A great first impression can shape the entire employee experience. That’s why onboarding is more than just paperwork—it’s about making new hires feel supported, informed, and confident from day one. Whether you’re hiring remotely or in-person, a structured onboarding checklist ensures a smooth, professional start.
To help HR teams, managers, and small business owners, we’ve compiled 33+ free onboarding checklist templates in Word and Excel formats. These templates are easy to customize, ready to print or share, and perfect for aligning HR, IT, and department leads around a seamless onboarding process.
✔️ What Is an Onboarding Checklist?
An onboarding checklist is a step-by-step guide used by HR or team leaders to track every task needed to prepare, welcome, and support a new employee. It typically covers the first day, first week, and first 90 days.
Checklists ensure you don’t overlook:
- Equipment setup
- Orientation sessions
- Policy sign-offs
- IT logins
- Introductions
- Training schedules
- Probation reviews
An organized checklist helps ensure compliance, boost engagement, and reduce turnover.
✔️ Why Use an Onboarding Checklist Template?
✅ Save time with ready-made, editable formats
✅ Standardize onboarding across roles and departments
✅ Improve employee satisfaction and retention
✅ Ensure legal, IT, and HR requirements are covered
✅ Align stakeholders in HR, management, and IT teams
Our templates let you focus on welcoming the person—not reinventing the checklist every time.
✔️ What’s Inside the 33+ Free Template Collection?
📄 Word Templates:
- New hire onboarding forms
- HR-to-employee checklists
- Departmental handover lists
- Orientation week planners
- Role-specific onboarding (sales, tech, admin)
- Remote and hybrid onboarding checklists
📊 Excel Templates:
- Task trackers with completion status
- Timeline-based onboarding plans (30-60-90 days)
- Multi-department tracking tabs (HR, IT, Facilities)
- Editable templates with built-in formulas and checkboxes
- Shared versions for team-wide accountability
All templates are designed for easy customization—whether you manage onboarding for five people or five hundred.
✔️ Common Sections Found in Onboarding Checklists
- Pre-boarding Tasks – Offer letter, welcome email, equipment prep
- First Day Activities – Office tour, introductions, system logins
- First Week Tasks – Compliance training, policy reviews, job shadowing
- First 30/60/90 Days – Milestones, performance check-ins, goal setting
- Department-Specific Requirements – Tools, systems, or protocols
- Mentor or Buddy Assignments
- HR Forms & Legal Requirements – I-9, tax forms, benefits setup
- IT Checklist – Accounts, devices, software access
Use these templates to build a smooth, compliant, and positive employee journey.
✔️ Best Use Cases
☑️ HR managers overseeing multiple new hires
☑️ Startups building processes from scratch
☑️ Remote teams managing virtual onboarding
☑️ IT teams provisioning software and equipment
☑️ Department heads training new team members
☑️ Compliance teams tracking documentation deadlines
Whether you’re hiring one person or launching a major expansion, these templates scale with you.
✔️ Tips for a Smooth Onboarding Experience
✅ Start onboarding before day one with pre-boarding steps
✅ Assign a mentor or “onboarding buddy” for each new hire
✅ Use automated tools when managing large teams
✅ Gather feedback after 30, 60, and 90 days
✅ Celebrate early wins to build confidence
✅ Customize the checklist for different roles or departments
Remember: onboarding is not just about tasks—it’s about helping someone feel like they belong.
➡️ Download Now and Welcome New Hires the Right Way
These 33+ free onboarding checklist templates in Word and Excel help you build a consistent, professional onboarding experience that new employees will appreciate—and remember.
👉 Download now and set every new hire up for success from day one.
Consistency. Clarity. Confidence. That’s what great onboarding delivers.
