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Developing a consistent process to onboard new employees into your organization ensures that from the very start they feel as though they are part of a cohesive team, while management can also be assured that important information is consistently shared with everyone new.
Table of contents
Why is IT onboarding important?
How to Create an It Onboarding Checklist
What to Include on Your It Onboarding Checklist
The Main Stages of It Onboarding Check List
Maximum Complete It Onboarding Checklist
New Employee Computer Setup Checklist
How DeskAlerts can help with the IT onboarding process for new employees
This can be achieved by having a standardized IT onboarding policy that is delivered in conjunction with an IT checklist for new employees.
IT onboarding is the process of setting up a new employee in the company’s IT environment and then introducing them to it when they commence. In many organizations, this is achieved by following a new employee IT checklist.
Onboarding is important across the organization, but particularly from the IT department’s perspective. IT plays such a crucial role in most peoples’ work – from hardware and telephony through to accessing systems and software – when onboarding is done ad hoc or left to the employee they may not be able to hit the ground running.
Many organizations lack a consistent onboarding process and instead leave new hires and/or their managers to navigate their own way through the company’s policies, procedures and processes. They fail to realize that onboarding is more than simply ticking off items on a new employee computer setup checklist. The result is that many employees can feel lost and unsure of what they are supposed to be doing, waste time trying to work out how to access particular tools they need to do their jobs properly, make mistakes because they haven’t been inducted properly, and become frustrated by the company culture and begin looking for employment elsewhere.
Download IT onboarding check-list here
In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, around 33% of new hires begin looking for a new job within the first six months of their appointment and around 23% of new employees will leave a job within the first 12 months.
A report by Allied HR IQ found that 22% of employees reported they didn’t take part in a formal onboarding program when beginning a new job, and of those who did, only 28% felt that the onboarding program was successful.
Onboarding is important across the organization, but particularly from the IT department’s perspective. IT plays such a crucial role in most peoples’ work – from hardware and telephony through to accessing systems and software – when onboarding is done ad hoc or left to the employee they may not be able to hit the ground running.
Developing an IT onboarding checklist for new employees in your organization is a good way to ensure that new recruits have a consistent experience when it comes to accessing and using the systems within your organization.
Before creating an IT onboarding checklist, it's crucial to undertake several preparatory steps to ensure its effectiveness and relevance. Here's what you need to do:
By completing these preparatory steps, you'll be well-equipped to create an IT onboarding checklist that effectively integrates new employees into the company's technology environment while ensuring compliance and security.
Here's a list of key items to include:
Pre-arrival preparation:
Account setup:
Hardware and software provisioning:
Security protocols:
Training materials:
Documentation and resources:
Introduction to systems:
Network access and permissions:
Device management:
Follow-up and feedback:
Every organization’s systems and processes are different, but there are many commonalities. We’ve created this IT new hire checklist for your IT department to use when onboarding new employees:
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A "Maximum complete IT Onboarding Checklist" refers to a thorough and comprehensive list of tasks and requirements aimed at fully integrating new employees into an organization's IT environment. This checklist covers every aspect of IT onboarding, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that new hires have all the necessary resources, access, and knowledge to perform their job duties effectively from the outset.
Such a checklist typically includes detailed steps for setting up the new employee's workstation, provisioning hardware and software, creating accounts and permissions, educating them about security protocols and compliance requirements, providing training materials and resources, introducing them to essential systems and tools, and establishing channels for ongoing support and feedback. It should include:
Performing pre-onboarding preparation is crucial for a smooth IT onboarding process. This includes setting up workstations, installing necessary software, creating accounts, and ensuring access to resources. Adequate preparation minimizes delays and ensures new employees can seamlessly integrate into the organization's IT environment.
Setting up hardware and software is a fundamental aspect of IT onboarding. This includes provisioning computers, mobile devices, and peripherals, as well as installing required software and applications. Proper setup ensures new employees have the tools they need to start their roles efficiently.
