A sample onboarding guide for a fictional organisation. Replace team names, links, and responsibilities before sharing.
Welcome
You do not need to learn everything on your first day. Use this guide to find your next step and note the questions you want to ask.
Your contact: Your onboarding buddy
Jump to the first-day checklist
Before you begin
- Confirm your start time and meeting details.
- Check that you can access the tools your role needs.
- Keep a list of questions as they arise.
Never put passwords or access tokens in a shared guide.
Day one: find your way
- Meet your onboarding buddy.
- Find the team directory and working agreements.
- Read the overview of your first assignment.
- Agree on where to ask questions.
Check-in question: What would make tomorrow easier?
Days two and three: make a small contribution
Choose a task with a clear outcome and someone available to review it. Ask for an example of what finished work looks like.
- Write down the expected result.
- Identify the person who can answer questions.
- Share an early draft or update.
End of week: reflect together
Discuss what is clear, what is still confusing, and what support would help next week.
Prompt: Which part of the team’s work can you now explain in your own words?
Personal checklist
- I know who to ask for help.
- I can find the current working guidance.
- I understand my next assignment.
- I have a time for my next check-in.
Edit your own version in the creator. This reading copy does not save checklist responses.