HR Checklist

New Hire Checklist

Role of HR

What HR Actually Cares About (Even If You Don’t Have an HR Team Yet)

HR is every owner & hiring manager’s secret weapon. Their role in onboarding is to guide, protect, and support you as a leader, so you can set the tone, drive clarity, and build trust from day one. Managers are on the front lines—owning the vision, defining expectations, and building team culture. HR’s job is to make sure you’re equipped to do that right, with the right contracts, compliance, training tools, and processes behind you. When used well, HR keeps your onboarding smooth, professional, and bulletproof—so your team ramps up fast and you’re risks are mitigated

Get HR on your side, and you’ll onboard like a pro. Ignore them, and you’ll feel it when things go sideways.

HR Onboarding Checklist

Below is a rock-solid HR onboarding checklist—more complete than most of what you’ll find online.

But here’s the truth: the magic is in the customization. Depending on your industry, policies, and the employee experience you want to deliver, you need to tweak, trim, or add steps. Some parts may be overkill if you’re just getting started; others might be missing if you’re in a high-risk field. If you’re not in Alberta, you may need to customize this for your province. Use this checklist as your foundation, then shape it into something that fits your company like a glove.

It’s ok if you need help, most people are stuck doing onboarding alone and from the side of their desk. Done properly, onboarding is a team effort that’s run like a project. Collaboration is key.

Looking to define or optimize your process - we can help. What we know about onboarding can fill several books and we are always working on continual improvement.

Pre-Boarding (Before Day 1)

  • Clarify roles and responsibilities: Avoid the classic onboarding chaos. Define what HR owns vs. what the manager and IT own—before the welcome email goes out.

  • Send the offer letter and contract: If you don’t have a standard version, work with an employment lawyer to get one dialed in. HR leads this process to reflect company policy and legal compliance.

  • Give plenty of notice to other teams: 1 week minimum from signing the offer. Rushing leads to cut corners, late equipment, and a shaky first impression. Starting early wastes time, creates security issues, and adds unnecessary costs.

  • Secure the signed documents: Store offer letters and contracts in your HRIS or secure digital vault. No paper piles.

  • Collect onboarding paperwork: Get tax forms, SIN (Canada), direct deposit info, and any work eligibility docs locked in.

  • Collect signed policies: Handbook, confidentiality, code of conduct, acceptable technology use, and more.

  • Run background/reference checks: If needed, make it part of the flow—or include conditions in the offer to keep things moving fast.

  • Set up payroll, benefits & HRIS access: Enroll the new hire and ensure their sensitive info is locked down from other employees.

  • Coordinate IT and facilities setup: Minimum one week’s notice. Make sure IT knows what gear, access, and tools are needed.

  • Send the welcome email and intro package: We recommend bundling this with the IT equipment delivery. At OptiDeploy, it all lands in the new hire’s hands at once—polished and personal.

  • Double-check the onboarding buddy assignment: HR should confirm with the manager and make sure the buddy has time to support the new hire.

  • Review the manager’s onboarding plan: Ensure the first-week schedule, role expectations, and success criteria are in place.

  • Confirm workstation and tech access with IT: No login delays. No missing monitors. No excuses.

Day One: Orientation & Setup

  • Lead or coordinate the HR orientation: Introduce the company’s mission, values, and key policies. Can be HR-only or co-led with the manager depending on company size.

  • Provide a contact list: Who to go to for questions, who to grab coffee with, and who handles what internally.

  • Review benefits eligibility and enrolment: Health plans, RRSPs, or perks—walk them through it clearly.

  • Explain time-off policies: Make sure they know how to book a vacation, take a sick day, and track time.

  • Provide the org chart and team directory: Help them visualize the company and see how they fit into it.

  • Share who to contact in HR (and when): Set expectations for HR support early—so they know you’re in their corner.

Role Integration & Training

  • Schedule job-specific and compliance training: Think safety, equity, IT security, and anything role or industry-specific.

  • Book check-ins with their manager: 7, 30, 60, 90 days—lock them in and keep them consistent.

  • Schedule a 1-week HR check-in: Gauge how onboarding is going and catch early issues before they escalate.

Culture & Engagement

  • Coordinate team and stakeholder introductions: Confirm with the manager that this is done personally—not just via Slack/Teams.

  • Encourage engagement: Point them to employee resource groups and social channels.

  • Get them into team events: Even a virtual coffee goes a long way toward making someone feel like they belong.

Ongoing Support (First 90 Days)

  • Debrief with the hiring manager: Check in after 30/60/90-day reviews to support performance management.

  • Support clarity & correction: If the manager flags confusion or performance concerns, HR should be part of the plan to fix it—or exit early, if needed.

  • Monitor training completion: Make sure key learning milestones don’t get dropped after week one.

  • Gather feedback to improve onboarding: Every round is a chance to refine. Use what you learn.

Continual Improvement

The best HR onboarding systems aren’t static—they grow with your team, your culture, and your compliance needs. Whether you’re running onboarding off the side of your desk or leading a formal HR function, there are countless ways to improve—from standardizing documents and processes to automating workflows. We’ve helped fast-growing startups and multinational organizations alike build onboarding systems that are secure, efficient, and ready to scale. No matter your tools, team size, or complexity—we can help you take the next step.

 

Thinking about automating or optimizing your HR processes? Start here.

While many platforms promise simplicity, meaningful results come from having a clear, well-documented process—and the capacity to implement it properly. Tools like HRIS systems, digital offer letters, and automated task tracking can be powerful, but they require a fit assessment, thoughtful setup, and tight coordination across your team. Without a strong foundation, even the best tools can fall flat.

 

The key is to build from where you are. You don’t need to implement everything at once. Start by identifying your biggest gaps—whether it’s missing policies, unclear responsibilities, or inconsistent processes—and focus on the improvements that will deliver the greatest impact. That could mean saving time, reducing risk, or giving new hires a better start. We’ll help you prioritize the right steps and create a roadmap that delivers value.

  • Standardize your offer letter and contract: Don’t rewrite it every time. Lock in a legally sound template you can tweak as needed.

  • Keep your Employee Handbook sharp: Update it regularly to reflect policy changes, cultural shifts, and legal requirements.

  • Partner with IT on a clear tech use policy: Define what’s acceptable (and what’s not) when it comes to devices, data, and access.

  • Use an HRIS to streamline your workflows: Ditch the spreadsheets. Automate where you can so you can focus on people, not paperwork.

  • Build a checklist that defines ownership: HR doesn’t need to do it all—but someone needs to know who’s doing what.

  • Gather feedback—and act on it: Run surveys, spot the gaps, and improve the process with your managers and IT. Onboarding is a team sport. Build it together.

Need help? Let’s create smoother, more secure employee experiences—together.