Congratulations!! After an extensive search including days (or weeks or months) of reviewing resumes, screening candidates, coordinating interviews, and managing the decision-makers during the selection process, you have found the right person to fill your open position. The hard work is over, right? Unfortunately, no. Especially in this tough labor market, you still have work to do: before the employee starts; on their first day; during their orientation period; within the first critical 60 to 90 days of employment; and throughout their employment to ensure all of your hard work pays off with a happy, successful employee who contributes to the company for years to come.
After the Selection, Before the First Day
Once you’ve made your decision, the clock starts on a critical pre-boarding window. This is where a lot of employers lose momentum, and it’s also where a lot of new hires quietly start to reconsider their decision to work for you and resume their job search.
Once you have made your decision, provide the selected applicant with a conditional job offer that includes essential information: job title, supervisor, employee classification, salary, work schedule, work arrangements, and proposed start date. Include a reminder to bring any required documents on their first day, including what’s needed for Form I-9 verification or to complete the W-4. Include information about other employment aspects such as their relocation package or other benefits. Clearly explain any required non-compete, non-disclosure, or non-solicitation agreements (as allowed in your state) so they are not surprised after they start.
Detail any requirements they need to satisfy before their start date such a background check, a drug test, or a medical exam. Let the candidate know what to expect, how long it typically takes to complete these pre-employment screenings, and when they’ll hear back. Stay in communication with them, advocating for them with your providers if needed to get them through the process while meeting your standards.
Once the pre-employment checks are passed, get specific about day one. Give the new hire a start time, a location, where they should park, and the name of the person they should ask for when they arrive. Go a step further and paint a picture of what their first day and first week will actually look like: Should they bring lunch or is something provided? What should they wear? Is there a rough schedule they can expect? At the same time, flag anything that’s off-limits (e.g., weapons, personal devices, outside technology) so there are no surprises or awkward conversations on day one.
This is also the time to provide whatever new hire paperwork can reasonably be completed before someone ever sets foot in the building. The less administrative work waiting for them on day one, the more time you’ll have for the things that actually matter, like introductions and orientation.
Above all, stay in touch with regular check-ins and promptly answer their questions as they come up. If there’s a delay in the background check or a change in start date, say so; don’t let a new hire sit in silence wondering if the offer fell through.
Behind the scenes, use this time to coordinate with the departments that make day one run smoothly. Give IT the heads-up to prepare their computer and system access, ask security for a badge, contact the office manager to coordinate a workspace, and prep for their first day and week. Consider giving them some company swag so they feel like they’re part of the team on day one.
During Their First Week
The first week is when the applicant becomes an employee. Keep in mind that new hires have a lot of information to absorb, so structure and pacing matter.
On their first day, finish any remaining new-hire paperwork that was not or could not be completed before they start. For example, while the employee can complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 before their first day, the company must complete Section 2 between their first and third day of employment. Train employees on the important critical functions such as logging their time, reporting concerns, and accessing important information. Schedule required training such as harassment prevention (required in some states) and safety protocols.
Provide the new hire with any resources related to the company and their employment: the employee handbook, benefits brochures or a Summary Plan Description, and anything else that explains how things work at the company. This could be hard-copy, paper versions or showing them where to access them on the company’s employee portal.
Help the new coworker feel welcome rather than lost by scheduling a tour of the office, including their workspace, as well as where to find the restrooms, the break room, emergency exits, and mandated posters.
Introduce them to the people they should know. This includes not only their supervisor and immediate team but also upper management, HR, IT, and whoever they’d go to with a question in their first month. Consider hosting a welcome breakfast or lunch where other employees can meet the new hire.
Assist the supervisor in creating a plan for their first day, first week, and first month. Help the supervisor develop an onboarding plan with 30-, 60-, and 90-days training, goals, and evaluations. Suggest that they conduct interactive conversations with the new hire to get their feedback on how things are going, questions they have, or what else they may need.
Throughout the week, follow up on important dates and information the new hire will need going forward. Make sure they’re not stuck waiting on basic necessities such as a uniform, a badge, keys, a working computer, and/or a phone. These logistical gaps are minor on their own, but they add up quickly and send an unintended message about how organized (or disorganized) the workplace really is.
During the Orientation Period
After the procedural feel of the first week, the employee is still new to the company and the position so orientation needs to continue. And, given the recency of their job search, they may still be receiving enticing offers which could lure them away from your company if they are not yet convinced it is the right place for them.
Check in to confirm the practical things occurred correctly: Did the new hire receive their first paycheck as expected? Were they able to enroll in benefits? Have they received all of the tools and training they have needed so far?
Make sure the new hire knows who they can turn to with questions or concerns. Many new employees hesitate to ask for help because they don’t want to seem unprepared; a genuine, repeated invitation to reach out removes that barrier.
Finally, support the supervisor in doing their part. Help them communicate clear expectations, coordinate any ongoing training the new hire needs, and document how things are going, both good and bad. A well-documented orientation period gives you a much clearer, fairer picture of performance than relying on memory alone once formal reviews come around. Remind the supervisor they need to be an available and reliable resource for the new hire and that failure to properly train a qualified new hire reflects poorly on their own performance.
The Bottom Line
Onboarding doesn’t start on day one and it doesn’t end after orientation. It’s a continuous thread that runs from the moment you extend an offer through the first several months of employment as the new hire navigates the learning curve of their new company and position. Employers who treat pre-boarding, the first week, and the orientation period as distinct, intentional phases set their new hires up to become engaged, long-term employees rather than early flight risks.
The Workplace Advisors supports you throughout the hiring and onboarding process, from finding the right candidate to researching new hire requirements to working through issues as they come up.
One resource we find especially useful: planning a new employee’s first few months in four-week increments. It gives both the new hire and the company a clear, structured path through the early stages of the role. If you’d like to use this approach, email us at hello@theworkplaceadvisors.com and we’ll send you our New Hire Development Plan template, along with answers to any questions you have.
By Paige McAllister | Vice President of Compliance, The Workplace Advisors
