Employee On-Boarding Guide

A resource to help with the process of interviewing, hiring, and welcoming new employees.

CompTIA provides the following resources as a guide for hiring and bringing on new employees. Please feel free to use them as a guide in your new-hire practices. In most cases, the documents provided will need to be modified to relate to your companys business.

Table of Contents
THE IMPORTANCE OF ON-BOARDING .............................................................................................. 3 MANAGER ON-BOARDING CHECKLIST ............................................................................................. 5 TELEPHONE REFERENCE CHECK ........................................................................................................ 7 SAMPLE OFFER LETTER, VERSION 1 ................................................................................................. 9 SAMPLE OFFER LETTER, VERSION 2 .............................................................................................. 11 NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT ............................................................................................................ 13 CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................... 14 AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ........................................................................................... 14 NEW EMPLOYEE FORMS CHECKLIST ............................................................................................. 16 NEW EMPLOYEE EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST ................................................................................... 17 SAMPLE ORIENTATION SCHEDULE ................................................................................................ 18 SAMPLE ON-BOARDING SURVEY ..................................................................................................... 19

CompTIA Employee On-boarding Guide Table of Contents

The Importance of On-Boarding

Welcoming a new employee to your organization seems like a simple thing to do. In many ways, it is very much like a first date. If planned well, it could be the beginning of a wonderful relationship. It can spark interest and excitement, giving the new hire excitement about the future. If not, the new employee can be made to wonder why they ever said yes to join your company. But, even if you make a wonderful impression on the first day, the work is not over. Actually, the relationship started with the interview process, which is very much like courting. You engage in dialogue, exchange information, and arrange to meet, to see if there is a mutual interest. If there are commonalities (the job requirements and the candidates experience), then you decide that he/she is either the right fit or not. If he/she appears to be the right fit, then you proceed to the next step. So, actually the first day of work is more like a second or third date. Or, maybe its like meeting the family. Do you now see where this is going? Do you see the importance here of the impressions that everyone needs to make? And of course, this includes the new hire. The concept of On-Boarding is the combination of the orientation process and the integration process. First, you provide an orientation of the company and you give the new hire some background about the company, the policies, the benefits, and lots of this type of information. This is all-important, but should be done in layers. Remember, the first day is just an introduction. You can and should only provide a little bit of information on the employees first day. As you will see, it is important to schedule meetings with a few people over a couple of days so as to minimize overload. At the end of each of the first few days, the new employee should go home feeling excited about what they learned and who they met. The introduction of people in the organization should not just serve the purpose of work related duties. Individuals, for the most part, want to get into the mix with their co-workers. The several hours they spend at work each day should include interaction with others that is primarily work, and some of it social. This, of course, taking place during lunch and break periods. But this is also the timeframe in which many of the working relationships are established. You will be assigning a mentor/buddy who will assist in the on-boarding process. The management person who the new employee reports to will be scheduling regular communication with himself or with the mentor. It is important to keep the employee engaged in the process of learning, communicating, and being productive in order for the relationship to continue. It is your responsibility to keep the new employee involved, particularly over the next 90 days, in order to increase the success of this relationship. The objective of hiring this person was to fill an opening on a long-term basis. To keep in the relationship theme, at the end of the probationary period, you should be ready to tie the knot. Bear in mind that retention is the result of providing these three things: Respect, Recognition, and Reward. Have you heard the expression; Actions speak louder than words? Then show your employee respect, acknowledge their contributions, and provide

The Importance of On-boarding

rewards that will encourage them to continue to be productive and happy that they joined your organization.

The Importance of On-boarding

Manager On-Boarding Checklist

Candidate Name:
o You have identified the candidate whose skills meet the job requirements after conferring with others involved in the hiring process. Contact the selected candidate to indicate the companys interest in moving forward in the interview process. Obtain/verify two to three business references with contact information. Contact the references provided to determine if the information regarding previous employment is accurate. Try to obtain information about the overall performance, final salary, and reason for termination. (Former employers are often reluctant to give information and will only give dates of employment.) Do the best you can to engage the former employer in dialog about this person, but dont be discouraged if you still obtain only limited information. You will need to let your instincts from that conversation and your interview with the candidate determine if you still want to move forward. Date completed: Initials: Contact selected candidate to make a verbal offer of employment. If requested by candidate, allow time to review offer and a date to respond back verbally. Put a reminder in Outlook for the agreed upon response date. Date completed: Initials: Prepare offer letter and send to candidate. An initial copy can be e-mailed for the purpose of receiving a signature as soon as possible. A hard copy should be sent by certified mail and can then be obtained from the candidate when they arrive on their scheduled first day. (See samples of offer letters provided.) After letter is signed and accepted, contact other candidates (via e-mail or letter) to thank them for their time and to let them know another candidate has been selected for the position. Put a reminder in Outlook to do send e-mails to other interviewees. Date completed: Initials:

