SOP · Process Documentation
Employee Onboarding Workflow
v2.3.1
Status
● Active
Owner
People Ops Team
Last Updated
Mar 12, 2026
Review Date
Sep 12, 2026
Est. Time
14 days
This SOP outlines the standard process for onboarding new full-time employees. It covers pre-boarding, day one setup, first week activities, and 30-60-90 day checkpoints. All team leads responsible for new hires must follow this process.
Table of Contents
1.0Purpose & Scope

This process ensures every new hire has a consistent, complete onboarding experience that sets them up for success. A well-executed onboarding reduces time-to-productivity by an average of 40% and significantly improves 90-day retention.

This SOP applies to all full-time employees globally. Contractor and intern onboarding follows a separate abbreviated process (see SOPs 104 and 105).

2.0Pre-boarding Steps (Days −10 to 0)
✓
Send offer letter & contracts Day −10
Ensure signed offer letter, NDA, and IP agreement are received. Upload to BambooHR.
👤 HR
✓
Equipment & system access provisioning Day −7
Order laptop and peripherals. IT submits access requests for all required tools (Slack, GitHub, GSuite, Notion).
👤 IT
3
Send welcome package Day −3
Send welcome email with Day 1 schedule, building access instructions, and swag shipment tracking. Assign onboarding buddy.
👤 People Ops
4
Manager prep call Day −1
Manager briefs the team on new hire start. Prepares 30-day plan draft and schedules intro 1:1s with key teammates.
👤 Hiring Manager
3.0Day 1 Checklist
ℹ️All items below should be completed by end of Day 1. The hiring manager is accountable for checklist completion.

✓
Welcome meeting with People Ops (30 min)
✓
Equipment received and set up
✓
System access verified: Slack, Email, Notion, GitHub
1:1 with direct manager — review 30-day plan
Meet onboarding buddy
Complete HR paperwork in BambooHR
Team lunch or virtual welcome call
⚠️If equipment or access is missing on Day 1, immediately escalate to IT via #it-urgent Slack channel. Do not delay — this is a P1 issue.
5.0Roles & Responsibilities
RoleResponsibilitiesTimeframe
HR / People OpsContract management, system onboarding, benefits enrollment, compliance trainingDay −10 to Day 5
ITEquipment provisioning, access management, security setup, tool licensesDay −7 to Day 2
Hiring Manager30-day plan, 1:1 schedule, project assignment, performance expectationsDay −1 to Day 30
Onboarding BuddyCulture guide, informal questions, social integration, weekly check-insDay 1 to Day 30
New HireComplete all assigned training, attend scheduled meetings, submit signed documentsDay 1 to Day 90