What is preboarding?
Also called: pre-boarding
Last updated
Preboarding is the stage of onboarding between a candidate accepting a job offer and their first day. It covers the paperwork, equipment, accounts and welcome messages that should be ready before the person starts, so the first day is spent meeting people and learning the job rather than waiting for access.
In more detail
The weeks before a start date are when the practical work happens: the contract and right-to-work checks, payroll details, the laptop and accounts, a desk or a delivery address, and the first-week schedule. Left until day one, each of these becomes a delay the new starter sees.
Preboarding is also the team’s first impression. A welcome message, the name of a buddy and a clear plan for the first day help the person arrive knowing what to expect. Keep it light: the new starter is often still working their notice.
Example
A week before the start date, IT orders and sets up the laptop, HR checks the signed contract and right-to-work documents, and the manager sends a welcome email with the first-day plan. The day before, IT confirms the accounts and sign-in work.
Preboarding in CheckFlow
In CheckFlow a preboarding checklist can ask for the start date when it starts and count due dates back from it, so the laptop, accounts and paperwork fall due the right number of days before day one. Tasks are assigned to HR, IT and the manager, and overdue tasks alert their assignees. To draft one, try the free AI onboarding checklist generator.
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