New employee induction checklist + free template

We all want our new starters to have a warm welcome when they join us. The best way to make that happen is to be prepared and have a clear and easy process to follow. What you need is an employee induction checklist.

Let’s explore what an induction checklist is, why you need one, and everything it should include. We’ll also share a free induction programme template, as well as some advice on how you can improve your induction and onboarding journey even further.

What is an employee induction checklist?

An induction checklist introduces your new staff member to the company through a series of tasks and activities known as induction or orientation. It’s designed to not only provide your new employee with the information they need, but to also help them get familiar with their new role, team, and the wider organisation.

Managers and HR teams usually build the induction plan for new employees together, with the new starter’s line manager responsible for making sure every task gets completed. It’s a good idea to also share a version of the induction checklist with your new staff member too, so they have a clear view of what they’ll be doing in the first few days and weeks.

Employee induction vs. onboarding: what’s the difference?

The onboarding and induction processes sound similar, so it’s easy to get them mixed up. Induction is like an introduction to the company, and usually takes place over a few days or weeks. It’s a period of learning, finding out new information, getting to know the team, and settling into a new role.

Onboarding is a much wider term, covering the entire process between accepting the role to feeling comfortable within the new job. Induction forms a small part of the bigger onboarding journey.

Why you need an employee induction checklist

It’s possible to welcome a new starter without a formal induction process or an induction checklist, but it’s not recommended. Having a process and a checklist to go along with it means everyone knows what to expect, resulting in a much smoother induction for new employees.

With a clear and effective staff induction checklist, you can:

• Define who is responsible for which tasks, when, and how it happens
• Standardise your induction experience across the organisation
• Make sure you cover essential information and meet legal responsibilities
• Simplify the induction experience for your managers and wider team members
• Help your new team member understand and feel more engaged with their own induction and onboarding journey

If you’re welcoming a new employee, it makes sense to consider how you’ll do it and document the process. Not only does it help you with your next new hire, but it means you’re not starting from scratch every time you recruit.

What to include on your new starter induction checklist

Whether this is your first time creating an induction plan for new staff or you’re refreshing your existing process, it’s always good to have a list of potential tasks and activities to reference — from those that are essential to ones that enhance the induction experience for your new starter.

Not every item on this checklist will apply to every role or organisation, so include the ones that feel relevant and skip over any that don’t apply!

The basics

We’re all for customising the induction process to make it feel unique to your company and the individual, but there are also some must-have details you need to collect or share on the first day or during the first week. Here are what we consider the “basics” for any induction checklist.

• Welcome the new employee on their start date
• Introduce new starter to their line manager and other key people
• Give new starter an overview of the induction process
• Give a tour of the workplace or your digital workspace and tools
• Introduce new starter to their desk or personal workspace
• Explain information about the facilities like opening times, car parking, and security
• Confirm the new employee’s working hours and arrangements
• Confirm the salary or pay and when your employee will be paid
• Share information about your dress code (if there is one)
• Hand over identity cards or security passes (if required)

Personal details and workplace data

The onboarding process can be paperwork heavy, and the induction period is a great time to make sure you have everything you need to meet your legal obligations and support your new starter throughout their time with you. Here’s what to consider when it comes to data and details.

• Collect key personal details like contact information and emergency contacts
• Check that any contracts are signed and kept secure
• Share the employee’s terms and conditions
• Make sure you hold relevant documentation like a P45, National Insurance number, and identity information
• Collect proof of qualifications or industry memberships (if required)
• Collect and confirm bank details for payments
• Update internal records and directories

One way to streamline this step of the process is to use an applicant tracking system or recruitment software tool like Charlie Recruit. With Charlie Recruit, you don’t need to worry about copying and pasting information between systems — your candidate details can become employee details in just a few clicks. Esignatures are built in, making contract signing easy. Plus, when paired with Charlie HR, you have everything you need in one place.

Role and responsibilities

Your new starter will know a little about their role from the job advert and your interview process, but now is the perfect time to explain everything in more detail and prepare them for the first few weeks and months. Use these tasks to introduce your new staff member to their role within the company.

• Confirm the new starter’s job title and job description
• Share an overview of the job role and responsibilities
• Set a series of welcome tasks designed to introduce them to the role
• Schedule training on processes, systems, and software
• Share the company’s business plan or goals
• Explain how you’ll agree and monitor targets and progress
• Confirm any probation or notice periods and relevant expectations
• Explain who to contact for different types of support, like HR or the IT helpdesk

The team

It can be daunting walking into a new company with a whole new team! Give your new employee a warm welcome and help them settle in faster with these team-focused induction checklist activities.

