New staff take weeks to get set up: a small business employee onboarding checklist
⏱ In about 8 minutes
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In this article
The short answer
Short answer
Prepare everything before day one: paperwork, equipment, and individual accounts for every tool they'll use, shared through a business password manager rather than a sticky note. On day one, have them turn on two-factor authentication, give them a short task list for week one, and book a check-in.
Do it once as a checklist, and the next new starter takes an hour of your time instead of weeks.
Why it matters
- Slow setup wastes their first weeks, and your time answering "what's the password for…?"
- Shared passwords are a security risk. The ACSC says: "Create individual accounts for staff wherever possible." (ACSC)
- Access should match the job. The ACSC advises "following the principle of least privilege," where "staff have the minimum permissions they need to perform their work." (ACSC)
- Good onboarding makes offboarding easy. If you know what you gave, you know what to take back. See removing access when someone leaves.
Fix it: step by step
Step 1: Before they start: paperwork and first-day details (30 minutes)
business.gov.au suggests giving new staff details of "where they should go," "what time they should arrive" and "who they should ask for when they arrive." It's also a good time to provide "tax and super forms," information about their employment conditions "(such as a copy of their award or agreement and the Fair Work Information Statement)" and "work health and safety information." (business.gov.au) Outside Australia, check your local requirements.
Step 2: Before they start: create their accounts (30–60 minutes)
Business Queensland lists "systems access and login information" among things to prepare for the first week or two. (Business Queensland)
- Create their own email account and logins for each tool they need.
- Give the lowest role that lets them do the job.
- Write down what you created (you'll need this list when they leave).
Step 3: Day one: invite them to the password manager (15 minutes)
Share only the vaults or items their role needs. No passwords by text, email or sticky note. See why staff reuse passwords, and how to stop it.
Step 4: Day one: turn on two-factor authentication together (20 minutes)
Do it with them for email, the password manager and any finance tools. See our 2FA guide.
Step 5: Day one: induction (1–2 hours)
business.gov.au suggests you "help them get to know your business, their role and any other staff members," either through "a formal induction program or simply use a checklist that you both follow." (business.gov.au)
Step 6: Week one: give them a task board (15 minutes)
Add them to your team's task board with three to five clear first tasks, each with a due date. See simple task management for a small team.
Step 7: End of week one and month one: check in (30 minutes each)
Business Queensland suggests scheduling "a regular one on one meeting", which "will be important over the first few months to provide and seek feedback." (Business Queensland)
Copy-and-paste onboarding checklist
NEW STARTER: ____________________ START DATE: ___________ ROLE: ___________
BEFORE DAY ONE
[ ] Employment contract signed (get advice if unsure of terms)
[ ] First-day details sent: where, when, who to ask for
[ ] Tax, super/pension and payroll forms ready (check your country's requirements)
[ ] Employment information provided (in Australia: award/agreement + Fair Work Information Statement)
[ ] Equipment ready: laptop/phone, updated, screen lock on
[ ] Work email account created
[ ] Individual logins created for each tool (list below), lowest role needed
Tool: __________ Role: __________
Tool: __________ Role: __________
[ ] Password manager invite ready; vaults to share: __________
[ ] Building access / keys
DAY ONE
[ ] Welcome, tour, introductions
[ ] Work health and safety information
[ ] Password manager set up; master password created (by them, not you)
[ ] Two-factor authentication on: email, password manager, finance tools
[ ] Phishing basics: "if in doubt, ask before you click"
[ ] Added to task board with first 3–5 tasks
WEEK ONE
[ ] Role-specific training booked
[ ] End-of-week check-in
MONTH ONE
[ ] One-on-one check-in
[ ] Review: do they still need every access they were given?
KEEP THIS LIST: use it in reverse when they leave.
Quick pick
Quick pick (product details from official vendor pages, checked 18 Oct 2026. Not hands-on tested. No ratings. Prices in US$; confirm on the vendor's site.)
- Password manager for small teams: 1Password Teams Starter Pack. US$24.95/month billed annually for up to 10 members, with a 14-day free trial. → See our password manager guide
Budget password manager: Proton Pass Essentials. US$1.99/user/month billed yearly (minimum 3 users), with a built-in 2FA authenticator. → See our password manager guide- Task board for the first-week plan: ClickUp Free Forever. Unlimited tasks and free plan members. In April 2026 ClickUp disclosed that 893 customer email addresses and one API token were exposed in a configuration file; it said no workspace content, passwords or billing data were exposed (ClickUp). → See our save-time guide
Full comparison: best password manager for small business.
What we'd avoid: honest limits
Free: the Small Business Password & Access Checklist
A 1–2 page checklist that turns this article into a to-do list: which accounts to protect first, how to set up shared access, and what to do when someone joins or leaves.
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Frequently asked questions
How early should I set up accounts?
A day or two before they start, so everything works on day one, but not so early that unused accounts sit around.
Should I create the password manager master password for them?
No. They should create it themselves, so only they know it. Some business password managers let admins help with account recovery (1Password lists recovering "others' accounts if locked out"); check your provider.
What if they're a contractor, not an employee?
The account steps are the same: individual logins, least access, 2FA, and remove access when the job ends.
Can I use this checklist for offboarding?
Yes, in reverse. See removing access when someone leaves.
Related guides
- Save time with software: our hub
- Someone left. How do I remove their access to everything?
- My staff reuse passwords
- Tasks fall through the cracks between me and my staff
Sources
Government sources first. All links checked and loading on 18 Oct 2026.
- business.gov.au (Australian Government): Onboard new employees
- Business Queensland (Queensland Government): Staff onboarding and inductions
- Australian Cyber Security Centre: Securing accounts and identities · Restrict and monitor access
- Vendor pages (checked 18 Oct 2026): 1Password business pricing · Proton Pass business plans · ClickUp pricing
About our review process
We pick products from official information and say clearly when we haven't tested something hands-on. Commissions may influence which products we choose to cover, but not our assessment of them. See how we work.