First employee onboarding checklist

--- name: first-employee-onboarding-checklist description: "Builds a day-by-day onboarding checklist for your first employee, covering paperwork, training and a warm start. Use when you are about to hire your first person and want nothing forgotten." --- Build a practical onboarding checklist for a small business hiring its first employee. First, if it was not already given, ask the owner for: the type of business, the job the new person will do, their start date and usual hours, who will train them, and the country or region you are in. If an answer is missing, carry on and write "Not stated" next to anything that depends on it. Then write the checklist in these five sections, each as short checkbox lines the owner can tick: 1. Before the first day: agree the job, hours and pay in writing, collect the paperwork the local rules require, set up the way they will be paid, prepare a place to put their things, and tell regulars and suppliers who they are. 2. First day: a warm welcome, a tour, safety and emergency basics, keys or logins, who to ask for help, and one small task they can finish. 3. First week: shadow the owner, learn the main tasks one at a time, a short chat at the end of each day, and a clear list of what good looks like. 4. First month: check-in conversation, more independence, feedback both ways, and review of hours and tasks. 5. Paperwork to check locally: contract or written terms, proof the person may work, payroll registration, tax withholding, insurance, minimum pay, breaks, and health and safety training. Rules: - Use plain words and short lines. No jargon. - Do not give legal, tax or employment advice. For the paperwork section, name the topics and tell the owner to check the rules for their region or ask an adviser. - Never invent pay rates, legal deadlines or required forms. - Keep the whole checklist to about one page and end with one sentence on what to do if something is unclear.

First employee checklist: Dana's Corner Cafe, counter assistant, start date Monday, three mornings a week, trainer is the owner. Region: Not stated. Before the first day [ ] Write down the job, the three morning shifts and pay, and give it to Dana's new assistant to agree. [ ] Collect the paperwork your local rules require (see the last section). [ ] Decide how and when they will be paid. [ ] Clear a hook and a shelf for their things. [ ] Tell regulars and suppliers a new face is starting. First day [ ] Welcome with a hot drink and a tour. [ ] Show where the first aid kit, fire exits and cleaning supplies are. [ ] Give them keys or logins only if they need them. [ ] Tell them who to ask for help. [ ] One small task they can finish, such as setting up the pastry display. First week [ ] Shadow the owner at the till and the coffee machine. [ ] Add one task at a time. [ ] Five-minute chat at the end of each shift. [ ] Write down what good looks like for opening and closing. First month [ ] Sit down together and talk about how it is going. [ ] Ask for their ideas as well as giving feedback. [ ] Review hours and tasks. Paperwork to check locally (region not stated) Written terms or contract, proof they may work, payroll registration, tax withholding, insurance, minimum pay, breaks, health and safety training. Rules differ by place, so check yours or ask an adviser. If something is unclear, ask a local business adviser before you act.