Onboarding Checklist Template - Free Download & Example
Accelerate new developer productivity from day one. Onboarding checklist template with technical setup, access rights, codebase introduction, and buddy system.
A structured onboarding process is essential to get new team members productive quickly and retain them. This checklist template provides a complete onboarding program specifically for software teams, with sections for administrative preparation, hardware and software setup, access rights and accounts, codebase introduction, architecture documentation, team rituals, buddy assignment and 30-60-90 day goals. By standardising onboarding you ensure no step is skipped and every new colleague gets the same quality start.
Variations
Developer Onboarding Checklist
Technical onboarding aimed at developers with local development setup, repository access, CI/CD pipeline introduction and first pull request guidance.
Best for: Suited for software teams that want new developers to commit their first code quickly and become familiar with the tech stack.
Remote Onboarding Checklist
Variant for remote employees with extra attention to home office setup, video call etiquette, asynchronous communication tools and virtual team introduction.
Best for: Ideal for distributed teams and remote-first organisations where in-person contact is limited and digital onboarding is essential.
Freelancer/Contractor Onboarding
Accelerated onboarding for external contributors with limited access rights, NDA signing, project-specific briefing and expectation management.
Best for: Perfect for organisations that regularly work with freelancers or external consultants and need them operational quickly.
How to use
Step 1: Download the onboarding checklist and customise it for your organisation and tech stack. Step 2: Prepare administrative items before the start date: contract, hardware order, account creation and workspace setup. Step 3: Set up the development environment on day 1: IDE installation, repository cloning, local build run and verification that all tests pass. Step 4: Grant access to all necessary tools: Git, CI/CD, project management, communication, monitoring and documentation. Step 5: Schedule an architecture walkthrough covering the system architecture, key modules and deployment flow. Step 6: Assign a buddy who serves as the primary point of contact for questions during the first 30 days. Step 7: Set 30-60-90 day goals: day 30 = first feature delivered, day 60 = working independently, day 90 = sharing knowledge with the team. Step 8: Schedule check-ins after week 1, 2, 4 and 8 to discuss progress and remove any blockers.
Frequently asked questions
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