Onboarding Essentials: Covering the Fundamentals With a Simple Checklist. (The Worksheet)
*Upon request, this month I will give you one worksheet and walk you through how to use it over the following weeks
Over the years, I’ve seen a few onboarding errors pop up again and again:
- Lack of preparation: No plan, no structure, no idea what’s next.
- Lack of access: New hires can’t get the tools, information, or people they need.
- Too much information: Information overload on day one.
- Too little information: New hires are left guessing what to do.
What do you know
What do all these issues have in common?
They’re all about knowledge—either too much, too little, or not the right kind.
New hires are often only taught what they need to do and not what they need to know.
Your onboarding checklist
Onboarding doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple, thoughtful checklist is all you need.
A list of everything your new hire must:
- Know: What must your new hire understand to succeed?
- Do: What tasks or actions must they be able to complete?
Your onboarding areas
To make it even easier, organize your checklist around these four key areas:
- Technical Skills: What tools, software, or processes do they need to master?
- Your Product: What should they know about what you offer?
- Your Clients: Who are your customers, and what do they care about?
- Company Resources: Where can they find help, support, or answers?
Use this week’s worksheet to prepare the checklist for your next hire.
What next
Need your employees to update their work plans? Let’s talk about having them write their own job descriptions.
What do you have to share about their technical skill? Come back next week to find out.