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What Goes in a New-Hire Checklist for a Small Business
A good new-hire checklist covers the paperwork the law requires and, just as important, the first day, first week and first month that decide whether a new person stays.
A new-hire checklist for a small business needs two parts: the required paperwork, which includes Form I-9, Form W-4 and your state's new-hire report, each with a firm deadline, and an onboarding plan that tells the new person what to learn and who will help them in the first 30 days. Keep both on one page, check the items off with the new hire and file the completed page in their employee folder.
General information, not legal/tax/financial advice; talk to a licensed professional about your situation.
The checklist to copy
| When | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Before day one | Send a welcome message with start time, where to park, what to wear and who will meet them | One short text or email the day before |
| Before day one | Set up the schedule, booking-software login, email and keys | Saves the first morning for people, not passwords |
| Before day one | Name a buddy who will check in at the end of each week for the first month | A sense of acceptance by the team predicts staying |
| Day one | Employee completes Section 1 of Form I-9 | Due no later than the first day of work for pay (USCIS) |
| Day one | Collect a signed Form W-4, plus your state's withholding form if it has one | IRS: make it effective with the first paycheck |
| Day one | Walk through the opening checklist, the phone script and where things are | Use the written versions, so the new hire can reread them |
| Day one | Spend one hour on the new person's strengths and introduce them to the team | See "Why it works" below |
| By day three | Employer completes Section 2 of Form I-9 and examines identity and work-authorization documents | Due within three business days of the first day of work for pay |
| Week one | Shadow the best person on the team; practice check-in, booking and the phone script | Ask the new hire to note anything the checklist missed |
| By day 20 | Report the new hire to your state's new-hire directory | Federal law sets 20 days; some states require sooner |
| Week two | Run one task alone, such as check-in or opening, with a review before closing | Correct privately, not in front of customers |
| Week four | Handle the full role, including rebooking and follow-up; 30-day conversation with the owner | Ask: what was unclear, and what would you change? |
| Day 90 | Review against the 30-day plan; confirm pay, schedule and next skill to learn | People who see a path forward are less likely to leave |
| Form | Who completes it | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-9, Section 1 | Employee | No later than the first day of work for pay |
| Form I-9, Section 2 | Employer | Within three business days of the first day of work for pay |
| Form W-4 | Employee | When work starts, effective with the first wage payment |
| State new-hire report | Employer | No later than 20 days after the first day of work for pay under federal law; shorter in some states |
Why it works
The paperwork keeps the business compliant, while the rest of the list targets the first weeks, when research shows new employees decide whether they can do the job and whether they belong. In a field experiment published in Administrative Science Quarterly, 605 new call-center hires received the company's usual orientation or one of two versions with an added first-day hour, and those who spent that hour on their personal strengths, shared with their new team, stayed longest; turnover in the usual-orientation group was 47.2% higher than in the strengths group. A meta-analysis of 70 samples of new employees in the Journal of Applied Psychology points the same way, tying role clarity, confidence and acceptance by the team to lower turnover, and those are the three things the buddy, the written checklists and the 30-day conversation are there to build.
Sources
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Complete and Correct Form I-9. I-9 Central.
- Internal Revenue Service. Hiring Employees.
- Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Services. New Hire Reporting for Employers; North Dakota Child Support, Employer New Hire Reporting Fact Sheet (20-day deadline).
- Cable, D. M., Gino, F. and Staats, B. R. Breaking Them In or Eliciting Their Best? Reframing Socialization Around Newcomers' Authentic Self-Expression. Administrative Science Quarterly 58(1), 2013. 605 new hires.
- Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M. and Tucker, J. S. Newcomer Adjustment During Organizational Socialization. Journal of Applied Psychology 92(3), 2007. 70 samples.
Email hello@osnovaops.com about your business to build a new-hire checklist and 30-day plan around your own roles.
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