Onboarding is too often delivered on an ad hoc basis. Particularly in smaller companies with few HR processes, it can fall on the office manager or team lead to get new employees up and running. Â
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While this might work at first, it leaves too much to chance. New employees need careful, systematic onboarding processes to set them up for success. That can be the difference between new hires getting comfortable in their roles quickly, or feeling disconnected and forgotten about.Â
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This article looks specifically at IT setup during the onboarding process. Following these 10 steps, youâll ensure that new hires have the equipment they need, with the guidance and security systems in place to succeed.Â
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While just one aspect of onboarding, IT is absolutely critical in the modern workplace. Without the right devices and permission sets, employees can barely function at all.Â
Focusing specifically on IT and devices, a formal onboarding process:Â
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All of the above applies to onboarding overall. But too often, the practical IT aspects of this process are taken for granted or overlooked. To help you construct an effective IT onboarding process, hereâs a simple checklist to follow.Â
IT onboarding should never be left to chance. To make sure you get it right, here are 10 important steps to follow.Â
These donât necessarily all happen one after the other. Some can be done in tandem, and you may choose to put certain steps earlier or later in the process, to suit your own preferences and workflow.
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Before doing anything with hardware or software, you first need to establish who the new employee is and where theyâll fit in the organization. A high-level executive likely needs quite different tools and devices from your frontline support staff, for example.Â
A few simple things to consider:Â
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Itâs not complicated, but it does require a small amount of reflection. A one-size-fits-all setup wonât work in the majority of situations.Â
Finally, ensure their manager and HR rep know that hardware is being ordered and delivered.Â
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Ensure that new hires have the devices they need on day one, ready to use. This is the bare minimum. Asking a newcomer to use their own computer for the first few weeks is almost as bad as them arriving at an empty desk with nothing at all.Â
Ensure all necessary hardwareâincluding laptops, monitors, peripherals, and phones if necessaryâis ready and waiting for them on their first day. If the employee is remote, youâll need to arrange delivery, too (see below).
Devices should be pre-configured with the required company software, security settings, and user profiles. Ideally theyâll also have the specific tools and software that employee needs in their specific role.Â
Zero-touch deployment can be a lifesaver in these situations. This pre-configures everything you need onto devices before theyâre sent out, so you donât have to do this additional step yourself.Â
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If youâre not using an efficient zero-touch deployment setup system, youâll need to install critical software yourself. This likely includes email clients, collaboration tools, and project management apps.
You also need to ensure you have the required licenses for those software. Tools like Office 365, Slack, Zoom, and Salesforce all have packages that include a price per seat, and some software works in groups of licenses (0-10 or 11-50, for example). Donât leave it until their first day to realize you canât actually give a new employee the tool they need.Â
Once again, zero-touch deployment tools help with all of the above. And mobile device management (MDM)âseparate but relatedâcan make setting up user profiles as simple as a few clicks.Â
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Get each new employeeâs access live before they arrive on the first day. That includes generating user accounts for email, VPNs, project management tools, and other key systems.
You should also ensure they have access to Wi-Fi networks, shared drives, and any other protected environments theyâll need to work with.Â
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The last of our setup steps is to enroll the employee in multi-factor authentication (MFA) for secure access. This is now standard in security-conscious organizations, and youâll doubtless have a process and provider specific to your business.Â
Theyâll need this up and running on all devices. This can include personal phones if theyâre planning to use tools like Slack or email on them.Â
Bear in mind that organizational MFA can be complicated and confusing for new users. So you may also need to provide guidance on day one, as well as further resources.Â
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Depending on your suppliers, you may be able to do all of the above without actually receiving the new employeeâs devices. But come the start date, you need the devices in place.Â
Whatever the employeeâs location, ensure hardware is delivered on time to the right place. Thatâs relatively easy if theyâre working from HQ, but potentially more complicated if remote.Â
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IT should have its own moment during every onboarding process. If your employees arrive in waves, this could be an in-person seminar with an IT leader to introduce themselves, make sure everyoneâs connected, and to see that devices are performing at a high level.Â
If remote, this means a short Zoom or Teams call between the IT person and the new employees. Walk through key systems, software tools, and security protocols, plus any key tools they need for daily tasks.Â
Be sure that all new devices are working well, and that new employees know who to turn to for tech support if they need it. Newcomers are often too shy to ask basic questions and will often suffer through their struggles. This short get to know each other is usually enough to avoid these issues.Â
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It also pays to give new employees a welcome package of IT guidelines, quick-start guides, and FAQs. And crucially, to show them how to find answers to simple questions. Include troubleshooting steps for the most common issues and IT support contact info.
This is incredibly important if you work with external IT support. Employees need to know how and when itâs appropriate to contact these service providers directly, versus asking their manager or HR for help.Â
Creating the documentation obviously involves some effort up front. But done well, itâs a huge timesaver down the road.Â
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Cybersecurity is increasingly important for modern organizations. And every new employee comes to you with their own approach and philosophies around safety online.Â
Enroll new hires in mandatory cybersecurity training to cover data protection, phishing prevention, and safe internet practices. Also share guidelines on compliance, acceptable use, and privacy policies.
This is important for all businesses, but especially those with actual compliance certifications to achieve and maintain.Â
Finally, share best practices for company tools like Slack and email, which can sometimes be misused. Even where misuse isnât strictly a security issue, best practices can help keep their use consistent and enjoyable for all.Â
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Great IT onboarding isnât just for the first few days. Plan a check-in after one or two weeks to address any technical challenges. And make IT support resources available for continuous guidance and issue resolution.
This not only ensures there arenât any problems, but also helps to solidify a lasting relationship with the new employee. You want them to know who to come to with any issues, and to be sure that they feel valued in the team.Â
It shouldnât take muchâjust a five minute call or a brief coffee chat a few weeks in, to make sure everythingâs running smoothly.
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As weâve just seen, IT setup involves a lot of steps and checksâand itâs just one part of the overall onboarding process. Even with your trusty checklist, thereâs real potential to forget steps or miss an important starting date.Â
And the more people you hire, the harder it gets. Thankfully, there are good systems that can automate mostâif not allâof the above. An IT management system like Primo:Â
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You essentially remove all the manual, time-consuming aspects of IT onboarding. So you can focus on the human side: building lasting relationships and making your new teammates feel welcome and valued.Â
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