It is likely a reasonable assumption that, if you’ve just hired someone, you believe in this individual’s capabilities and would want to keep him for the long term. To keep new hires for long, any business should have a solid onboarding process that will get them acquainted with the company, their responsibilities, expectations, company culture and, most importantly, projects they will be integral in. This way, you could spend more time working on your business, instead of intermittently stopping to give your new hire projects to occupy himself with as he goes along.

It is ideal – necessary, even – to integrate a more structured on-boarding process to the whole cycle of hiring. Here is a recommended checklist for on-boarding new hires as you develop your company’s own.

Before the first day.

1. Prepare all paperwork. Organize all necessary documents such as W-4, I-9, non-disclosure agreement, non-compete agreement, etc. so all the employee needs to do is fill them out and/or sign them.
2. Meet with their direct supervisor about their role, goals and projects. Map out a 30-60-90 day plan for your new hire. What projects should he be expected to complete at each gate? What knowledge is essential to have? This way, you will all be on the same page and it’ll be much easier to communicate your expectations.
3. Create a new hire checklist. This checklist may differ for each position you’re hiring for, but it should at least include the basics: necessary tools; required accounts like email, instant messaging, access badges, etc.; which team members to speak to on the first day; any projects to begin immediately; orienting sessions and/or materials.
4. Make sure the employee’s assigned workstation is functional.

On the first day.

1. Get your new employee ramped up. By having an onboarding process that ramps up your new hire up with current events at your company, they can get to work right away. This way, they are not just productive, but they’ll also start the job feeling accomplished and already contributing to the business. Sit down with your new employee and discuss the business’ focus. Help him gain the idea about how he can contribute and where he fits into the bigger picture.
2. Share your expectations. It’s important to have be able to answer these questions for your new hire on his first day: How will he integral to the company? What are his specific responsibilities? What are your goals for him? What are his goals? What’s expected of him in 30 days? 60 days? 90 days?
3. Impart company culture.While your new hire may have an idea about your company’s core values and culture, likely through your website and marketing materials, it’s important to still discuss these values.
4. Have projects lined up for them to take on. This is important because they will feel like a significant member of the company early on, even if it’s a small project.Give him projects that will keep him busy on his first day and longer-term projects for the rest of the week. After you get a better insight of how he works, you can give him larger projects. And remember to have someone he can go to with any questions he might need answered.

Throughout the first month.

1. Help build their knowledge base. Foundation training is typical for new hires to attend on the first day of employment. Provide them with learning material about the company. But also provide material that will set the foundation for their personal development while at the company.
2. Socially integrate the new employee into the team. It may be difficult for new hires to integrate themselves into the culture right off the bat. They may feel the need to stand in the shadows and get a handle of how everyone interacts before joining in on conversations. By integrating your new hire into the team, he will get comfortable quicker and feel more comfortable stepping up.

While the new employee onboarding approach outlined above may seem resource and/or time-consuming,it has been found that the process generates a quick payback for new employees and employers, and will help in developing skill sets further. In addition to skills development for the new hire, the entire organization benefits greatly from mentorship training and the experience of training and working with new employees.