Team Onboarding Workflows

Good onboarding turns new hires into productive team members faster. Poor onboarding wastes everyone's time and frustrates newcomers. A structured onboarding workflow ensures consistency and completeness while making new team members feel welcome.

Onboarding Timeline

Pre-boarding

Before Day 1

PRE-BOARDING
════════════

BEFORE THEY START:
─────────────────────────────────────
HR/Admin:
├── Accounts created (email, Slack)
├── Equipment ordered/ready
├── Access provisioned
├── Paperwork completed
├── Welcome email sent
└── Logistics handled

Team prep:
├── Buddy assigned
├── First tasks identified
├── Calendar blocks for meetings
├── Desk/workspace ready
├── Team notified
└── Ready to welcome

WELCOME PACKAGE:
─────────────────────────────────────
Send in advance:
├── Company overview
├── Team info
├── First day schedule
├── What to expect
├── Contact for questions
└── Reduce first day anxiety

FIRST TASKS READY:
─────────────────────────────────────
Prepare 3-5 small tasks:
├── Simple, well-defined
├── Achievable quickly
├── Real contribution
├── Learning opportunity
├── Early wins
└── Confidence builders

Day 1

First Day Structure

DAY 1 STRUCTURE
═══════════════

MORNING:
─────────────────────────────────────
9:00 - Welcome
├── Manager greeting
├── Office tour (or virtual intro)
├── Workspace setup
└── Make them feel welcome

10:00 - HR Orientation
├── Benefits overview
├── Policies
├── Paperwork
└── Company basics

11:00 - Team Introduction
├── Meet team members
├── Brief on each person's role
├── Casual conversation
└── Start relationships

AFTERNOON:
─────────────────────────────────────
13:00 - Development Setup
├── Install tools
├── Clone repositories
├── Configure environment
├── Run tests locally
├── Setup guide provided
└── Working environment

15:00 - Buddy Time
├── Meet onboarding buddy
├── Informal chat
├── Questions welcome
├── Ongoing support explained
└── Connection established

16:00 - Manager 1:1
├── Expectations discussion
├── 30/60/90 day goals
├── Questions answered
├── Support offered
└── Clear path forward

END OF DAY:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Send home feeling welcome
├── Know what tomorrow looks like
├── Have buddy contact
├── Not overwhelmed
└── Excited to return

First Week

Getting Started

FIRST WEEK
══════════

TECHNICAL ONBOARDING:
─────────────────────────────────────
Day 2-3:
├── Architecture overview
├── Codebase walkthrough
├── Key systems explained
├── Documentation review
├── Q&A sessions
└── Technical foundation

Day 4-5:
├── First task assigned
├── Pair with team member
├── Make first contribution
├── PR submitted
├── Feedback received
└── First win!

PROCESS ONBOARDING:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Attend standup
├── Join sprint ceremonies
├── Observe how team works
├── Understand workflow
├── GitScrum training
└── Process exposure

SOCIAL ONBOARDING:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── 1:1s with team members
├── Lunch with team
├── Informal conversations
├── Learn team culture
├── Build relationships
└── Feel part of team

FIRST WEEK CHECKLIST:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── ☐ Dev environment working
├── ☐ Can run tests
├── ☐ First PR merged
├── ☐ Met all team members
├── ☐ Attended standup
├── ☐ Buddy check-in
├── ☐ Manager check-in
└── Week 1 complete

First Month

Building Competence

FIRST MONTH
═══════════

WEEK 2:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── More complex tasks
├── Less pairing needed
├── Contributing to discussions
├── Understanding patterns
├── Building confidence
└── Growing independence

WEEK 3-4:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Own tasks independently
├── Participate in reviews
├── Ask fewer questions
├── Help document what you learn
├── Suggest improvements
└── Contributing fully

