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Productivity & Team Ops

Onboarding Checklist Buddy

New hires get a checklist, account setup, and welcome sequence without you chasing it.

Saves about ~1 hr per week

What it does

  • Starts a checklist the moment a hire signs
  • Tracks required docs and account access
  • Reminds both you and the hire of next steps
  • Signals when onboarding is complete

How it works

  1. Hire signed
  2. Checklist and tasks created
  3. Reminders fire per step
  4. Completion flagged

What's included

  • Checklist template
  • Trigger setup
  • Reminder cadence

Set it up yourself

Follow these 4 steps in order. You will need accounts for: Notion.

Step 1: Template the checklist

  1. Build the standard onboarding checklist in Notion (or a sheet): contract, ID docs, accounts (email, PM, chat), equipment, first-day agenda.
  2. Duplicate this as the per-hire template.
  3. Add a property per item: Status (todo/done), Owner.
  4. Keep it to the steps that actually recur.
  5. Review it after the first two hires.

Watch out: Your real process as a checklist template — an idealized checklist (with eleven HR steps) that reality never matches is worse than a simple honest one.

Step 2: Set the trigger

  1. Choose the trigger: a 'new hire' form/sheet row, or the signed-contract event.
  2. On trigger, create the hire's checklist copy.
  3. Fill in the hire's name/email/start date.
  4. Test the creation.
  5. Store the hire roster for tracking.

Watch out: Create the checklist at sign, not day-one — the checklist that starts on day one is already a day late for deliverables that need advancing.

Step 3: Configure reminders

  1. Daily scan of the new hire's checklist: overdue items → nudge the owner via Slack/email.
  2. Day-3 from start: 'pending items reminder' to you.
  3. Day-before-start: final checklist review.
  4. Test the reminders.
  5. Keep nudges to one per item per day.

Watch out: Remind owners, not just the hire — onboarding fails when IT never got the access request, and your automation should poke IT as much as the new person.

Step 4: Mark completion

  1. When all items are done, mark the hire complete.
  2. Set a completion date property.
  3. Weekly report: hires onboarding, average completion time.
  4. Test the completion logic.
  5. Review the average to shorten onboarding over time.

Watch out: Track average completion time — a checklist nobody finishes is a sign the checklist (or the access process) is the problem, and the number reveals it.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Onboarding Checklist Buddy automation do?

New hires get a checklist, account setup, and welcome sequence without you chasing it. Starts a checklist the moment a hire signs

How much time does Onboarding Checklist Buddy save?

It is estimated to save ~1 hr per week. Actual savings depend on your volume.

Which tools does Onboarding Checklist Buddy use?

It works with Notion.

What does Onboarding Checklist Buddy include?

Checklist template, Trigger setup, Reminder cadence.

Can I set up Onboarding Checklist Buddy myself?

Yes. The do-it-yourself guide on this page walks through 4 steps, from getting access to testing the finished automation.