Onboarding Program Framework

ONBOARDING PHILOSOPHY

New Hire Integration Principles

ONBOARDING FUNDAMENTALS

WHY ONBOARDING MATTERS:
☐ First 90 days predict tenure
☐ Good onboarding = 2x faster productivity
☐ Poor onboarding = early attrition
☐ Sets cultural expectations
☐ Builds early relationships
☐ Demonstrates you care

ONBOARDING MISTAKES TO AVOID:
☐ No plan before Day 1
☐ Information overload
☐ No buddy or mentor
☐ Manager not available
☐ No early wins planned
☐ No feedback collection
☐ One-size-fits-all approach

ONBOARDING GOALS:
☐ Know the company (why we exist)
☐ Know the team (who they work with)
☐ Know their role (what they own)
☐ Know how to succeed (what good looks like)
☐ Feel welcomed and valued
☐ Be productive as fast as possible

ONBOARDING OWNERSHIP:
HR/People: Program design, logistics, culture
Manager: Role clarity, integration, success
Buddy: Day-to-day support, questions
Team: Welcome, collaboration, context
New hire: Active learning, engagement

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ONBOARDING PROGRAM

Comprehensive Onboarding Framework

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ONBOARDING PROGRAM FRAMEWORK
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PRE-BOARDING (Before Day 1)
Timeline: Offer accept → Start date

WEEK -2 TO -1:
Administrative:
☐ Background check complete
☐ I-9/employment docs collected
☐ Benefits enrollment info sent
☐ Payroll setup complete
☐ Emergency contact collected

Technology:
☐ Laptop ordered and configured
☐ Email account created
☐ Software licenses provisioned
☐ Security credentials ready
☐ Hardware shipped (if remote)

Logistics:
☐ Start date confirmed
☐ Start time and location shared
☐ Parking/building access arranged
☐ Desk/workspace ready
☐ First week calendar populated

People:
☐ Manager notified and prepared
☐ Buddy assigned and briefed
☐ Team informed
☐ Key 1:1s scheduled
☐ Welcome message prepared

WELCOME KIT (optional):
☐ Company swag
☐ Welcome letter
☐ Getting started guide
☐ Team photo/org chart
☐ Local recommendations (office)

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WEEK 1: ORIENTATION & WELCOME
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DAY 1 - WELCOME:
Morning (first 3 hours):
☐ Warm welcome at door/virtual
☐ Desk/workspace tour
☐ Laptop and tools setup
☐ Meet immediate team
☐ Buddy introduction

Midday:
☐ Team lunch or coffee
☐ HR paperwork completion
☐ Benefits overview
☐ Tools and systems access

Afternoon:
☐ Company overview presentation
☐ Mission, vision, values
☐ Product/service overview
☐ Manager 1:1 (30 min)
☐ End-of-day check-in

DAY 1 GOALS:
☐ Feel welcomed and valued
☐ Basic tools working
☐ Know immediate team
☐ Understand what's happening this week

DAYS 2-3 - LEARNING:
Company context:
☐ History and founding story
☐ Market and competition
☐ Business model
☐ Customers and use cases
☐ Key metrics and goals

Department overviews:
☐ Engineering
☐ Product
☐ Sales
☐ Marketing
☐ Customer Success
☐ G&A/Operations

DAYS 4-5 - ROLE FOCUS:
Role specifics:
☐ Detailed job responsibilities
☐ 30/60/90 day expectations
☐ Key relationships
☐ Initial projects discussion
☐ Tools and processes training

Team integration:
☐ Team meeting attendance
☐ 1:1s with key colleagues
☐ Stakeholder introductions
☐ Documentation review

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WEEKS 2-4: LEARNING & RAMPING
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WEEK 2 FOCUS:
☐ Deep product training
☐ Customer conversations (observe)
☐ Role-specific tool training
☐ Process documentation review
☐ Buddy catch-ups (2-3x)
☐ Manager 1:1 (30-60 min)

WEEK 3 FOCUS:
☐ Begin small tasks/projects
☐ Shadow experienced team members
☐ Attend key meetings
☐ Cross-functional introductions
☐ Buddy catch-ups (2x)
☐ Manager 1:1 (30-60 min)

WEEK 4 FOCUS:
☐ Own first small project
☐ Present something learned
☐ Feedback on onboarding experience
☐ Buddy catch-up (1x)
☐ Manager 1:1 + 30-day check-in

30-DAY CHECK-IN AGENDA:
Manager asks:
☐ How are you feeling overall?
☐ What's going well?
☐ What's confusing or challenging?
☐ What do you need from me?
☐ Are expectations clear?
☐ How was onboarding experience?

New hire shares:
☐ Early wins
☐ Questions or concerns
☐ Feedback on team/company
☐ Resources needed

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DAYS 30-60: CONTRIBUTING
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EXPECTATIONS:
☐ Owning meaningful projects
☐ Contributing in meetings
☐ Building peer relationships
☐ Understanding team dynamics
☐ Gaining independence

ACTIVITIES:
☐ Lead projects end-to-end
☐ Present to broader team
☐ Receive constructive feedback
☐ Participate in planning
☐ Develop working relationships
☐ Identify process improvements

MANAGER FOCUS:
☐ Weekly 1:1s continue
☐ Provide increasing autonomy
☐ Give real-time feedback
☐ Address gaps early
☐ Connect to broader context

60-DAY REVIEW AGENDA:
☐ Performance against expectations
☐ Strengths demonstrated
☐ Areas for development
☐ Feedback from colleagues
☐ Course corrections needed
☐ Next 30-day focus

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DAYS 60-90: INDEPENDENT & INTEGRATED
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EXPECTATIONS:
☐ Fully independent in role
☐ Contributing at expected level
☐ Integrated with team
☐ Understanding company culture
☐ Building cross-functional relationships

ACTIVITIES:
☐ Full project ownership
☐ Mentoring newer team members
☐ Contributing to improvements
☐ Goal setting for next quarter
☐ Development planning
☐ Career conversation

90-DAY ASSESSMENT:
☐ Formal performance review
☐ Goal setting for ongoing role
☐ Development plan creation
☐ Career aspirations discussion
☐ Mutual feedback exchange
☐ Decision: confirm or address

Onboarding Checklist by Milestone

Milestone	Owner	Timing	Status
Pre-boarding complete	HR	Before Day 1	☐
Day 1 welcome experience	Manager	Day 1	☐
Week 1 orientation	HR/Manager	Week 1	☐
Tool and systems access	IT	Week 1	☐
Buddy check-ins complete	Buddy	Weeks 1-4	☐
30-day check-in	Manager	Day 30	☐
60-day review	Manager	Day 60	☐
90-day assessment	Manager	Day 90	☐

Onboarding Experience Survey

ONBOARDING FEEDBACK (Week 1)

Rate 1-5 (1=Poor, 5=Excellent):

Pre-boarding experience: ___
Day 1 welcome: ___
Manager preparedness: ___
Buddy support: ___
Technology setup: ___
Information quality: ___
Pace of onboarding: ___
Overall experience: ___

What went well?
_________________________________

What could be improved?
_________________________________

What questions remain?
_________________________________

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