Welcoming a new employee is more than just a handshake and a workstation—it’s the beginning of their success story in your organization. A smooth onboarding process improves retention, boosts engagement, and accelerates productivity.
To help HR professionals and team leaders stay organized, we’ve compiled 35+ free onboarding checklist templates in both Microsoft Word and Excel formats. These templates cover everything from pre-boarding to first-week tasks, training schedules, compliance documentation, and more.
Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, these resources will ensure every new hire feels supported and set up for success.
📋 Why Use an Onboarding Checklist Template?
A well-structured onboarding checklist ensures nothing slips through the cracks. It provides a clear roadmap for:
✔️ HR tasks
✔️ IT setup
✔️ Orientation and training
✔️ Policy compliance
✔️ Team introductions
And it helps both HR teams and new hires stay aligned on what’s expected.
✅ What’s Included in These Free Templates?
You’ll find onboarding templates tailored for various needs, including:
- 📅 Pre-boarding checklists
- 👨💻 IT setup and access provisioning
- 📄 New hire paperwork trackers
- 📢 Orientation agendas
- 📚 Training session schedules
- 🤝 First-day and first-week welcome tasks
- 📈 30-60-90 day onboarding plans
All templates are customizable to suit your company’s workflow, brand style, and compliance standards.
📁 Available Formats
📝 Word Templates
- Clean printable checklists for HR folders
- Editable fields for job roles and departments
- Onboarding agendas and documentation templates
- Role-specific and department-specific variants
📊 Excel Templates
- Interactive task trackers
- Automatic progress indicators
- Shared collaboration-ready spreadsheets
- Checkbox-ready formats for team-wide accountability
🎯 Who Should Use These Templates?
These onboarding checklists are ideal for:
✔️ HR departments and managers
✔️ Team leaders onboarding remote employees
✔️ Recruiters and staffing agencies
✔️ Startups scaling their workforce
✔️ Corporate learning & development teams
✔️ Operations teams handling IT and facility setup
🌟 Benefits of Using an Onboarding Checklist
✔️ Standardization – Every new hire experiences the same quality onboarding
✔️ Compliance – Ensure legal and policy-based steps aren’t missed
✔️ Efficiency – Avoid duplicate work and speed up setup
✔️ Clarity – Keep new hires informed about what to expect
✔️ Retention – First impressions count; strong onboarding improves long-term engagement
🧩 Sections Typically Found in Onboarding Checklists
Each checklist may include:
- Employee details (name, role, start date)
- Pre-arrival documentation (contracts, IDs)
- Equipment and access setup
- Welcome and orientation schedule
- HR policy overview
- Introduction to manager/team
- Initial tasks and performance expectations
- Feedback schedule
🔧 How to Customize Your Onboarding Checklist
- Download a suitable template (Word or Excel)
- Add your company logo and colors
- Define role-specific tasks per department
- Assign responsible personnel for each item
- Share with teams and store copies in employee records
📥 Download 35+ Free Onboarding Checklist Templates
Take the guesswork out of onboarding and create a seamless experience with these 35+ free downloadable templates. Each file is fully editable, ready to use, and designed to help you welcome employees the right way.
👉 Download now to improve your onboarding process and set your new hires up for long-term success.