o o o o

Request information such as date of birth and social security number from candidate to complete form for pre-employment drug testing. Arrange the drug screening so that it is scheduled as soon as possible (usually within 24-48 hours from job offer.) Inform candidate that the offer of employment is dependent upon an acceptable result from the drug screening. Make sure you obtain results from drug screening before candidates start date. Put a reminder in Outlook to follow up on drug screening. Very important to have this completed before the candidates start date! Date completed: Initials:

Manager On-boarding Checklist

o o

Contact SSA (Social Security Administration) to verify social security number. See link for SSA.1 Put a reminder for yourself in Outlook to make sure you do this. Date completed: Initials:

o o

Create employment file with all the required paperwork for the employee to complete on his/her first day of employment. (See checklist of basic forms that should be completed by employee. Additional forms may be required by your state. You can staple the checklist on the inside cover of the employment file.) Date completed: Initials: Identify equipment, keys, passwords, etc. that will be required for use by the employee. Arrange to have all of these available and functional upon employees arrival on his/her first day of employment. Ensure that workspace is clean and functional and has a welcoming appearance. Date completed: Initials:

o o o o

Prepare an Orientation schedule for employee. This should begin with a list of people the employee is scheduled to meet with as well as the time and location of the meeting. Include a list of all of the employees in the company that they will need to interact with, their titles, and contact information. If possible, you should plan to escort the employee to the first meeting with each person on the orientation schedule, to make a formal introduction. Put a reminder in Outlook to call each person you want to include as part of the Orientation. Confirm a time they will be available. Date completed: Initials: Confirm orientation times with everyone on the list. Prepare and deliver a copy of the schedule to all who are participating in the orientation. This should be done the day before to minimize last minute schedule changes. Put a reminder in Outlook to do this! Date completed: Initials: Contact the new hire the day before to let them know you are looking forward to them starting the next day and confirm the time you are expecting them. A voicemail or e-mail is acceptable means of contact, if you are unable to reach them directly. Put a reminder in Outlook to do this! Date completed: Initials:

http://www.ssa.gov/employer/ssnvs_handbk.htm

Manager On-boarding Checklist

Telephone Reference Check

Date: Applicant Name: Position Applying for:

Name of Reference: Job Title: Contact Number: Company:

Position Applicant held in company: Dates of employment: Main duties/responsibilities: Overall rating of work performance: Applicants strengths:

Areas for improvement:

Please tell me about (say Applicants Name here) reliability and honesty.

What was his/her relationship with supervisors and co-workers?

Telephone Reference Check

What was (say Applicants Name here) reason for leaving? (Applicant Name) indicated that his/her final salary was __________. Does that sound right to you? (Only ask if speaking with a supervisor or manager)

Hypothetically, would you rehire ____________?

Is there anything else that you think we should know about _________________?

Reference completed by: Date:

Additional notes from the conversation:

Telephone Reference Check

Sample Offer Letter, Version 1 Company Name

Company address Company phone number Company website address

Date

Candidate Name Street address City, State zip code Dear (Insert candidate first name): RE: JOB OFFER Congratulations and welcome to (Insert company name). We are pleased to offer you the position of (insert position title). We trust that your knowledge, skills and experience will be among our most valuable assets. The salary for this position will be (insert salary amount in monetary terms, i.e., $55,000 or $25.00 hourly). You will be paid (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly) either by check or through direct to deposit to your financial institution. We anticipate your start date to be on June 1, 2010. (Company Name) is proud to be able to offer to you, in addition to your salary, the following benefits which will become effective (insert date, or timeframe; i.e., the first of the monthly following 30 days of service): 401(k) retirement account Annual stock options Child daycare assistance Education assistance Health, dental, life and disability insurance Profit sharing Sick leave Vacation and personal days To accept this job offer: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Sign and date this job offer letter where indicated below. Sign and date the enclosed Non-Compete Agreement where indicated. Sign and date the enclosed Confidentiality Agreement where indicated. Sign and date the enclosed At-Will Employment Confirmation where indicated. Fax or e-mail signed copies of all of the above documents by Bring all pages of the signed and dated documents listed above back to us on June 1, 2010. Attend new-hire orientation on Monday, June 1, 2010, beginning at 8:00 AM sharp.

