Onboarding SOP
An onboarding SOP is a documented standard operating procedure that outlines the step-by-step process for integrating new employees into an organization from hire to productivity.
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What is an Onboarding SOP?
An onboarding SOP (standard operating procedure) is essentially a roadmap for bringing new employees into your organization. It covers the full journey from offer acceptance through those critical first few months, laying out exactly who needs to do what and when they need to do it.
Here's why this matters more than you might think. Studies suggest that structured onboarding can help new hires hit full productivity up to 50% faster. Consider that roughly 20% of new employees leave within their first 45 days, and a well-designed onboarding SOP starts looking pretty valuable. Replacing someone typically costs anywhere from 90% to 200% of their annual salary, so the financial stakes are real.
HR usually owns the onboarding SOP, but it pulls in managers, IT, facilities, and other departments. What would otherwise be a messy, inconsistent first few weeks becomes a repeatable process where every new hire gets the same foundation. It's part of the broader category of HR standard operating procedures that govern people processes.
Key Characteristics of an Onboarding SOP
- Phased Timeline: Most onboarding SOPs divide the process into chunks: preboarding, first day, first week, then 30, 60, and 90 day milestones. Each phase has its own specific tasks and owners.
- Cross-Departmental Coordination: These procedures reach across teams (HR, IT, facilities, hiring managers) and spell out how handoffs should work between them.
- Compliance Integration: A solid onboarding SOP weaves in legal requirements like I-9 verification, tax forms, and policy acknowledgments so nothing slips through the cracks.
- Checklist Format: Many organizations build their onboarding SOPs as trackable checklists that plug into task management systems. Both HR and the new hire can see what's done and what's still pending.
- Feedback Loops: The better onboarding SOPs build in checkpoints for gathering new hire input and refining the process based on what's actually working.
Onboarding SOP Examples
Example 1: Preboarding Procedures
A preboarding SOP handles everything between offer acceptance and the actual start date. It might look something like this: HR sends the offer letter within 24 hours, IT gets an equipment request within 48 hours, the hiring manager reaches out with a welcome email by day five, and building access is set up three days before the person starts. These steps happen in parallel across departments, with the SOP tracking who owns each piece.
Example 2: First Week Orientation
A first-week SOP maps out how those initial days should unfold: orientation session Monday morning, IT setup done by noon, team introductions spread across Tuesday, first one-on-one with the manager on Wednesday, mandatory compliance training wrapped up by Friday. Each step includes a time estimate and names the person accountable.
Onboarding SOP vs Onboarding Checklist
People use these terms interchangeably, but they're actually somewhat different.
| Aspect | Onboarding SOP | Onboarding Checklist |
|---|---|---|
| Depth | Detailed instructions with the how and why | List of tasks to complete |
| Purpose | Procedural guide for HR and managers | Tracking tool for task completion |
| Content | Step-by-step instructions, responsibilities, timelines | Task names with checkboxes |
| Audience | Anyone executing the onboarding process | Person tracking their own progress |
The SOP is your comprehensive manual. The onboarding checklist is the quick reference card you pull out of it.
How Glitter AI Helps with Onboarding SOPs
Glitter AI takes the pain out of creating onboarding SOPs. HR professionals and managers can record their screens while walking through onboarding tasks, and the platform automatically generates step-by-step documentation complete with screenshots and annotations. Rather than trying to write procedures from memory, you capture the actual process as it happens.
This approach works particularly well for onboarding since so many tasks involve software: setting up accounts, navigating HR systems, filling out forms. Glitter captures these workflows visually, producing guides that new hires can follow independently throughout the employee onboarding process. When systems change, teams can update their onboarding SOPs quickly and keep version history around for compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an onboarding SOP?
An onboarding SOP (standard operating procedure) is a documented guide that walks through the step-by-step process for bringing new employees into an organization. It covers everything from preboarding activities through the first several months on the job.
What should an onboarding SOP include?
A good onboarding SOP covers preboarding tasks, first-day activities, training schedules, compliance requirements, equipment setup, introduction protocols, milestone checkpoints at 30/60/90 days, and feedback collection processes.
Why do companies need employee onboarding procedures?
Employee onboarding procedures help ensure consistent experiences for new hires, accelerate time to productivity, boost retention rates, maintain compliance with employment laws, and reduce the workload on managers and HR teams.
How do you create a new hire SOP?
Start by mapping out each phase of onboarding, then identify all tasks and who's responsible for each. Document step-by-step instructions, build in compliance requirements, and set up feedback mechanisms so you can improve the process over time.
What is the difference between an onboarding SOP and an onboarding checklist?
An onboarding SOP provides detailed procedural instructions explaining how and why to complete each task. An onboarding checklist is a simpler tracking tool that lists tasks to complete without the detailed instructions.
How long should employee onboarding procedures cover?
Most employee onboarding procedures span the first 90 days, though some organizations extend to six months or even a year. The timeline usually includes preboarding, first week, 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day milestones.
What are examples of onboarding SOP tasks?
Common tasks include sending offer letters, ordering equipment, completing tax forms, setting up system access, scheduling orientation, making team introductions, assigning training modules, holding check-in meetings, and collecting feedback.
Who is responsible for onboarding SOPs?
HR typically owns the onboarding SOP, but actually executing it involves multiple departments. IT handles equipment and access, facilities sets up workspaces, the hiring manager covers role-specific training, and finance may handle payroll setup.
How often should onboarding SOPs be updated?
Review your onboarding SOPs at least once a year, and update them whenever company systems change, employment laws shift, or you keep hearing the same feedback about what's not working. Regular reviews keep procedures effective and compliant.
What tools help create onboarding standard operating procedures?
Common tools include documentation platforms like Glitter AI that generate procedures from screen recordings, HR information systems, task management software, and dedicated SOP management tools with version control features.
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