New Employee Onboarding Checklist: The First 90 Days

First impressions matter. How you onboard new employees shapes their entire experience with your company. Good onboarding leads to higher engagement, faster productivity, and better retention. Poor onboarding leads to confusion, frustration, and early departures.

Studies show that employees who experience great onboarding are 69% more likely to stay three years. Yet many companies rush through this critical period or skip important steps entirely.

This guide provides a comprehensive checklist for the first 90 days—everything you need to turn new hires into productive, engaged team members.

Before Day One: Pre-boarding

Great onboarding starts before the employee's first day. This "pre-boarding" period builds excitement and handles logistics so day one can focus on what matters.

One to two weeks before start date:

☐ Send welcome email with first day details (time, location, dress code, parking) ☐ Order and set up equipment (laptop, phone, headset) ☐ Create email and system accounts ☐ Prepare workspace or ship remote work equipment ☐ Add to relevant software and communication channels ☐ Complete background check if not already done ☐ Assign an onboarding buddy ☐ Schedule first week meetings ☐ Notify the team about the new hire

One to two days before:

☐ Confirm start details with the new hire ☐ Send any required paperwork for completion ☐ Share employee handbook and key policies ☐ Provide links to complete tax and payroll forms ☐ Ensure all tech is working and passwords ready

For remote employees, also:

☐ Ship equipment with tracking (allow time for arrival) ☐ Include welcome package with company swag ☐ Test video conferencing and other tools ☐ Schedule virtual introduction with the team

Pre-boarding reduces first-day stress. New hires arrive confident rather than anxious about logistics.

Day One: Making a Great First Impression

The first day sets the tone. Make it welcoming, organized, and meaningful.

Before they arrive:

☐ Review their schedule for the day ☐ Confirm meeting rooms and video links are ready ☐ Have welcome materials prepared ☐ Alert their team and manager to be ready

When they arrive:

☐ Greet them warmly (don't make them hunt for someone) ☐ Introduce to immediate team members ☐ Show them their workspace ☐ Provide building tour or virtual office orientation ☐ Review the day's agenda

During the day:

☐ Complete required paperwork (I-9, tax forms, direct deposit) ☐ Set up computer and accounts with IT support ☐ Explain key tools and systems ☐ Share organizational chart and introductions ☐ Manager welcome meeting—share team purpose and expectations ☐ Lunch with team or buddy ☐ Review company culture and values ☐ End with check-in—answer questions, address concerns

What to avoid on day one:

• Information overload
• Leaving them alone for long periods
• Too many meetings without breaks
• Diving into heavy work immediately

Day one should feel welcoming and manageable, not overwhelming.

Week One: Building the Foundation

The first week establishes the foundation for success. Balance orientation with early wins.

Orientation essentials:

☐ Benefits enrollment and explanation ☐ Company policies and procedures ☐ Security and compliance training ☐ HR systems training (timekeeping, leave requests) ☐ Department overviews and key contacts ☐ Company history and mission deep-dive

Role preparation:

☐ Detailed discussion of job responsibilities ☐ Introduction to ongoing projects ☐ Review of key processes and workflows ☐ Access to documentation and resources ☐ Meeting with key stakeholders and collaborators ☐ Clear explanation of what success looks like

Connection building:

☐ Daily check-ins with manager (brief, supportive) ☐ Buddy meetings (informal, comfortable environment) ☐ Team lunch or coffee ☐ Introduction to cross-functional partners ☐ Inclusion in team meetings

At end of week one:

☐ Manager check-in: How is it going? What questions do you have? ☐ Collect feedback on onboarding experience so far ☐ Clarify any confusion ☐ Preview what's coming in week two

Weeks Two Through Four: Getting Productive

The first month moves from orientation to contribution. New hires should start doing real work while continuing to learn.

Week two:

☐ Begin taking on small projects or tasks ☐ Shadow experienced team members ☐ Learn tools and systems in depth through use ☐ Reduce orientation time, increase work time ☐ Continue daily or frequent manager check-ins ☐ Attend regular team meetings

Week three:

☐ Take ownership of assigned tasks ☐ Complete first deliverables ☐ Provide feedback on training gaps ☐ Connect with broader organization ☐ Manager begins transition to normal check-in cadence

Week four:

☐ 30-day check-in meeting with manager ☐ Review goals set during onboarding ☐ Discuss what's going well and what's challenging ☐ Gather feedback on onboarding experience ☐ Adjust approach based on needs ☐ Set goals for month two

By end of month one, new hires should:

• Understand their role and expectations
• Know how to use essential tools and systems
• Have begun contributing real work
• Feel connected to their team
• Know where to go for help

Days 31-60: Building Confidence

Month two is about building confidence and increasing independence.

Key activities:

☐ Take on more complex work ☐ Begin participating, not just observing, in meetings ☐ Build relationships across the organization ☐ Identify areas for continued learning ☐ Provide input on team processes and decisions

Manager responsibilities:

☐ Weekly one-on-ones (shifting from daily) ☐ Provide regular feedback on work ☐ Stretch assignments appropriate to development ☐ Coach through challenges ☐ Recognize early achievements

At day 60:

☐ 60-day check-in meeting ☐ Review progress on goals ☐ Discuss performance to date ☐ Identify remaining gaps in knowledge or skills ☐ Plan for month three

Days 61-90: Reaching Full Productivity

By month three, new hires should be approaching full productivity. The focus shifts to integration and growth.

Key activities:

☐ Full ownership of role responsibilities ☐ Working independently with normal supervision ☐ Contributing ideas and improvements ☐ Building a reputation within the organization ☐ Looking ahead to longer-term goals

Manager responsibilities:

☐ Transition to standard one-on-one cadence ☐ Begin treating like established team member ☐ Include in planning and strategy discussions ☐ Discuss career development aspirations

At day 90:

☐ Formal 90-day review ☐ Comprehensive feedback on performance ☐ Confirmation of role fit ☐ Set goals for the next quarter ☐ Celebrate successful onboarding completion

Making Onboarding Scalable

These checklists work whether you're onboarding one person or fifty. But as you grow, you need systems to manage the process.

HR software helps you:

• Automate document collection and signatures
• Track checklist completion
• Schedule and remind about meetings
• Gather feedback at key milestones
• Ensure nothing falls through cracks

Create templates for:

• Welcome emails
• First-week schedules
• Onboarding checklists
• Common training materials

Standard processes ensure every new hire gets a consistent, quality experience.

Measuring Onboarding Success

How do you know if onboarding is working? Track these metrics:

• Time to productivity (when do new hires contribute fully?)
• New hire retention (how many stay past 90 days, one year?)
• Onboarding satisfaction scores
• Manager assessment of onboarding effectiveness
• New hire feedback and suggestions

Use what you learn to continuously improve. Onboarding is never done—it evolves as your company grows.

Want to streamline your onboarding? See how UnivoCorp automates the paperwork, tracks the checklists, and ensures every new hire has a great first 90 days.