Employee onboarding

Why it matters

A large share of voluntary resignations happen in the first six months, and most of those trace back to a poor start: no clear expectations, no equipment, no one to ask. Each early departure means repeating the whole recruitment cycle. Good onboarding also compresses the time to productivity, which for a small business is the difference between a hire that pays for itself in month two and one that drains cash until month six. It is also where legal obligations such as the Fair Work Information Statement, safety induction and record-keeping are met.

Preparation starts the day the offer is accepted

The gap between acceptance and start date is when most new hires are most anxious and most impressionable. Use it. Send the contract, Fair Work Information Statement, tax file number declaration, superannuation choice form, bank details form and key policies to complete before day one, so the first morning is about people rather than forms. Confirm start time, where to go, what to wear and who will meet them.

Prepare the practical things: a desk or vehicle, uniform and PPE, phone, email and software logins, and a login to your rostering or timesheet system. Tell the existing team who is starting, what they will do and who is responsible for training them. A buddy who is not the manager gives the new person somewhere to ask the "silly" questions.

Day one and week one: belonging before brilliance

The goal of day one is that the person goes home feeling welcome, safe and clear about what tomorrow looks like. Greet them personally. Run the safety induction properly: hazards, emergency procedures, incident reporting, and the specific risks of their role. Introduce the team, explain how the business makes money and who the customers are, and give them one real, small task they can complete and feel good about.

Across the first week, teach the systems they will use daily, let them shadow someone experienced, and hold a five-minute check-in at the end of each day. Explain the unwritten rules explicitly: how people communicate, when to escalate, what "done" looks like. Most early friction comes from assumptions about things no one thought to mention.

The 30-60-90 day plan

Give the new hire a one-page plan that lists what they should be able to do by day 30, day 60 and day 90, drawn from the outcomes in the role brief. By day 30 they should handle routine tasks with support and understand how the business works. By day 60 they should work independently on most of the role and have started to add their own improvements. By day 90 they should be fully productive and clear about how their performance is judged.

Hold a structured conversation at each milestone. Ask what is going well, what is confusing, what they need, and what they have noticed that could be better; new eyes see things the rest of you have stopped noticing. Give direct feedback both ways. These conversations are where small problems get fixed before they become probation problems.

Probation: use it, do not just let it pass

Probation is the agreed trial period in the contract, commonly three to six months. Its value comes from the reviews you hold during it, not from the clause itself. If performance or fit is a concern, say so early, in specific terms, and give a genuine chance to improve with support. Document the conversations. If you decide the person is not right, act before the probation ends and follow the notice terms in the contract and the NES.

Be aware that the contractual probation period and the Fair Work Act’s minimum employment period for unfair dismissal protection are different things, and the latter depends on business size. Check how it applies to you before relying on probation to end an employment, and get advice if the situation is complicated. Where the review is positive, say so clearly too: confirmation of passing probation is a motivating milestone.

How to onboard a new employee

1. Send paperwork before day one Contract, Fair Work Information Statement, TFN declaration, super choice, policies and a welcome note with practical details.
2. Set up systems and equipment Logins, payroll with the right classification, uniform, tools, desk or vehicle.
3. Write the 30-60-90 day plan Three to five measurable outcomes per milestone, drawn from the role brief.
4. Run day one well Personal welcome, WHS induction, team introductions, how the business works, one real task.
5. Structure week one Systems training, shadowing, daily five-minute check-ins, explain the unwritten rules.
6. Hold the 30, 60 and 90 day conversations Two-way feedback, blockers, written priorities for the next period.
7. Conclude probation deliberately Confirm in writing, or act on concerns early with documentation and correct notice.

Real-world example

A Newcastle physio clinic fixes its revolving door

Hunter Physio in Newcastle has lost three receptionists in eighteen months. Each time, the owner, Tom, handed over on a busy Monday morning and expected the person to "pick it up". The exit conversations all said the same thing: no one explained the booking system properly, the rules about cancellations were a mystery, and the new person felt stupid asking.

For the next hire Tom writes a two-page induction guide and a 30-60-90 plan: by day 30, run the front desk unsupervised for routine bookings; by day 60, handle private health claims and cancellations; by day 90, own the recall list. He blocks two quiet afternoons in week one for system training, pairs the new receptionist with a senior physio as a buddy, and holds the three milestone chats in the clinic’s kitchen. The receptionist passes probation, suggests a text-reminder change that cuts no-shows, and is still there two years later. The guide has since been used for two more hires.

Common mistakes

• Starting on the busiest day with no plan The new person learns chaos as the norm. Choose a start day you can protect and write down the first week.
• Paperwork instead of people on day one Forms can be done before the start date. Day one should be about safety, belonging and understanding the business.
• No clear expectations Without a 30-60-90 plan the new hire guesses what good looks like, and the probation review becomes a surprise.
• Skipping the safety induction WHS induction is a legal duty and the moment the person is most likely to be hurt. Do it properly and record it.
• Letting probation lapse silently If concerns exist, raise them early with support; if things are going well, say so. Silence helps no one.

KPIs to track

• Time to productivity Weeks until the new hire meets the day-90 outcomes without support. Shorter each time you improve the plan.
• Early turnover Share of hires leaving within six months. Above one in five suggests onboarding or hiring problems.
• Milestone reviews held on time Percentage of 30, 60 and 90 day conversations actually held. Target 100%; it is the easiest thing to skip.
• New-hire confidence A simple 1–5 self-rating at each milestone: "I know what is expected and have what I need". Trend matters more than the number.

Frequently asked questions

How long should onboarding take?

Plan for 90 days. The intensive part is the first two weeks, but structured check-ins through the probation period are where retention is won.

Do casuals need onboarding too?

Yes. Casuals still need the Fair Work and Casual Employment Information Statements, a safety induction, systems training and clear expectations. A lighter version of the same plan works well.

Is a safety induction really required for an office job?

Yes. Work health and safety law applies to every workplace. For an office it covers emergency procedures, ergonomics, incident reporting and any site-specific risks. Keep a record that it was done.

What if the new hire is clearly not working out in week three?

Have a specific, documented conversation about what is not meeting expectations and what support you will give. If it does not improve, you can end the employment during probation, following the notice in the contract and the NES. Check how the minimum employment period applies to your business size.

Key takeaways

• Onboarding is a 90-day process, not a morning; plan it before the start date.
• Do the paperwork before day one so day one can be about safety, people and purpose.
• A written 30-60-90 plan tells the new hire what good looks like and makes probation fair.
• Hold the milestone conversations; they are where early problems get fixed.
• Template everything so the second hire takes half the effort.