Employee onboarding: How to set your new hires up for success

If you’re planning to grow your business this year, you may be looking to hire new employees. While the recruitment process can be challenging, getting the next step right is important.

Onboarding starts as soon as the job offer has been accepted. This article aims to help you offer a great employee onboarding process for your new hires.

Here’s what we cover:

What is employee onboarding?

Employee onboarding is a structured plan of action to help new hires settle into their new jobs and learn about the culture of the workplace, company policies and their role and responsibilities.

The employee onboarding process begins as soon as your new hire accepts the job offer, and it continues for three to six months into the role.

The process is designed to support your employee as they adapt to the expectations of the role.

Why it’s important to have an onboarding process

An effective onboarding process equips your new employee with the tools and information to support them in their job.

It helps to set them up for success by ensuring they have clarity on their roles and responsibilities and feel engaged as part of a team.

Aoife Dolan, an HR advisor with Insight PR, one of Ireland’s leading HR consultancies, explains that “a well-structured onboarding plan prevents confusion, disengagement, and early turnover”.

She adds, “Key elements include clear contracts, defined expectations, and a strong introduction to the company culture and values.”

It’s a good idea to create an onboarding checklist for new hires. The checklist is a structured list of tasks and documents that your HR manager will use to ensure a smooth and efficient onboarding process for new hires.

HR and payroll legislation requirements to set up

As an employer, you must register your new employee via the Revenue Online Service (ROS) by submitting a new RPN (Revenue Payroll Notification) request for the employee.

If it’s your employee’s first employment in Ireland, they can register their job via MyAccount.

RPNs provide the most up-to-date information for employees including income tax, Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI), Universal Social Credit (USC) and tax credits, and cut-off points.

As an employer, you will already be aware of the deductions that must be deducted from your employee’s gross pay:

• Income tax (PAYE)
• Pay related social insurance
• Universal Social Credit.

Then, on or before pay day, you must report the pay and deductions to Revenue via ROS.

There are a number of HR activities to complete before and during onboarding, comprising the following:

• Review contracts and terms and conditions of employment
• Check the company’s policies and procedures are up to date
• Look at additional information relating to compliance or regulations relating to the role
• If you haven’t already done so, finalise contracts with relevant managers
• Email new hires with their contracts and terms and conditions
• Put in requests for accounts and logins to be set up
• Consult with the relevant department manager to arrange peer mentor and training
• Upon receipt of the signed contract, issue a welcome pack.

What to include in your onboarding plan

Pre-onboarding

As soon as the employee has accepted the job offer, your onboarding process should begin. This starts with pre-boarding, the step before the employee officially starts work.

Aoife says, “Employers need to ensure their onboarding process is structured, compliant, and effective in setting new hires up for success.

“This means having clear policies, a defined training plan, and a performance management framework from day one.”

Your new hire should provide their full name, as it appears on their passport or other official identity documents. You’ll also need their Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) and a copy of their ID.

In the employment contract, terms and conditions will include the name of the line manager and department head, who they report to, and their official start date.

First day

The first day is all about introducing new hires to the team, helping them find their way around the workplace and getting them set up with what they need to do their work.

Activities should include:

• Tour of the workplace
• Issue an ID card and security pass
• Introduction to the team
• Assign a “work buddy” or peer mentor in the first few weeks
• Setting them up with a workstation
• Providing work email, logins, software, and so on.

First week

During the first week, your new employee will be getting to know the workplace, their colleagues and learning how the company works.

It’s a good time to ease them into assignments by including them in team meetings, so they can observe and take notes.

Additionally, the following should happen:

• Provide an overview of their role
• Start company-mandated training
• Complete mandatory training, such as health and safety training
• Have regular check-ins with managers
• Set up a feedback session or review at the end of the first week.

Your company employee handbook should include information on both legislation and workplace policies such as GDPR, employee code of conduct, and complaints procedures.

You should ensure all the relevant documentation is provided to your new employee early on and within five days of their start date.

Ideally, this documentation and any forms to be completed by your new employee should be provided in the pre-boarding period.

