New Hire Checklist Template - Employment Paperwork to Complete Before

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Fahsai

New Hire Checklist Template provides a structured pre-boarding workflow for new employees, covering employment paperwork, offer and contract steps, and completion of legally required employment and tax forms. It includes sending offer and welcome emails, coordinating manager announcements, and sharing onboarding resources. The template also details internal setup tasks: collecting personal and banking data, provisioning access to HRIS and productivity tools, preparing equipment and workplace access, ordering branded materials, and creating a first-day and first-week agenda with role training and demos.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResumes

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Tasks before the new hire’s first day

Employment contract and offer letter

Employment forms required by law

Onboarding communication and coordination

Welcome email and manager announcement

Notify hiring managers and prepare first-day tasks

Internal setup and equipment preparation

HR, accounting, and IT handoff

Tech provisioning and access arrangements

First-day and first-week agenda

Additional onboarding support

Assign a buddy

Prepare an onboarding kit

(Name of Organisation) NEW HIRE CHECKLIST TEMPLATE EMPLOYMENT PAPERWORK TO COMPLETE BEFORE 􀀀 Prepare an employment contract and receive signed, if applicable. This contract is usually written as a detailed job offer that includes: o Job information (job title, department) o Work schedule o Length of employment o Compensation and benefits o Employee responsibilities o Non-disclosure agreement o Non-compete agreement o Time off policy o Termination conditions 􀀀 Send an offer letter. This is a document (often an email) that spells out the basics of the relationship between employer and employee. In your job offer letter or email, include: o Job title o Department o Name and position of direct report o Work schedule o Start date o Compensation o Benefits (brief mention) o Length of employment o Date by which candidate needs to respond to your offer You could also attach the employment contract, where you describe terms of employment in detail. 􀀀 Complete employment forms required by your country or state law. The most common types of forms new hires fill out are: o W-4 form o I-9 form o State tax withholding form o Employee invention agreement form o Direct deposit form (Name of Organisation) o Benefits forms (e.g. health insurance agreement) 􀀀Tasks to do before a new hire’s first day o Ask new hires to send you: o Personal data to enter into company HRIS (e.g. ID or passport number, contact details, SSN, tax identification number) o Bank account information, if you’re using direct deposit to pay employees o Copies of certificates and diplomas that are necessary to perform the job (e.g. , for nursing or accounting positions) o Any food allergies or preferences they may have (e.g. , vegetarian or gluten-free) 􀀀 Send new hires a welcome email that includes: o Arrival time on their first day o A copy of your office map o A rundown of the dress code, if you have one o A first day or first-week agenda 􀀀 Invite new hires to join corporate accounts, including: o Email o Messaging software (e.g. Slack) o HRIS o Productivity tools (e.g. Trello, ToDoist) o Password security (e.g. LastPass) 􀀀 Send a new hire announcement email to all employees to make sure they give a warm welcome to their new colleague. 􀀀 Remind new hire’s manager to send a chat message announcing the new employee on their start date (e.g. on Slack, Workplace.) Make sure to mention: o New hire’s name and job title o Department/team they’ll be joining o A few things about their professional or academic background o Welcome events you may have organized (e.g. an after-work dinner) (Name of Organisation) 􀀀 Send a reminder to hiring managers to make sure they prepare new employee’s first-day tasks. 􀀀 Send new hire’s data to your: o The accounting department, so that they add new employee to payroll o IT team, so that they can help them set up accounts for corporate software o Office Manager, so that they can set up their workstation 􀀀 Prepare your new hire’s tech, including: o Laptop. o Monitor. o Phone. o Mouse. o Keyboard. o Headset. 􀀀 Arrange for new hire’s ID card, building access fob, and personal locker. 􀀀 Order new employee’s business cards and/or nameplates. 􀀀 Ask for a new hire’s T-shirt size and place an order for a work uniform and/or a company T-shirt as a welcome gift. 􀀀 Prepare and send an onboarding kit. Here’s what you could include: o Employee handbook o A welcome letter from their manager or CEO o Computer setup instructions o Stationery (e.g. notebook, pens, stickers) o A company t-shirt o A company mug o A copy of your organizational chart o A copy of a book relevant to your company or its culture o A guide of local points of interest (e.g. nearby cafes and restaurants) (Name of Organisation) 􀀀 Prepare a tentative first day and first-week agenda that covers: o A company overview, including mission

FAQs

What employment documents should be prepared before a new hire starts?

Prepare an employment contract (if applicable) and send an offer letter with key job details such as schedule, start date, compensation, benefits, and response deadline.

Which forms are typically completed by new hires for legal compliance?

Complete country/state-required employment forms such as W-4, I-9, state tax withholding, employee invention agreement, and direct deposit forms, plus benefits forms when applicable.

What onboarding setup tasks should HR and other teams perform?

Collect personal and banking data for HRIS and payroll, coordinate IT account provisioning, prepare the workstation and access, order business cards or nameplates, and prepare the new hire’s tech and onboarding kit.

Sep 4, 2026

Upload by Fahsai