Skip to main content
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
    Close
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
  • mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
SHRM
  • Membership
    • Membership

      As a SHRM Member®, you’ll pave the path of your success with invaluable resources, world-class educational opportunities and premier events.

      Membership Tiers
      • Professional
      • Student
      • Global
      • Executive
      • Enterprise
      Membership Benefits
  • Certification
    • SHRM Certification

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Fees & Options
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me?
      • Recertification
      Prepare for the Exam
      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance your HR credibility.

      Qualifications

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

  • Events & Education
    • Events

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • SHRM26 Annual Conference
      • BLUEPRINT 2025
      • Talent Conference & Expo
      • Linkage Institute
      • The AI+HI Project 2026
      State Conferences

      Attend a SHRM state event to network with other HR professionals and learn more about the future of work.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

      Webinars
  • Resources
    • Resources

      Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources.

      • Flagships
      • HR Research
      • Legal & Compliance
      • Latest News & Trends
      • Tools & Guides
      • Webinars
      HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Civility at Work
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
      Educational Programs

      Designed and delivered by HR experts to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to drive lasting change in the workplace.

  • Community
    • Find a SHRM Chapter

      Easily find a local professional or student chapter in your area.

      • SHRM Northern California
      SHRM Connect

      Post polls, get crowdsourced answers to your questions and network with other HR professionals online.

      Membership Councils

      Learn about SHRM's five regional councils and the Membership Advisory Council (MAC).

      Volunteers

      Learn about volunteer opportunities with SHRM.

  • Shop
    • SHRM Store

      Shop for HR certifications, credentials, learning, events, merchandise and more.

      Workplace Essentials
      • SHRM Memberships
      • SHRM Certification
      • Specialty Credentials
      • HR Tools & Tech
      Education
      • Seminars
      • eLearning
      • Books
      Merchandise
      • Accessories
      • Apparel
      • Office & Home
Become a Member
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
Book a Speaker
Close
  • Personal
  • Business
  • Foundation
  • Membership
    back
    Membership
    • Membership

      As a SHRM Member®, you’ll pave the path of your success with invaluable resources, world-class educational opportunities and premier events.

      Membership Tiers
      • Professional
      • Student
      • Global
      • Executive
      • Enterprise
      Membership Benefits
  • Certification
    back
    Certification
    • SHRM Certification

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • How to Get Certified
      • Eligibility Criteria
      • Exam Fees & Options
      • SHRM-CP
      • SHRM-SCP
      • Which Certification is Best for Me?
      • Recertification
      Prepare for the Exam
      • Exam Preparation
      • SHRM BASK
      • SHRM Learning System
      • Instructor-Led Learning
      • Self-Study
      Specialty Credentials

      Demonstrate targeted competence and enhance your HR credibility.

      Qualifications

      Gain a deeper understanding and develop critical skills.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

  • Events & Education
    back
    Events & Education
    • Events

      Demonstrate your ability to apply HR principles to real-life situations.

      • SHRM26 Annual Conference
      • BLUEPRINT 2025
      • Talent Conference & Expo
      • Linkage Institute
      • The AI+HI Project 2026
      State Conferences

      Attend a SHRM state event to network with other HR professionals and learn more about the future of work.

      Seminars

      Stand out from among your HR peers with the skills obtained from a SHRM Seminar.

      Webinars
  • Resources
    back
    Resources
    • Resources

      Stay up to date with news and leverage our vast library of resources.

      • Flagships
      • HR Research
      • Legal & Compliance
      • Latest News & Trends
      • Tools & Guides
      • Webinars
      HR Topics
      • AI in the Workplace
      • Civility at Work
      • Compensation & Benefits
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Talent Acquisition
      • Workplace Technology
      • Workplace Violence Prevention
      Educational Programs

      Designed and delivered by HR experts to empower you with the knowledge and tools you need to drive lasting change in the workplace.

  • Community
    back
    Community
    • Find a SHRM Chapter

      Easily find a local professional or student chapter in your area.

      • SHRM Northern California
      SHRM Connect

      Post polls, get crowdsourced answers to your questions and network with other HR professionals online.

      Membership Councils

      Learn about SHRM's five regional councils and the Membership Advisory Council (MAC).

      Volunteers

      Learn about volunteer opportunities with SHRM.

  • Shop
    back
    Shop
    • SHRM Store

      Shop for HR certifications, credentials, learning, events, merchandise and more.

      Workplace Essentials
      • SHRM Memberships
      • SHRM Certification
      • Specialty Credentials
      • HR Tools & Tech
      Education
      • Seminars
      • eLearning
      • Books
      Merchandise
      • Accessories
      • Apparel
      • Office & Home
Become a Member
Renew
Rejoin Now
Renew
Book a Speaker
    • Global
    • India
    • MENA
SHRM
mySHRM Login
  • MySHRM
    • Dashboard
    • Account
    • Logout
Close

  1. Home
  2. Home
  3. Topics & Tools
  4. HR Topics
  5. Onboarding
  6. Role-Tailored Onboarding

Employee Onboarding Guide

Role-Tailored Onboarding

Last Updated: May 15th, 2024

All employees, no matter their level or status, will need some sort of onboarding process, since this is how an organization conveys culture, rules and guidelines for all employees. However, the process may be modified to meet the differing needs of various groups of employees. Tailoring is an opportunity to specialize your onboarding program to meet the EVP promised during recruitment. 