To decline this job offer: 1. Sign and date this job offer letter where indicated below.

Sample Offer Letter, v 1

2. Fax or e-mail a signed copy of this letter no later than May 21, 2010. 3. Mail all pages of this job offer letter back to us in the enclosed business-reply envelope, to arrive by Monday, May 24, 2010. If you accept this job offer, your hire date will be on the day that you attend new-hire orientation. Plan to work for the remainder of the business day after new-hire orientation ends. A complete benefits package will be provided to you at orientation and will be explained to you in detail at that time. We at (company name) hope that you'll accept this job offer and look forward to welcoming you aboard. Your immediate supervisor will be Jane Doe, Department Manager, (Engineering). Feel free to call Jane or me if you have questions or concerns. Sincerely, [Signature]

John Smith Hiring Coordinator, Human Resources Enclosures: 4

Accept Job Offer By signing and dating this letter below, I, (name), accept the job offer of (position name) by (company name). Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________

Decline Job Offer By signing and dating this letter below, I, (name), decline the job offer of (position name) by (company name). Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________

Sample Offer Letter, v 1

Sample Offer Letter, Version 2 Company Name

Company address Company phone number Company website address

Date

Candidate Name Street address City, State zip code Dear (Insert candidate first name): RE: JOB OFFER Congratulations and welcome to (Insert company name). We are pleased to offer you the position of (insert position title). We trust that your knowledge, skills and experience will be among our most valuable assets. The salary for this position will be (insert salary amount in monetary terms, i.e., $55,000 or $25.00 hourly). You will be paid (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly) either by check or through direct to deposit to your financial institution. We anticipate your start date to be on June 1, 2010. (Company Name) is proud to be able to offer to you, in addition to your salary, the following benefits which will become effective (insert date, or timeframe; i.e., the first of the monthly following 30 days of service): 401(k) retirement account Annual stock options Child daycare assistance Education assistance Health, dental, life and disability insurance Profit sharing Sick leave Vacation and personal days To accept this job offer: 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Sign and date this job offer letter where indicated below. Sign and date the enclosed At-Will Employment Confirmation where indicated. Fax or e-mail signed copies of all of the above documents by Bring all pages of the signed and dated documents listed above back to us on June 1, 2010. Attend new-hire orientation on Monday, June 1, 2010, beginning at 8:00 AM sharp.

To decline this job offer: 4. Sign and date this job offer letter where indicated below. 5. Fax or e-mail a signed copy of this letter no later than May 21, 2010. 6. Mail all pages of this job offer letter back to us in the enclosed business-reply envelope, to arrive by

Sample Offer Letter, v 2

Monday, May 24, 2010. If you accept this job offer, your hire date will be on the day that you attend new-hire orientation. Plan to work for the remainder of the business day after new-hire orientation ends. A complete benefits package will be provided to you at orientation and will be explained to you in detail at that time. We at (company name) hope that you'll accept this job offer and look forward to welcoming you aboard. Your immediate supervisor will be Jane Doe, Department Manager, (Engineering). Feel free to call Jane or me if you have questions or concerns. Sincerely, [Signature]

John Smith Hiring Coordinator, Human Resources Enclosures: 4

Accept Job Offer By signing and dating this letter below, I, (name), accept the job offer of (position name) by (company name). Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________

Decline Job Offer By signing and dating this letter below, I, (name), decline the job offer of (position name) by (company name). Signature: _________________________________ Date: _____________

Sample Offer Letter, v 2

Non-Compete Agreement

For good consideration and as an inducement for_________________ (Company) to employ _________________________ (Employee), the undersigned Employee hereby agrees not to directly or indirectly compete with the business of the Company and its successors and assigns during the period of employment and for a period of _____ years following termination of employment and notwithstanding the cause or reason for termination. The term "not compete" as used herein shall mean that the Employee shall not own, manage, operate, consult or be employed in a business substantially similar to, or competitive with, the present business of the Company or such other business activity in which the Company may substantially engage during the term of employment. The Employee acknowledges that the Company shall or may in reliance of this agreement provide Employee access to trade secrets, customers and other confidential data and good will. Employee agrees to retain said information as confidential and not to use said information on his or her own behalf or disclose same to any third party. This non-compete agreement shall extend only for a radius of ________ miles from the present location of the Company and shall be in full force and effect for ________ years, commencing with the date of employment termination. This agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors, assigns, and personal representatives. Signed this _____ day of ________________________ 20____.

