I wrote the below guide while working at the [Effective Altruism Foundation](http://ea-foundation.org/). I've slightly edited it before publishing here. ## Goals * Increase job performance. * Get the new employee to deeply understand the organizational mission and strategy. * Give the new employee all the information and tools they need to excel – including our culture, goal setting, etc. * Increase their task-relevant maturity to the point where they can work autonomously. * Strengthen commitment to the organization and increase retention. * Spark employee friendships and integrate the new employee into the social network. * Reduce stress. * Get the new employee to develop a sense of safety and comfort in the workplace. * Evaluate whether we made the right hiring decision and use the probationary period to change course if necessary. * Get to know the new employee fast. * Communicate clearly where they need to improve and help them along the way. ## Actions Responsible party: manager of the new employee. → Make a copy of this document for each new employee and use it to keep track of progress. #### Before day one * Get in touch with Operations to coordinate onboarding work. They’ll use this template. * Reach out and show them how excited we are to have them on our team. * Give them a lot of context and readings beforehand so they can feel competent on their first day. * Develop a plan for the first 8-12 weeks. Don’t make the new employee awkwardly figure out what they’re supposed to do next. * Introduce the new employee on Slack by describing their interests—not just their CV—so that they have something to bond over when meeting with colleagues. * Remind team members of the new employee’s start date and ask them to work from the office and join for team lunch that day. #### On day one * Make the new employee the number one priority for the day (and week). * Coordinate with Operations to give them access to resources and tools. * Discuss role, goals, and the plan for the first 8-12 weeks with the supervisor. #### Management and feedback * Follow the internal management guidelines closely. * For the first few days, assign some modest, collaborative tasks that discourage isolation and allow new employees to collect early wins. * But also: Verify whether we’ve made the right hiring decision, and take the probation period extremely seriously. Assign challenging tasks that allow us to learn whether the new hire is capable enough to grow in their role. Do monthly performance reviews in the first 3-6 months and get in sync with the new hire and your supervisor. Sort the new hire if needed. Tell the new employee that we’re using the probationary period to further test the fit. Be very upfront about their current performance and how likely they are to get hired/keep the job. * Provide quick feedback on their initial work tasks. Give praise for good work to reduce the new employee’s concern about demonstrating their competence. * Serve new information in appropriate quantities. Allow them the space they need to organize their thoughts. * Build a baseline of knowledge and provide training. Assign readings and discuss them during weekly one-on-ones. Ensure that the new employee deeply understands CLR’s values, mission, and strategy. * Consider providing face time with the directors and project managers. * Ask for their feedback on our onboarding process and our organization in general. They have a fresh perspective and might see things that we’ve learned to accept because we’ve gotten used to it. Encourage them to tell you about anything that they find confusing or strange, or at least write it down now and tell you later once they feel more secure about their position. #### Bonding and friendship * Remind team members that starting to work with us is like joining a party that’s been going on without you for years. * Get team members to prioritize chatting with the new employee even if it doesn’t feel productive in the moment. * Ask the new employee whether we should schedule more one-on-ones with team members during the first two weeks. * Host a dinner event during the first week, and potentially also the second week. ## References - [[The Best Place to Work]] * [Article](https://www.hellosign.com/blog/how-to-build-the-ultimate-onboarding-checklist-hint-its-not-just-a-checklist): How to Build the Ultimate Onboarding Checklist * [Article](https://resources.workable.com/tutorial/employee-onboarding): How to build a new employee onboarding process * [Article](https://www.process.st/checklist/employee-onboarding-checklist/): Employee Onboarding Checklist * [Article](https://hbr.org/2017/06/your-new-hires-wont-succeed-unless-you-onboard-them-properly): Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly