New hire onboarding is a make-or-break moment for your employees.
Those who have a negative onboarding experience are twice as likely to look for other career opportunities in the future [1]. But a positive onboarding experience can increase new hire retention and overall productivity.
In a world where remote work is increasingly common, onboarding takes on even more importance, especially for direct managers. New hires need extra support to understand their role, familiarize themselves with your company culture, and adapt to your team’s norms and expectations.
This checklist will help you create a thoughtful and effective onboarding program for your remote employees.
Here are the 11 steps to onboarding new employees remotely:
- Step 1: Welcome your new hire to the team
- Step 2: Ship the necessary hardware and software
- Step 3: Share your excitement and build their anticipation
- Step 4: Recruit an onboarding buddy for them
- Step 5: Add them to important communication channels
- Step 6: Announce their arrival in advance
- Step 7: Make their first day memorable
- Step 8: Discuss responsibilities and expectations
- Step 9: Introduce and immerse them in your culture
- Step 10: Meet more frequently at first
- Step 11: Ask your new employee for feedback
Why leaders should have an onboarding checklist
A thoughtful onboarding checklist gives leaders a reliable way to create consistency for both managers and new hires in a process that can easily become overwhelming in a remote environment.
Instead of scrambling to remember every document, introduction, or setup step, managers can follow a repeatable framework that ensures nothing important falls through the cracks.
A checklist also creates a more human-centered experience. It helps leaders focus less on logistics and more on building early trust, strengthening team culture, and giving new employees the confidence they need to succeed.
When expectations are clear and the first few days feel intentional rather than chaotic, new hires ramp faster, engage more deeply, and stay longer.
For leaders, the impact is twofold: smoother operations and stronger relationships. A simple checklist becomes a powerful tool for setting the tone, reinforcing company values, and shaping a positive employee experience from day one
Step 1: Welcome your new hire to the team
In addition to sending your new hire the necessary paperwork to make everything official, let them know how excited you are to work with them. Send the email as soon as possible after they’ve accepted the position. This helps quickly establish a sense of social acceptance, which is linked to new employee success [2].
Here are the main details you should include in your onboarding email to ensure a smooth first step towards welcoming the new employee. More than just a framework, this is a proven way to create a welcoming environment that enhances productivity immediately upon arrival.
Congratulate them on joining your team
A warm, genuine congratulations is one of the simplest ways to set the right tone for your new hire’s journey. Before diving into logistics, take a moment to acknowledge the importance of their decision to join your team. This small gesture goes a long way in establishing trust, reinforcing their sense of belonging, and modeling how to welcome new employees in a thoughtful, people-first way.
Encourage team members who met the new hire during the interview process to send a quick email or LinkedIn note that welcomes them to the team. These messages do not need to be long; even a few thoughtful sentences can help the new employee feel seen and appreciated before their first day.
Let them know what stood out during the interview process, why you’re excited they chose your organization, and how their skills will make a meaningful impact.
This early outreach also jump-starts relationship building. When new hires recognize familiar names in Slack channels or upcoming meetings, they feel more at ease and more connected to the team.
Creating this sense of social acceptance early on reduces first-day nerves, strengthens belonging, and sets the tone for a people-first onboarding experience that truly supports new employees in a remote environment.
Let them know what to expect on their first day
Providing clarity is one of the most powerful ways to reduce first-day nerves. After confirming their official start date, outline what the first day will look like so your new hire knows exactly where to be, when to log in, and what they’ll be doing. A simple overview helps eliminate uncertainty and shows that you’ve planned for their arrival.
You don’t need a minute-by-minute agenda. Just highlight the key moments: who they’ll meet with, how long onboarding sessions will take, and any tools or accounts and how to access them. This creates a smoother, more welcoming start and helps your new hire step into their role with confidence.
Outline key documents, tools, and resources
Setting expectations early helps new hires feel organized and prepared and gives them a clear picture of what will be arriving in the days and weeks leading up to their first day..
Outline the essentials they should keep an eye out for, along with why each item matters. This added clarity helps new hires stay on track and ensures they have everything they need to get started smoothly:
- Paperwork from HR: Employment eligibility forms, tax documents, contracts, and other essentials to make everything official.
- Hardware and software from IT: Laptops, monitors, accessories, and login instructions for the tools they’ll use daily.
- A welcome kit: A curated package of helpful resources designed to introduce them to your team and culture.
When new hires understand what’s coming and why, they feel more confident and supported — long before their first day begins.
Encourage new remote hires to reach out
Remote hires don’t have the built-in advantage of stopping by someone’s desk to ask a quick question, which is why it’s important to reassure them early that you’re available and eager to support them. Let them know they can reach out before their start date with any questions, concerns, or logistical needs. This simple invitation helps ease uncertainty and reinforces that you’re committed to setting them up for success.
Encouraging open communication also builds trust from day one. When new hires feel comfortable asking even the smallest questions, they’re more confident walking into their first day and better equipped to navigate their onboarding. A quick note of reassurance shows that you value their experience, respect their time, and want them to feel fully prepared as they transition into their new role.
Discover and perfect the full onboarding process with Udemy Business
Building an intentional and thoughtful onboarding experience starts with a reliable checklist. When leaders follow a clear framework and guidelines, they create consistency, reduce burden, and give every new hire the confidence and clarity they need to make an impact early on.
Enterprises looking to elevate their onboarding practices rely on Udemy Business for the skills, guidance, and learning tools that help teams thrive from the moment a new hire joins.
To take your onboarding program even further, download the full ebook and explore the remaining 10 steps that complete the remote onboarding framework.
Sources:
- Digitate “What the CIO sees–that other people don’t”
- Harvard Business Review “Your New Hires Won’t Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly”
