baHRC Field Resources

April 29, 2026 — 6:00 PM

First Impressions, Lasting Impact: A Crowdsourced Guide to Great Onboarding

The Nuts and Bolts of Orientation

Cheat sheets, templates, and printables you can take to the desk on Monday morning

Why these exist. We've done the administrative work in advance. Every cheat sheet below pulls forward what the early session slides walked through — pre-boarding, day one, week one, and the first ninety days — and lays it out as something you can print, save, paste into your own program documents, or rewrite end-to-end to fit your context.

A note on what these are not. These are not authoritative or definitive. Every company has its own culture, its own org chart, its own way of doing things — and what works at one place rarely translates to the next without adjustment. Treat the cards below as a baseline for the practitioner who wants a starting point, not a verdict on what good onboarding has to be. We wanted to be thorough so the people who need a scaffold have one. The people who don't need it should ignore it without guilt.

Two formats, deliberately. Each card is built to be readable on your phone right now — and downloadable as a one-page PDF for the binder, the wall, or the shared drive. Sometimes the printed copy is the one that actually gets used. Sometimes the digital version is the one that gets pasted into a Notion doc or an HRIS template. Both live here. Adapt freely.

Jump to a cheat sheet

01 · Pre-Boarding
02 · Day One
03 · Week One
04 · 30/60/90 Plan
05 · Welcome Email
06 · Goal Template

Six Resources

Pre-Boarding Checklist

From accepted offer to first day — week-by-week

Download PDF

From the session — corresponds to Slide 7: Pre-Boarding

Within 48 hours of acceptance

Assign the new-hire buddy and notify the buddy by name — before the welcome email goes out
Personal welcome email from the recruiter or hiring manager — warm, specific, names the buddy
Confirm start date in writing
Send the offer-acceptance acknowledgment to payroll, IT, and facilities
Open the IT provisioning ticket (laptop, accounts, badge, software)

Two weeks out

Send the orientation schedule for day one (with timing, location, what to bring)
Send the I-9 / paperwork pre-fill links if your system supports it
Mail or stage the swag package (notebook, mug, branded gear — small, tangible)
Pre-schedule the first manager 1:1 on the calendar

One week out

Verify the workspace is ready — desk assigned, monitor configured, phone provisioned, parking permit issued
For remote: confirm the laptop is shipped and tracked
Send the team announcement so the new hire's name and photo appear in the right channels
Block the manager's calendar for day one — at minimum the welcome and the closing 1:1

Day before

Send a "see you tomorrow" text or email — building entrance, who to ask for, dress code
Confirm the buddy is on-site or online
Confirm the welcome lunch is booked
Test the new hire's accounts one more time

Day One Checklist

Necessary admin + memorable culture — both halves

Download PDF

From the session — corresponds to Slide 8: Day 1

Morning — the necessary

Welcome at the door by HR or the buddy — not the receptionist
Workspace tour: desk, restroom, kitchen, fire exit, the coffee machine
I-9 verification with original documents
Payroll setup, direct deposit, tax forms
Benefits enrollment walkthrough (don't just hand them the packet)
Policy and compliance review — handbook, harassment training, security basics
Badge, parking permit, building access

Afternoon — the memorable

Welcome lunch with the manager, buddy, and at least one teammate
Mission, vision, values walkthrough — by a person, not a slide
Org chart overview with photos and names
The story of the company — founders, products, the why
Introduction to the immediate team in person or on video
Closing 1:1 with the manager — "what surprised you, what's still unclear, what do you need tomorrow?"

Day 1 goal: Leave them feeling welcomed, informed, and proud to be here. If any one of those three is missing, the design is off.

Week One Checklist

From welcomed to oriented to operational

Download PDF

From the session — corresponds to Slide 9: Week 1

Set the foundation

Manager and new hire co-write the 30/60/90 day learning goals
Role expectations clarified in writing — what success looks like at 30, 60, and 90
All systems access verified end-to-end (email, chat, project tools, file shares, ticketing)
Required role-specific training scheduled on the calendar

Meet the team

Department deep-dives — at least one introductory session per cross-functional team they'll touch
Shadow at least two key team members on real work
Coffee chat or 1:1 with at least three people outside the immediate team
Buddy check-in mid-week — informal, "how's it going?"

End-of-week check-ins (Friday)

Manager: what worked, what didn't, what does next week look like
HR: any open questions, paperwork loose ends, benefits clarifications
Buddy or mentor: the unfiltered "is the company what you thought it was?"

