Project 02 · Employee experience
Employee Onboarding Experience
Instead of writing another document, I mapped onboarding as a journey. This is what the first month feels like for a new bookseller at PageTurn Books - and who is responsible at each step.
The journey
From offer accepted to month one
Four stages, each with the moments that make a new hire feel prepared and welcome.
Stage 01
Before First Day
Everything is ready before they walk in
- Signed offer letter returned and saved to the personnel file
- I-9 employment eligibility documentation submitted and verified
- Welcome email with start time, dress code, and who to ask for
- Payroll and tax forms completed early
- Locker, name badge, and store login prepared
- Manager shares the first-week schedule
Stage 02
First Day
A warm, unhurried welcome
- Store tour and introductions to the team on shift
- Coffee and a walkthrough of the café and floor
- Handbook and leave policy walkthrough with HR
- Meet the onboarding buddy
Stage 03
First Week
Learning the work with support nearby
- Register, inventory, and customer service training
- Shadow shifts with an experienced bookseller
- Short daily check-ins with the manager
- First-week feedback survey
Stage 04
First Month
Confident, connected, contributing
- 30-day check-in with manager and HR
- Section ownership on the shop floor
- Goals set for the next 60 days
- Onboarding experience survey and reflection
New hire checklist
Everyone knows their part
One shared checklist so nothing depends on a single person remembering it.
HR preparation
- Send offer letter, handbook, and policy pack
- Collect and verify I-9 documentation before day one
- Set up payroll, benefits, and scheduling access
- Create the personnel file and compliance records
- Schedule the day-one orientation block
Manager responsibilities
- Assign an onboarding buddy
- Build the first-week shift and training plan
- Introduce the new hire to the store team
- Hold week-one and 30-day check-ins
Employee responsibilities
- Complete forms and required training modules
- Read the handbook and leave policy
- Ask questions in daily check-ins
- Share feedback in the onboarding survey
Where we can improve
Onboarding completion is our weak point
Only 64% of new hires finish every onboarding step. These are the changes I would make, plus the completion policy that backs them up.
Improvement plan
- Send the offer letter, I-9 request, and payroll forms the same day the offer is accepted
- Give managers a one page first week plan instead of asking them to build one
- Move required training modules into the first two paid shifts
- Add an automated day 7 and day 30 check-in reminder for managers
- Review completion rates monthly instead of at the end of the quarter
Completion policy: 3 day grace period
New hires have a 3 day grace period after their start date to complete required onboarding items, including I-9 documentation, the signed offer letter, and payroll forms. If the paperwork is still outstanding after day three, the employee is placed on unpaid suspension until it is completed. HR sends a reminder on day one and day two so no one is caught off guard.
- Day 1: HR confirms outstanding items and sends a reminder
- Day 2: manager follows up during shift and offers time to complete forms
- Day 3: final deadline for all required onboarding documents
- After day 3: unpaid suspension until documentation is complete
Reflection
Next project
HR Dashboard