30-DAY CHECK-IN:
─────────────────────────────────────
Manager conversation:
├── How's it going?
├── What's unclear?
├── What's working?
├── What could be better?
├── Adjust onboarding
├── Feedback both ways
└── Course correct if needed

MONTH 1 GOALS:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── ☐ Completed 5-10 tasks
├── ☐ Comfortable with codebase
├── ☐ Understands team process
├── ☐ Relationships established
├── ☐ Can work independently
├── ☐ Knows where to find info
└── Solid foundation

Buddy System

Peer Support

BUDDY SYSTEM
════════════

BUDDY ROLE:
─────────────────────────────────────
The buddy:
├── Answers daily questions
├── Introduces to team
├── Explains unwritten rules
├── Provides informal feedback
├── Checks in regularly
├── Remembers being new
└── Support, not supervision

BUDDY SELECTION:
─────────────────────────────────────
Good buddies:
├── 6+ months on team
├── Patient and helpful
├── Good communicator
├── Technical competence
├── Positive attitude
├── Volunteer or assigned
└── Right fit

BUDDY ACTIVITIES:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Daily check-in (week 1)
├── Weekly check-in (month 1)
├── Pairing sessions
├── Lunch together
├── Available on Slack
├── Answer "dumb questions"
└── Safe space to learn

BUDDY GUIDELINES:
─────────────────────────────────────
Tell buddies:
├── Block time for new hire
├── It's okay if work slows
├── Be patient
├── Share your struggles too
├── Escalate if needed
├── Rewarding role
└── Set up for success

Documentation

Onboarding Docs

ONBOARDING DOCUMENTATION
════════════════════════

ONBOARDING GUIDE:
─────────────────────────────────────
Contents:
├── Welcome message
├── Team overview
├── First day/week schedule
├── Setup instructions
├── Key contacts
├── FAQ
└── Single source of truth

SETUP GUIDE:
─────────────────────────────────────
Step by step:
├── Clone repos
├── Install dependencies
├── Configure environment
├── Run locally
├── Run tests
├── Common issues
├── Verified regularly
└── Actually works

ARCHITECTURE DOCS:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── System overview
├── Component diagrams
├── Key concepts
├── Data flow
├── Technology stack
├── Why decisions were made
└── Context for new developers

KEEP UPDATED:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Review quarterly
├── New hires update gaps
├── Part of onboarding: improve docs
├── Living documentation
└── Every new hire improves it

GitScrum Onboarding

Tool Setup

GITSCRUM FOR ONBOARDING
═══════════════════════

ONBOARDING PROJECT:
─────────────────────────────────────
Create template project:
├── Onboarding tasks
├── Checklist format
├── Assign to new hire
├── Track progress
├── Reusable template
└── Structured onboarding

ONBOARDING TASKS:
─────────────────────────────────────
Example tasks:
├── "Set up development environment"
├── "Complete first PR"
├── "Meet all team members"
├── "Read architecture docs"
├── "Attend sprint ceremonies"
├── Checklist items
└── Clear completion criteria

DOCUMENTATION:
─────────────────────────────────────
NoteVault:
├── Onboarding guide
├── Setup instructions
├── Architecture overview
├── Team processes
├── FAQ
└── Central knowledge

TRACKING:
─────────────────────────────────────
├── Progress visible
├── Manager can check
├── Nothing forgotten
├── Completion tracked
└── Accountability

Best Practices

For Onboarding

1. Prepare before day 1 — Logistics done
2. Small wins early — Build confidence
3. Buddy assignment — Peer support
4. Documentation — Self-service info
5. Regular check-ins — Catch problems early

Anti-Patterns

ONBOARDING MISTAKES:
✗ No preparation
✗ Information dump day 1
✗ Sink or swim
✗ No buddy support
✗ Outdated setup docs
✗ No check-ins
✗ Expect full speed immediately
✗ Boring first tasks

Related Solutions

• Onboarding developers effectively
• Team documentation best practices
• Improving developer productivity