Onboarding Guide Navigation


Definition & Overview
Roles & Responsibilities

> Role-Tailored Onboarding

Onboarding Process
Onboarding Checklist
Measuring Onboarding Success
Reboarding
Happy businesswoman and businessman shaking hands at meeting. Professional business executive leaders making handshake agreement. Happy business man closing deal at negotiations

Executives

Executive onboarding requires focused integration to succeed, such as supporting the new leader in aligning with stakeholders and building relationships with the rest of the team. Understanding the organizational culture is imperative, as they must work within it even if the goal is to change it. For further reading, learn why onboarding isn't enough. 

Managers

All supervisory and management employees will need a review of not only the employee handbook and company policies and programs, but also information on how to administer or lead these various programs and policies. Ongoing training on how to answer the five questions of onboarding for their direct reports will be crucial to success. Learning how to coach employees, especially new hires, as part of their manager duties will help employers make good on their employee value proposition. Dive deeper into manager onboarding best practices with a viewpoint on the 5 key steps to effective manager onboarding. 

Both new and current managers can improve their skills and readiness to lead teams by earning SHRM's People Manager Qualification (PMQ) through a self-paced, virtual learning experience.

Remote Workers

Employees who work from home all or part of the time will need guidance on how regular check-ins will be conducted, as well as such details as the use of company equipment for nonbusiness purposes, time monitoring, privacy at home and communications challenges. What behaviors are encouraged or expected in order to fit into the organizational and team cultures should be explained in detail. 

Differently Abled Workers

Persons with disabilities also may need information about accommodation options and how to arrange them with human resources or their manager. Both employees and managers should feel comfortable with the process of asking for and providing accommodations that will support success on the job. 

Veterans/Returning Servicemembers

Veterans often are challenged to translate their military skills into private-sector jobs. They may benefit from additional support in determining how their skill set relates to their role and adds value to the team. For more information, the book From We Will to At Will: A Handbook for Veteran Hiring, Transitioning, and Thriving in the Workplace serves as a comprehensive resource on setting veterans up for success.
 

Second-Chance/Formerly Incarcerated Workers 

Returning to the working world can be a shock, and more time to acclimate and assistance from a supportive buddy can be highly beneficial. Highlighting available training and development programs is key; explore further with these 4 best practices for second-chance hiring.

Gig Workers

Independent contractors and consultants, while not employees, may need instruction on billing, accessing the premises, basic conduct expectations and other unique issues the organization should address in an abbreviated onboarding process. Similarly, interns, temporary workers or seasonal employees may have different benefits, rules of conduct, policies and programs that the employer should explain to them. View our guide on how to onboard a gig employee.

Web-Based/Virtual Onboarding

Whether your workplace is fully in-person, fully remote or a hybrid model, online onboarding has become mainstream. Offering online orientation activities streamlines the process, supports paperless documentation, and offers a way for employees and their families to access benefits and other company information at any time. Other onboarding activities can be completed around varying schedules and at a pace most helpful for individual employees, and information can easily be tailored for various audiences.

Virtual Onboarding Resources:

  • How to Establish a Virtual Onboarding Program  
  • Virtual Onboarding of Remote Workers More Important Than Ever
  • 6 Things About Virtual Onboarding That Worry New Hires
  • Onboarding New Employees in the COVID-19 Era Takes Extra Planning, Effort
  • These Apps Start New-Hire Onboarding Before Day One
A woman wearing headphones is using a laptop and waving at the camera.

Continue Learning About Onboarding

Up Next:

Onboarding Process
Onboarding Checklist
Measuring Onboarding Success
Reboarding
Onboarding Definition & Overview
Onboarding Roles & Responsibilities
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

HR Daily Newsletter

Stay up to date with the latest HR news, trends, and expert advice each business day.

Success title

Success caption

Manage Subscriptions
Our Brands

SHRM Foundation Logo
SHRM Executive Network Logo
CEO Circle Logo
SHRM Business Logo
SHRM Linkage Logo
SHRM Labs
Overview

  • About SHRM
  • Careers at SHRM
  • Press Room
  • Contact SHRM
  • Book a SHRM Executive Speaker
  • Advertise with Us
  • Post a Job
Advocacy

  • Workforce Development
  • Workplace Inclusion
  • Workplace Flexibility & Leave
  • Workplace Governance
  • Workplace Health Care
  • Workplace Immigration
  • State Affairs
  • Global Policy
  • Advocacy Team
  • Take Action
  • Generation Cares
  • The Section 127 Coalition
Member Resources

  • Ask An Advisor
  • SHRM Newsletters
  • SHRM Flagships
  • Topics & Tools
  • Find an HR Job
  • Vendor Directory

© 2025 SHRM. All Rights Reserved
SHRM provides content as a service to its readers and members. It does not offer legal advice, and cannot guarantee the accuracy or suitability of its content for a particular purpose. Disclaimer

Follow Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

  1. Privacy Policy

  2. Terms of Use

  3. Accessibility

Join SHRM for Exclusive Access to Member Content

SHRM Members enjoy unlimited access to articles and exclusive member resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Limit Reached

Get unlimited access to articles and member-exclusive resources.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join to access unlimited articles and member-only resources.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join the Executive Network and enjoy unlimited content.

Already a member?
Free Article
Exclusive Executive-Level Content

This content is for the SHRM Executive Network and Executive Content Subscription members only.

You've reached the limit of 1 free article this month. Join and enjoy unlimited access to SHRM Executive Network Content.

Already a member?
Unlock Your Career with SHRM Membership

Please enjoy this free resource! Join SHRM for unlimited access to exclusive articles and tools.

Already a member?

Your membership is almost expired! Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew now

Your membership has expired. Renew today for unlimited access to member content.

Renew Now

Your Executive Network membership is nearing its expiration. Renew now to maintain access.

Renew Now

Your membership has expired. Renew your Executive Network benefits today.

Renew Now