Employee onboarding checklist (free Excel template)
Every task from the offer letter to the 90-day review, with who owns each one, so new hires get the same good start whoever their manager is.
Free to use, edit and share. Opens in Microsoft Office, Google Docs and Sheets, and LibreOffice.
The checklist, stage by stage
Before day one
- Send the offer letter and collect a signed copy (HR)
- Collect ID, bank and tax documents (HR)
- Order a laptop and set up email and accounts (IT)
- Enrol the new hire in the onboarding course (HR)
- Assign a buddy (manager)
- Send a welcome email with day-one details (manager)
Day one
- Welcome and a tour of the office or tools
- Hand over equipment and access
- Complete security and policy acknowledgements
- Introduce the team, and have lunch with the buddy or team
- Walk through the first-week plan
Week one
- Finish compliance training: code of conduct, data protection, safety
- Product and company overview sessions
- Shadow colleagues on core tasks
- Set 30-day goals and hold an end-of-week check-in
First 30, 60 and 90 days
- Complete role-specific training and pass the role knowledge test
- Take on a first independent task, then a 30-day review
- Set 60–90 day goals and give feedback both ways
- 90-day review, probation outcome and an onboarding feedback survey
How to use the checklist
- Make a copy of the sheet for each new hire and fill in the name, role, start date, manager and buddy.
- Delete tasks that do not apply and add your own. Keep an owner on every task.
- Set due dates working back from the start date.
- Mark each task Yes, No or N/A. Progress calculates automatically and ignores N/A tasks.
Why structured onboarding matters
New hires form their view of a company in the first few weeks. When onboarding depends on who the manager is, some people get a great start and others spend days waiting for a laptop. A shared checklist makes the basics consistent, and it makes clear which of HR, IT and the manager owns each step.
Remote and hybrid onboarding
For remote hires, ship equipment early, replace the office tour with a short video, and schedule more one-to-one calls in week one. Put training that everyone needs into a self-paced course, and keep live sessions for questions and introductions.
Moving onboarding training online
Most of the training steps on the checklist (policies, compliance, product and role training) can run as online courses with tests. An onboarding LMS assigns them on day one, tracks completion and shows managers who is behind.
Common questions
Is this onboarding checklist free?
Yes. The Excel file is free to download, edit and share.
How long should onboarding last?
Most checklists run for 90 days, often matching the probation period. The first week is the busiest, then the focus moves to role training and goals.
Who owns onboarding: HR or the manager?
Both, plus IT. HR owns paperwork and policies, IT owns equipment and access, and the manager owns goals, introductions and role training. The checklist gives every task an owner.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the file to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets.
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