Hiring Manager Checklist
Role of the Hiring Manager
What Great Managers Do During Onboarding (and Why It Matters)
Managers don’t just “receive” a new hire—they create their experience. Your job starts before Day One and continues well beyond Day 90. From having their workspace prepped to defining what success looks like, you set the tone, shape the culture, and drive performance.
HR may build the system—but managers run the play. You’re the one who gives the new hire direction, context, and confidence. Skip that? You risk disengagement, confusion, and costly turnover. Use HR as your guide, but make no mistake - onboarding is your show.
Done right, onboarding builds trust, speeds up productivity, and prevents future headaches. Done wrong, it costs you team morale, credibility, and maybe even your next star hire.
Manager Onboarding Checklist
Below is a battle-tested onboarding checklist built for hiring managers who want to look sharp, lead well, and build a high-performing team from the ground up.
But here’s the deal: you need to make this your own. Depending on your business, team structure, or level of HR support, some steps may need tweaking or trimming. Use this as your foundation, then refine it to match your culture, industry, leadership style, and expectations.
And if you’re doing this without a team? You’re not alone. Most managers juggle onboarding alongside their “real job.” That’s why a clear, repeatable checklist makes all the difference - so you can get back to running your team and making money.
Need help making it yours or want to experience a white glove onboarding? We’ve built and rebuilt onboarding systems across industries, and we’re always refining. Let’s work together to create a great experience.
Pre-Boarding (Before Day 1)
Draft the offer letter & contract with HR: If you don’t have a standard template, start here before you even post the job. It always takes longer than you think, and you don’t want to delay your top pick.
Schedule a thoughtful start date: Minimum one week after signing. Avoid Mondays. Go for Tuesday at 10am—time to grab coffee, clear emergencies, and show up prepared.
Loop in IT early: Give at least a week’s notice for laptops, tools, access, and any special items—first impressions count. If you’re hiring regularly or scaling fast, consider pre-purchasing multiple devices. It speeds things up, avoids supply delays, and unlocks better pricing through volume deals.
Define success criteria with HR: Clarity upfront saves you hard conversations later. What needs to happen in the first 90 days for this hire to be a win?
Notify your team: Let your people know who’s joining, when, and what their role will be.
Build a structured first-week plan: Map out training, meetings, early wins, and key intros. Share it before the first day—so your new hire feels expected, not forgotten.
Assign a buddy: Pick someone solid and adjust their workload. If they’re slammed, the buddy system fails.
Prep their workspace: Whether remote or on-site—give them the tools to succeed. Include a welcome message or swag if you can.
Double-check everything: Accounts, permissions, paperwork. Confirm with HR and IT before the first day.
First Week
Run orientation with HR: Go over policies, mission, and the big picture. Tag-team this if you can.
Clarify the role & expectations: Don’t assume they “get it.” Spell out what success looks like.
Explain how your team works: Define your norms—tools, meetings, how fast to reply to chat vs. email, etc.
Hand over credentials & access: No one should be stuck waiting to log in. Ever.
Share the plan & key contact list: Give them the structure and the people to lean on. Include who to go to for what.
Book your check-ins (7, 30, 60, 90 days): Lock them in now. Show you’re invested beyond Day 1.
Create 90-day goals together: Make it collaborative. Keep it realistic, measurable, and tied to real deliverables.
Make the intros personal: Introduce them to the team, stakeholders, and cross-functional partners.
Give them real work: No one wants to sit in a corner watching onboarding videos all week. Give them something meaningful—even small wins.
Don’t overload them on Day 1: Focus on connection, orientation, and confidence. The real work can build from there.
Be present and available: You’re the anchor. Check in, make time, and show up.
First 90 Days
Run your 30/60/90 check-ins: Tie them to the goals you set. Talk wins, gaps, and support needed.
Offer coaching & feedback early and often: Don’t wait for problems. Build the habit of praise and course-correcting from the jump.
Support the buddy system: Check in with the buddy, too. They’re your eyes and ears—and they might need help balancing their workload to be successful.
Monitor integration: Are they connecting with the team? Showing up to socials? Getting the vibe?
Watch performance: Skill gaps? Unrealistic expectations? Red flags? Better to fix or exit early than drag it out.
Collect feedback & review with HR/IT: Onboarding’s a team sport. What worked? What didn’t? Tighten it together.
Ongoing Engagement
Talk growth early: Discuss what’s next, even if it’s a year away. People stay longer when they can see what’s ahead.
Stay accessible: An open-door mindset builds trust. Even a quick Slack/Teams check-in makes a difference.
Celebrate wins: Shoutouts, thank-you notes, or just a “great job” in the team chat. Don’t miss the moment.