Tips from bootcamp: Key steps to orient your new employees

Posted March 6, 2023

Business is booming, and you are ready to hire employees. This monumental milestone is a time to celebrate, but it also opens the door to a completely different mindset. What does it take to operationalize a new employee process and workflow? Startup Alleghenies teamed up with a Human Resources expert to guide you through the ins and outs of new employees—from the handbook and policies to orientation and common mistakes. Be on the lookout for expert articles featuring key takeaways from the 90–120-minute Bootcamp sessions. Check out Startup Alleghenies for the full videos.

You’ve done it! You made your first hire. Now what? Human Resource (HR) expert Brooke Contacos shares different aspects of what a new employee orientation can look like.

Company intro
- Org overview
- Corp culture
- Company mission
- Corp literature/video
- Org chart
New Employee Paperwork
- W-4 & State tax forms
- I-9 (within 3 days after the first day of hire)
- Direct Deposit Form
- Employee handbook (1 week to receive the acknowledgement)
Admin procedures
- Office, desk, workspace
- Computer username & password
- Email
- Keys/access card
- ID badge
- Mail
- Business cards
- Purchase requests
- Phones
- Conference rooms
- Expense reports
Intros & Tours
- Dept & key personnel
- Tour of the facility including:
  - Restrooms
  - Mailroom
  - Copy centers, printers, fax machines
  - Bulletin board
  - Parking
  - Office supplies
  - Break rooms
  - Coffee/vending machines
  - Watercoolers
  - Emergency exits
Benefits & Compensation
- Health, life, disability insurance
- Retirement benefits
- Dependent care FSA
- Educational assistance
- Employee assistance program
- Pay procedures
- Salary increase/performance review process
- Incentive/bonus programs
- Paid & unpaid leave
Policy Review
- Handbook review

Your company may only need some items on these lists, but this will serve as a starting point to get you thinking about how to start your new employee and get them—and you—on the path to success.

Startup Alleghenies helps startup and emerging small businesses succeed by providing free coaching to entrepreneurs in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties. To access personal, one-on-one support from a coach in your county, including guidance, resources, tools and networking opportunities, sign up at startupalleghenies.com.