← All checklists
Printable checklist
First employee onboarding checklist
Everything to set up before and during a new employee's first week, from payroll registration to the first check-in.
Use this with the Hiring Toolkit. Rules vary by state and city; confirm with your payroll provider or a free SBDC advisor.
Before you make the offer
- Get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS.
- Register with your state for payroll taxes (in California, the EDD).
- Get workers' compensation insurance.
- Choose a payroll provider or payroll software.
- Confirm the minimum wage for your city and state.
Before day one
- Send a written offer letter with title, pay, schedule, start date, and who they report to.
- Prepare the job description and a list of first-week tasks.
- Set up their logins, tools, keys, and uniform if needed.
- Put required federal and state labor law posters up.
Day one
- Collect Form W-4 (and your state's withholding form if it has one).
- Complete Form I-9: the employee fills in Section 1 on their first day, and you review their documents and complete Section 2 within 3 business days.
- Give them your workplace policies: hours, breaks, paid sick leave, safety, and how to raise concerns.
- Introduce them to the team and walk through a normal day.
First week
- Report the new hire to your state within 20 days (California: Form DE 34).
- Add them to payroll and confirm their pay schedule.
- Hold a check-in at the end of week one: what's going well, what's confusing.
- Set three goals for their first 90 days.