Configuring all user accounts is crucial in IT onboarding to ensure that new employees have access to the necessary systems and resources for their roles. This step also helps maintain security by properly assigning permissions and access levels based on job responsibilities and organizational policies.
Providing network access is essential in IT onboarding to enable new employees to connect to company resources, collaborate with colleagues, and access essential tools. This step ensures seamless integration into the organization's network infrastructure, facilitating productivity and communication from the outset of their employment.
Setting up email and communication tools is vital in IT onboarding, enabling new employees to communicate effectively within the organization. This step ensures access to essential communication channels, facilitates collaboration, and fosters seamless integration into team workflows, enhancing productivity and engagement from day one.
Offering security and policy training during IT onboarding is crucial to educate new employees about organizational protocols, data protection measures, and cybersecurity best practices. This step helps mitigate risks, ensures compliance with regulations, and empowers employees to safeguard sensitive information, enhancing overall security posture and resilience.
Conducting training and documentation in IT onboarding involves educating new employees about company-specific software, tools, and procedures. This step equips them with the knowledge and resources needed to navigate technology systems effectively, fostering confidence, productivity, and alignment with organizational goals from the start of their employment.
Granting appropriate data and file access during IT onboarding ensures that new employees have the necessary permissions to access relevant information for their roles. This step involves assigning access levels based on job responsibilities, maintaining data security, and facilitating collaboration while adhering to organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
Providing IT support and follow-up assistance is essential in IT onboarding to address any technical issues or questions that arise. This step ensures new employees receive timely assistance, resolves potential challenges, and fosters a positive onboarding experience, promoting productivity and confidence in utilizing technology resources effectively.
By following a maximum complete IT onboarding checklist, organizations can ensure that new employees receive a seamless and comprehensive introduction to their IT environment, setting them up for success in their new roles while also safeguarding the organization's data security and compliance.
This checklist is ideal for:
Making sure employees can use their computers from the very first day on the job is important for productivity and to help them feel like they are being looked after. The following should be ready to go when your new hire starts with the company:
Once you’ve created an IT new employee checklist, you’ll need to take actions.
A handy tool for delivering IT onboarding for new hires is DeskAlerts. DeskAlerts is an internal alerting system that works by sending pop-up notifications to employees’ screens in a deliberately intrusive way. The messages appear on screens regardless of the software application the user is working on at the time, and even appear on screens that are locked, on standby or in screensaver modes.
DeskAlerts can be used to deliver practically any important internal communications and messages can be sent to the entire company, or to niche, pre-defined groups of users – or even just to specific individual employees. The messages can include video, images and HTML links.
DeskAlerts can be used in the IT onboarding process in the following ways to deliver aspects of your IT new hire checklist:
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A consistent IT onboarding process will help your new recruits to hit the ground running from their very first day with your organization. Work out what you need to do by creating an IT onboarding process flow chart or check list to ensure you follow the same steps every time. It also saves time for managers and you can be sure that everyone will receive the information and equipment they need for a smooth experience.
There are four phases of the onboarding process that you need to follow. These are:· Pre-onboarding – beginning when a candidate accepts the offer to work at your company.· Welcoming new employees – providing orientation when the employees commence working.· Training specific to the employee’s role – some employees will need to use specialized software or hardware.· Transitioning the employee to the new role.
Technical onboarding refers to a strategic process where new employees are provided with comprehensive training and information about the technical environment the company operates in and sees that they are integrated within it. A tech onboarding checklist can help ensure all necessary measures have been carried out.
A typical onboarding process begins when a new hire is selected to join the company. This gives hiring managers time to set the wheels in motion to have that recruit onboarded onto the system before they start. Managers will arrange to have the employee given access to all systems that they need in order to do their role. When the new recruit begins with the company they can then be given instructions and training on how to access and use all the necessary systems.
IT onboarding includes providing an employee with information about and access to the systems that they need to do their jobs. In addition to providing an orientation process when they commence with the company, it can also include delivering training and providing ongoing mentoring.
In an IT company, the onboarding process should also include familiarizing the new recruit with the IT services or products that it provides to clients.
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