• Introduce your new starter to their immediate team
• Share team profiles and information on what everyone does
• Welcome your new employee at a department or company meeting
• Send a welcome email introducing your new staff member
• Invite your new starter to their first team meeting
• Explain what your team is currently working on and your future goals
• Schedule one or more check in meetings in their first week and month

Company policies and procedures

Every company has their own unique way of doing things, and it’s helpful to introduce your new starter to your policies and procedures early so they can feel more comfortable. Here’s what to consider when it comes to policies and how you operate.

• Introduce the new hire to the company handbook
• Explain your employee code of conduct
• Share key company policies or advise on where to find them
• Explain your sickness and time off policies and how to request leave
• Explain travel, mileage, and expenses policies and how to claim
• Share information about pensions
• Explain your social media policy (if you have one)
• Share information about union membership
• Explain your complaints procedure

Streamline the process of sharing policies and documents and give your employees one central place to find everything with the help of Charlie HR. You can store unlimited documents within your company profile, giving you the perfect place to build a self-serve library of information for your team members.

Company culture

Your recruitment and onboarding process might contain some information on your company culture and relevant initiatives, but these first weeks are a great time to explain them to your new employee in more detail. Here’s what to cover in your induction schedule for new employees to introduce your company culture in detail.

• Provide an overview of the company, its history, core values, and culture
• Provide information about your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Explain where to find information and news, like your internal newsletter or Slack channels
• Share details about clubs, societies, and interest groups
• Explain culture initiatives like virtual coffee dates, lunch and learns, or wellness programmes
• Share information about professional development opportunities
• Confirm your approach to hybrid, remote, or flexible work and nomad working

Health and safety

Having (and explaining) health and safety policies, procedures, and processes isn’t just a legal requirement — it helps your new hires settle in, understand what to do in an emergency, and feel confident in your ability to respond in an unexpected situation. Here’s what you should share with your new starter.

• Explain your workplace’s health and safety policy and procedures
• Explain what to do in the event of a fire drill, evacuation, or emergency
• Provide information on who the first aider is and where to seek help
• Explain the accident reporting process
• Schedule a risk assessment for your new starter
• Schedule training on relevant topics, like manual handling or mental health at work

Simplify the process with this free induction checklist template

You can build your own induction programme checklist from scratch, but why reinvent the wheel? Use our free induction plan template to shortcut your way towards an induction process that’s clear, simple, and easy to follow.

Our free induction schedule template covers everything we’ve mentioned above, streamlined into an easy-to-use induction plan template that guides you through the first day and week of the programme. Use our checklist as it is, or expand it by adding your own unique induction process steps and activities.

Enhance your induction programme for new staff with the right checklist

An effective induction checklist empowers your HR team, managers, and new starters with all the information they need in a clear, step-by-step format. Use this guide to help you put together your own, or use our free template to get started quickly.

Want an even easier and more interactive way to build an induction checklist? Use Charlie HR to simplify the onboarding experience, including these crucial first few days. Create a personalised onboarding workflow, request details, and create interactive checklists for your HR team to use with new starters.

Start a free trial now to take a tour of the platform and discover how it can help you not only improve your induction process, but the whole way you approach HR operations.

Staff induction checklist FAQs

Have a burning question about induction checklists? Here are your answers to some of the most-asked questions about induction packages for new employees.

How do you create an induction plan for remote employees?

New staff checklists for remote employees should be similar to those for in-person ones. You should still introduce your new starters to their team, the wider company, their role, and how everything works.

The main difference with remote onboarding is that you don’t need to cover physical details like car parking, building security, and where to find the toilets. However, you do have other areas to cover instead — like which tools you use and how to use them, and any policy you have around digital nomadism.

How long should the job induction at work last?

Ideally, the induction process should last long enough to give your new hire a full introduction to their role and the company, but not so long that it feels like a chore. Aim to complete the essentials on day one, any remaining tasks during the first week, and schedule regular check-ins with your new team member over the first few months as you complete the full onboarding journey.

Who should be involved in the induction process?

The main people involved in the induction process are the new starter and their line manager. HR team members will also be involved in handling employee data and sharing (or overseeing) the company induction programme. If you have a buddy programme, that individual will also play a significant role in helping the new employee adjust — as will their new team members.

What shouldn’t be included in your induction checklist?

Your new employee checklist should focus on helping them settle into life at your company. While there’s some data collection and paperwork signing involved, try and take care of as much as possible before the new starter arrives. Tasks like ordering uniforms, setting up IT equipment, and giving access to your systems should be taken care of in advance so their first day feels smoother.

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