Employee Onboarding Guide
Roles & Responsibilities
Last Updated: May 15th, 2024
Onboarding responsibilities vary by role. Learn how the HR and training departments, supervisor, co-workers, executive team and orientation buddy play a role in ensuring the onboarding process operates smoothly and new employees feel valued and supported.
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Is Onboarding Everyone's Responsibility?
"Onboarding is everyone's responsibility" is an often-used phrase in organizations, but without actionable items and accountability, onboarding programs will never succeed. While every organization is unique in how the onboarding responsibilities are shared throughout the organization, there are some general guidelines for allocating onboarding duties and accountability:
Responsibilities by Role
HR Department:
- Completing and collecting employee paperwork (e.g., forms, benefits)
- Reviewing work hours, the history and background of the organization, and the organizational chart
- Touring the facility
Training Department:
- Delivering the onboarding program elements
- Guiding lectures and discussions about organizational culture, goals and objectives
- Reviewing company videos
Supervisor:
- Discussing duties and responsibilities, work behaviors, and standards and expectations
- Introducing team members and other members of the organization
- Touring the department
- Reviewing other roles and relationships within the department
Co-workers:
- Sharing how the group works as a team
- Explaining how to get things done
- Showing how to find/requisition tools and equipment and where to turn for support
Executive Team:
- Helping the employee understand the organization's mission, vision, values, strategic goals and objectives
- Reviewing roles and responsibilities at a higher level
- Describing organizational culture
Mentor/Buddy:
- Introducing team members and others within the organization
- Reviewing informal rules and policies
- Answering day-to-day questions