_______________________________________ Company Representative

_______________________________________ Employee

Non-compete Agreement

Confidentiality Agreement
Click here to create your customized agreement

At Will Employment Agreement

At-Will Employment Agreement

In consideration of my employment with (Company Name), I understand that my employment and compensation are at-will and therefore can be terminated, with or without cause, at any time without prior notice, at my option or (Companys Name) option. This at-will employment relationship will remain in effect throughout my employment with (Company Name) unless an express written agreement is executed by an authorized representative of (Company Name) and me. I fully understand that this at-will employment relationship cannot be modified by any verbal or implied agreement. I also understand the companys employee handbook, any conduct, practice, policy, award, promotion, performance appraisal, transfer, or length or service will not modify this at-will relationship. I acknowledge that I have read and fully understand this Agreement, and that I have entered into it voluntarily. I also acknowledge that I have been given the opportunity to discuss this Agreement with my own legal counsel before signing it and have availed myself of that opportunity to the extent I wish to do so. Agreed: Date: __________________________ By: ______________________________ (Employee Signature) By: _______________________________ (Company Representative Signature)

Date: __________________________

At Will Employment Agreement

New Employee Forms Checklist o Employment Application o Tax Withholding Form o Federal o State o Form I-9 o Direct Deposit Authorization Form o Emergency Contact o Equipment Checklist o Employee Handbook o Orientation Schedule o Orientation (Employee) Checklist o Benefit Enrollment Forms o Medical o Dental o Vision o Life Insurance (company provided) o Voluntary Life Insurance o Disability (Short Term) o Disability (Long Term) o 401k o Flexible Spending Account (FSA) o Health Savings Account (HSA) o Health Reimbursement Account (HRA)

New Employee Forms Checklist

New Employee Equipment Checklist Computer(s) o List types provided (desktop, laptop) o Date issued: o Serial numbers: o Signature of employee: __________________________________ Keys/keycards o Access to building o Access to internal rooms in the building o Timecard o Company vehicle o Date issued: o Signature of employee: __________________________________ Telephones o Desk phone extension number________ o Cell phone number _________________ o Date issued: o Signature of employee: __________________________________ Other Equipment/Company Property:

New Employee Equipment Checklist

Sample Orientation Schedule

Start Date: July 6, 2010

Tuesday July 6th Time 8:00 9:30 9:30 10:00

Meeting With: Your Manager Mary Smith-Office Mgr. Walt Meyer Sales Mgr. Jerry Peters CS Director Lunch Open Ron Carl Dir. Of Finance Amy Lane Marketing Mgr. Rick Sands Warehouse Your manager

Location Conference Room A Conference Room A

10:00 - 11:00

His office 2nd floor East His office 2nd floor West Wildfire

11:00 Noon

Noon- 1:00 1:00 1:30 1:30 2:30

His office 1st floor East Her office 1st floor West Distribution Center

2:30 3:30

3:30 4:15

4:15 5:00

Her office

Sample Employee Orientation Schedule

Sample On-Boarding Survey

For training purposes, we would appreciate your feedback on your on-boarding experience. Our goal is to make a new employee feel welcome and to make sure we provide the right training for them to become a productive member of our organization. With that in mind, please help us by providing answers to the following questions. We ask that you provide comments especially if you answered No or Somewhat to any question. Your responses will be kept confidential and will be shared only as an overall summary. Would you consider your first day on the job productive? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Were you provided with an Orientation Schedule and the opportunity to meet other members of the organization that you were going to work with? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Did you find this to be helpful? If not, what suggestions can you make to improve this process? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Sample On-Boarding Survey

Did you have a buddy/mentor assigned to you? Did you find this to be helpful? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Did you have regular meetings with your supervisor/manager? Did you find this to be helpful? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Were the expectations/goals set for you by your supervisor/manager clear and manageable? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Was your supervisor/manager available to discuss your questions, concerns, and training needs? If not, what could he/she have done better? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Sample On-Boarding Survey

Did you receive the right amount of training to be able to perform your job? If not, what training could you have benefited from that was not provided? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Were you provided with information regarding company benefits that you were eligible for? If so, were they explained to you so that you were able to enroll on a timely basis? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Were you provided with a copy of the Employee Handbook on your first day? Did your supervisor/manager or Human Resources cover the company policies and answer any questions you had? 1) Yes 2) No 3) Somewhat Comments:

Can you please provide any suggestions that would make our on-boarding process better? We sincerely appreciate your responses to the questions and value your input. Thanks for your assistance.

Sample On-Boarding Survey