Week 1 goal: Leave Friday feeling like they belong here and can't wait to make a difference next week.

The 30/60/90 Plan

Three checkpoints, not one — what each one covers

Download PDF

From the session — corresponds to Slide 10: First 90 Days

Day 30 — Get oriented, build momentum

All required onboarding training completed
Team goals and current priorities understood and articulable
Key working relationships established (manager, peers, cross-functional partners)
First small contribution shipped — a deck reviewed, a ticket closed, a meeting facilitated
30-day survey or pulse check sent

Day 75 — Check in before the finish line

HR pre-check with the manager — any concerns? any flight risk signals?
Identify and surface any gaps in training, access, or expectations
Adjust the plan if onboarding has gone faster or slower than expected
This is the checkpoint most programs skip — and it's the one that prevents 90-day surprises

Day 90 — Reflect, review, and look ahead

Manager-led 90-day review or dedicated 1:1
HR check-in directly with the new hire — not through the manager
Wins celebrated specifically, by name, in writing
Next-quarter goals set jointly
3-month engagement survey sent

Welcome Email Template

Cut and paste — customize the bracketed bits

Download PDF

Supports the principle in Slide 7: Pre-Boarding — the welcome email line item

Use this within 48 hours of an accepted offer. Send from the hiring manager when possible — not a generic HR account. Personal beats efficient every time.

Subject: Welcome to [Company] — we can't wait to get you started

Hi [First Name],

Welcome to the team. I'm [Manager Name], and I'll be your manager
starting [Start Date] — I'm genuinely excited to have you joining
[Team / Department].

A few things to know before your first day:

  • Day one: Plan to arrive at [Time] at [Location / Address].
    Ask for [HR Contact Name] at the front desk. Dress is [Dress Code].

  • Your buddy: [Buddy Name], [Buddy Title], will be your
    informal point of contact for the first month. They'll text you
    on day one and check in mid-week. Their email is [Email].

  • Your first week: I've blocked time for us to meet
    on day one for a kickoff conversation, and I'll send you a
    detailed schedule for the rest of the week by [Date].

  • What you don't need to worry about: Your laptop,
    accounts, badge, and parking are already taken care of. Bring
    yourself and a sense of curiosity. We'll handle the rest.

If anything between now and your start date feels uncertain, just
reply to this email. I'd rather hear from you twice than not at all.

Welcome aboard.

[Manager Name]
[Title]
[Phone]

Why this works: Names a specific human (the manager and the buddy), confirms day one logistics so they're not stressed about parking, and explicitly invites questions. Most welcome emails fail by being generic, formal, or both.

30/60/90 Goal-Setting Template

A shared doc the manager and new hire fill out together in week one

Download PDF

Bridges Slide 9: Week 1 and Slide 10: First 90 Days — the goal-setting that connects the two

Sit together. Open a shared doc. Fill in this scaffold in one sitting. Revisit at each checkpoint.

30/60/90 Plan — [New Hire Name]
Role: [Title]    Manager: [Name]    Start Date: [Date]


----------------------------------------------------------
DAY 30 — LEARN
----------------------------------------------------------

What I will know by Day 30:
  • [Three to five things — products, systems, people, processes]
  • ...
  • ...

Who I will have met by Day 30:
  • [Cross-functional partners by name]
  • ...

Training I will have completed:
  • [Required compliance, role-specific, tool-specific]
  • ...

Success measure: [How we'll know I'm on track]


----------------------------------------------------------
DAY 60 — CONTRIBUTE
----------------------------------------------------------

What I will be owning by Day 60:
  • [First independent deliverable]
  • [First recurring responsibility]

Who I will be partnering with regularly:
  • ...

Skills I will have built:
  • ...

Success measure: [Specific, observable]


----------------------------------------------------------
DAY 90 — DELIVER
----------------------------------------------------------

What I will have shipped by Day 90:
  • [Concrete deliverable, owned end-to-end]
  • ...

What I will be known for:
  • [The reputation I'm building]

Where I want to grow next:
  • [Skills, scope, exposure for the next 90]

Success measure: [What "ready for full scope" looks like]


----------------------------------------------------------
CHECKPOINTS
----------------------------------------------------------

Day 30 review:  [ ] Date scheduled: ____________
Day 75 pulse:   [ ] Date scheduled: ____________
Day 90 review:  [ ] Date scheduled: ____________

Why this works: Forces the manager to articulate what success looks like before the new hire is left to guess. Becomes a living doc the new hire can use as a north star — and a calibration tool when things drift. Fills out in 45 minutes if you sit down and do it.