New Hire Onboarding Session Kit Template

Plan and run a new hire's first day, first week and first 90 days, even if you have never trained anyone before: guided templates, a filled restaurant example, and notes for an office and a trades business.

Who it is for

• Small-business owners who hire a few people a year and want each one to start well.

• Managers and shift leads who were never taught how to onboard and now do it for every new hire.

• Supervisors in trades and field work whose new people start at the shop and go straight to a job site.

• HR and L&D professionals who want a ready session kit that managers can deliver consistently.

The problem it solves

Many first days are paperwork, a quick tour and "follow Sam." The new person feels in the way, important details arrive by accident, and problems only show up at the 90-day mark or when they resign. This kit gives you a plan built once and reused for every hire: a welcoming two-hour day-one session, a first week with owners and sign-offs, and 30-60-90 day plans that show both the new hire and the manager what good progress looks like.

What is inside

How-to guide (PDF, 21 pages)

• How to use this kit, and how it fits with KA's other onboarding resources (2 pages)

• Words used in this kit (1 page)

• What good onboarding does (1 page)

• Build your onboarding plan, step by step, with a planning worksheet and a worked restaurant example (3 pages)

• Design the day-one session (2 pages)

• Deliver day one, including a remote version (1 page)

• Plan the first week, and choose a buddy (1 page)

• The 30-60-90 day plans, with check-in questions (2 pages)

• The welcome handbook (1 page)

• Adapting the kit for an office and a trades business, file by file (1 page)

• Common mistakes and how to fix them (1 page)

• Rolling it out: your first 30 days (1 page)

• Quality checklist (1 page)

• About the complete example (1 page)

Editable templates (Word and PowerPoint)

• Day-one session slides with speaker notes (14 slides)

• Day-one facilitator guide with SAY, DO, ASK and WAIT cues (6 pages)

• 30-60-90 plan: employee version (5 pages)

• 30-60-90 plan: manager version (6 pages)

• First-week planner and checklist (5 pages)

• Welcome handbook outline (4 pages)

Complete example: a new server at a neighborhood restaurant

• Every template filled in: day-one slides (14 slides), facilitator guide (5 pages), employee 30-60-90 plan (4 pages), manager 30-60-90 plan (5 pages), first-week planner (4 pages), welcome handbook outline (4 pages)

How to use it

1. Read chapters 3 and 4 of the guide (about 30 minutes).

2. Fill in the onboarding planning worksheet with your best employee in the role.

3. Write the welcome handbook from the outline.

4. Build the day-one session: facilitator guide first, then the slides.

5. Write the manager 30-60-90 plan, then the employee version, and fill in the first-week planner.

6. Use it with your next new hire, and improve it with what you learn.

Formats and file types

• How-to guide: PDF (US Letter)

• Templates and example: editable Word (.docx) and PowerPoint (.pptx)

• Works in person or remotely

• Licensed for use within your organization

Frequently asked questions