The Workplace Relations Commission sets out your legal obligations as an employer. Under the legislation, new hires must be notified in writing of the following core terms of employment within five days of their start date:

• The full names of the employer and employee
• Address of the employer and/or the main place of business in Ireland
• Place of work or in the case of remote workers, a statement confirming the employee’s place of work is variable and they are free to determine their work location
• The work title, grade or category of employment and a brief outline of the work.
• The employment start date
• Details of the probationary period, if this applies
• Duration of end-date of the employment contract, for temporary and fixed-term contracts
• Remuneration, payment frequency, method of payment and pay reference period
• The number of working hours per day and week
• Terms and conditions relating to the hours of work, including overtime rates.

Additionally, information on other forms of leave, outside of annual leave, should be covered in this statement.

First month

During the first month, the onboarding process helps your new hires fully learn their job responsibilities and additional company policies.

Early and regular check-ins ensure your new employee is progressing as expected.

The following should be happening:

• Weekly one-on-one meetings with their line manager
• Training on job-specific tasks
• Increase work assignments.

Under employment legislation, new employees must receive a written statement of the remaining terms of employment within one month of starting work.

This includes:

• Pay frequency (weekly, fortnightly or monthly)
• Number of days of paid leave, including annual leave and public holidays
• Number of days of sick pay and conditions around taking leave
• Details about the company pension scheme
• Period of notice required by employer or employee
• Details of any collective agreements that may affect terms of employment. For example, conditions for sectors such as childcare and contract cleaning
• Any training to be provided by you, as an employer.

An effective onboarding process will include the tools and information that helps your new employees get up to speed in their roles faster.

In addition to having a line manager, your new employees could be assigned to a peer mentor. This is a great person for them to ask questions, and this person can guide them through the initial few months.

Including employees in multi-department meetings will help them understand how their role fits within the company’s overall structure and goals.

Aoife says, “A well-structured onboarding process should balance formal training with real-world exposure to day-to-day operations.

“Hands-on learning, such as shadowing colleagues or observing workflows, can be highly effective. When new hires see how different roles contribute to the bigger picture, they gain context, which improves engagement and performance.”

What to consider for probation periods

Does the role entail a probation period?

Probation periods give employers the opportunity to trial new employees and observe and monitor their performance to determine if they are a good fit for the company before committing to a long-term contract.

Probationary periods are typically three to six months. In the past, these could be extended up to 12 months.

However, Aoife explains that a recent legislation update allows extensions only in “exceptional circumstances, making it even more critical for employers to manage this process effectively”.

She adds, “This means businesses must ensure that performance concerns are identified and addressed early, with clear documentation and regular reviews.”

What to consider for remote and hybrid employees

Remote and hybrid working has become commonplace in recent years. So for many businesses, some of the team might be working outside of the workplace for at least some of the time.

The onboarding process should factor in virtual onboarding for fully remote workers and a combination of in-workplace and remote activities for those with hybrid roles.

Aoife says, “Whether employees are remote, hybrid, or in-office, onboarding should create a consistent experience.

“Gaps in communication, unclear expectations, or a lack of structured check-ins can lead to disengagement. The key is ensuring that policies, training, and support mechanisms work for all employees, regardless of location.”

How employee onboarding software can help

Software can streamline your onboarding process, while automating manual admin tasks.

Employee onboarding software allows your new hires employees to remotely log in, fill in forms and complete induction tasks, which saves time and resources.

You can add all your onboarding documents, job contracts, and employee handbook to the platform and use the software to keep track of your new hires’ progress and ensure they have the support they need to thrive in their role.

Final thoughts on onboarding for new hires

When the 90 days are up, most employees should be well settled into their jobs. From that point onwards, the focus will be on continuous development and working on short and longer-term goals.

As an employer, you should ensure a performance review is held around the three-month milestone to discuss progress with your new hires and work on setting their career goals and priorities.

By building on a successful onboarding process, you can ensure your new employee is engaged, motivated and committed to their role and the company’s future.