next hire | HR | [ ] |
Sign-off
| Onboarding completed by (HR) | [Name, Date] |
| Reviewed by (Manager) | [Name, Date] |
| Employee acknowledgement | [Name, Date] |
| Notes | [Any pending items or follow-ups] |
How to use this template
- Start before day one. Most onboarding problems come from tasks that should have been done the week before joining: equipment, accounts, and the manager's plan.
- Name an owner for every row. "HR will handle it" is how tasks get missed. Put a person's name against each item.
- Adjust for remote joiners. Ship equipment early, send a calendar of video calls for day one, and make the buddy role more active.
- Do not skip payroll items. Missing bank details, PF declarations, or tax regime choices are the most common reason a new joiner's first salary is wrong.
- Collect feedback. Ask every new joiner at 30 and 90 days what helped and what was missing, and update the checklist.
- Automate the routine. Qrew HR's onboarding checklists can assign tasks to HR, IT, and managers automatically, collect documents, and track day-one readiness.
