Part of the employer operations hub — the operational layer that follows hiring. It builds on the employer resources and connects to the staffing and hiring-process layers of the funnel.
This page sets out new hire planning as a repeatable pre-boarding and onboarding process. It links to the onboarding guide and checklist template for the detail, and sits alongside the employee onboarding process page in this cluster.
Who this is for
- Employers preparing for a new joiner
- HR and office managers running pre-boarding
- Hiring managers who own a new hire’s first month
- Founders making early, high-stakes hires
Why it matters
The first weeks shape how fast a hire becomes productive and how likely they are to stay. A start date with no plan behind it burns goodwill and time.
New hire planning protects that window: equipment and access ready, an owner assigned, and clear goals so the person knows what good looks like early.
Core concepts
New hire planning spans pre-boarding (before day one) and structured onboarding (the first weeks). Pre-boarding removes friction; onboarding builds capability and belonging.
A simple 30/60/90 outline gives the first months shape — what to learn, do and own by each milestone — without over-engineering it.
Process overview
- Confirm start date, owner and first-week schedule
- Prepare access, equipment and accounts ahead of day one
- Prepare a structured onboarding from the checklist template
- Set clear 30/60/90 goals with the manager
- Assign a buddy or point of contact
- Review at the end of the first month
Plan the hires this work depends on with the recruitment planning checklist, and keep selection consistent using the candidate screening checklist.
Common challenges
- Equipment and access not ready on day one
- No clear owner for the new hire’s first weeks
- Onboarding improvised differently every time
- Vague early goals, so the hire guesses
- No check-in until something has gone wrong
Best practices
- Start pre-boarding as soon as the offer is accepted
- Use one onboarding checklist template every time
- Assign an owner and a buddy before day one
- Set explicit 30/60/90 goals with the manager
- Schedule an end-of-first-month review
Common mistakes
- Treating the start date as the start of planning
- Leaving access and equipment to day one
- Improvising onboarding for each new hire
- Setting no early goals and hoping for the best
- Skipping the first-month review
Operational checklist
- Confirm start date, owner and first-week plan
- Prepare access, equipment and accounts in advance
- Build onboarding from the checklist template
- Agree 30/60/90 goals with the manager
- Assign a buddy or point of contact
- Book the end-of-first-month review
Use the onboarding checklist template to standardise the paperwork, and the employee retention strategies and onboarding guide for the people side.
Free, printable operating resources
Plan, hire and onboard consistently as you build your workforce systems. No signup, no gating.