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  1. Home
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  3. Topics & Tools
  4. HR Topics
  5. Onboarding
  6. Roles & Responsibilities

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. 

Onboarding Guide Navigation


Definition & Overview

> Roles & Responsibilities

Role-Tailored Onboarding
Onboarding Process
Onboarding Checklist
Measuring Onboarding Success
Reboarding

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 

Continue Learning About Onboarding

Up Next:

Role-Tailored Onboarding
Onboarding Process
Onboarding Checklist
Measuring Onboarding Success
Reboarding
Onboarding Definition & Overview
Additional Resources:
  • Checklist for Developing Onboarding/New Hire Practices
  • New Hire Orientation Checklist
  • New-Hire Orientation Process
  • New Hire Survey
  • New Hire Survey – Remote Employee
  • Onboarding Companies and Vendors in the SHRM Vendor Directory 
  • SHRM Store resources on Onboarding

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