Onboarding activities for new hires: 40 ideas and a 30‑60‑90 day onboarding plan
What to do before the first morning, on day one, in week one and across the first three months. Written for managers, buddies and people teams.
Good onboarding activities get a new hire talking to people and doing real work early, instead of reading policies alone for a week. Here are 40 of them, including a few unique onboarding ideas like a help-offer round, sorted by phase, each with the time, who takes part, the steps and one question to ask afterward. Then come a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan written out in full, a first-day schedule, buddy program basics, notes for remote hires, three intro messages you can copy and welcome gift ideas with real prices. For welcome letters and welcome kits, see our guide to welcoming and onboarding new employees.
40 onboarding activities for new hires, by phase
Pick a few onboarding activity ideas from each phase rather than all of them. Numbered straight through; 24 of them work on a video call as written or with the change noted.
Before day one
The weeks between the signed offer and the first morning. Most first-day stress comes from things nobody told the new hire.
1. Pre-start call
15 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- About a week before the start date, the manager calls to say hello, not to cover paperwork.
- Walk through the first day hour by hour and the first week in broad strokes.
- End with: what questions do you have, and what would make day one easier for you?
Ask after: What did the new hire ask that you should add to the day-one email for everyone?
2. The where-and-when email
20 minutes to write once · Manager · No materials
- Write down every practical detail: address and entrance, parking or transit, start time, who meets them, dress, lunch plan.
- For remote hires: when the laptop arrives, which link to join first and who to message if something doesn't work.
- Send it three working days ahead, and save it as a template for the next hire.
Ask after: Which question did the new hire still have to ask on the morning?
3. Access dry run
30 minutes · A teammate or IT · A list of every tool the role uses
- Two days before the start, check every account on the list exists and has the right permissions.
- Ship or set up the laptop, badge and any equipment so it is ready, not on order.
- Note anything still pending, with a date, and tell the new hire on the first morning.
Ask after: How many tools were missing or misconfigured, and how do we catch them earlier next time?
4. Team-signed welcome card
5 minutes per person · The whole team · A paper card or a group e-card
- Pass a card around the team the week before the start date.
- Each person writes their name, their role and one thing they are glad the new hire is bringing.
- Leave it on the desk or send it on the morning of day one.
Ask after: Did everyone on the team sign, including the people who work remotely?
5. Buddy briefing
15 minutes · Manager and the buddy · No materials · works on video
- Pick a buddy who is not the new hire's manager and has been here at least six months.
- Share the new hire's role, background and start date, and the buddy basics further down this page.
- Agree on the buddy's first three touchpoints: day one lunch, a mid-week check and a Friday wrap-up.
Ask after: Does the buddy have the time this month, really?
6. Pre-filled first-week calendar
30 minutes · Manager · No materials
- Book the first week's meetings before day one: 1:1s, intro chats, shadowing, training.
- Leave at least a third of each day open for setup, reading and breathing room.
- Add a short note to each invite saying why the meeting matters.
Ask after: Is any day packed so full there is no time to absorb it?
7. Three-doc starter pack
20 minutes · Manager · No materials
- Pick the three documents that best explain the team: what we do, how we work, and what we are working on now.
- Send them with a note that reading them before day one is optional.
- Add a fourth item: a short list of terms and acronyms the team uses daily.
Ask after: Which of the three did the new hire find most useful, and which can be cut?
8. Preferences form
5 minutes for the new hire · New hire · A short online form
- Ask a handful of optional questions: how to pronounce their name, how they like to be introduced, dietary needs for the team lunch, preferred working hours.
- Share the answers only with the manager and buddy.
- Use them: the right name, the right lunch, the intro they asked for.
Ask after: Did we act on every answer, or only collect them?
Day one
Fewer forms, more people. By the end of the day the new hire should know who to ask, have done one real thing and want to come back.
9. First-hour coffee with the manager
30 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- The first meeting of day one belongs to the manager, before IT and HR.
- Cover why the role exists, what the first week holds and how you like to work together.
- Ask how they prefer to get feedback and how they like to be recognized.
Ask after: What did you learn about how this person likes to work?
10. Story tour of the office
20 minutes · Buddy and new hire · No materials
- Walk the space, but tell a story at each stop: why the team sits here, where the good coffee is, which room is always booked.
- Introduce the new hire to whoever is around at each stop with one line about each person.
- End at the new hire's desk, with the buddy's desk pointed out.
On a call: Screen-share a tour of the tools instead: the channels that matter, where the docs live, how to book time.
Ask after: Could the new hire find their way back to the important places tomorrow?
11. Day-one team lunch
60 minutes · The new hire's team · No materials
- Book a table or order in, using the dietary answers from the preferences form.
- Seat the new hire in the middle, not at the end.
- Keep work talk light; the point is faces and names.
On a call: Send everyone a meal credit and eat together on a call with cameras on for the first ten minutes.
Ask after: Did the new hire get to talk, or just listen to inside jokes?
12. First small win
60 minutes · New hire, with the buddy nearby · No materials
- Pick a small, real task that can be finished on day one: fix a typo in the docs, answer a customer email with help, update a report.
- The buddy shows where things are but lets the new hire do it.
- Mark it done in front of the team, however small it is.
Ask after: How did it feel to finish something real on the first day?
13. Who to ask map
20 minutes to make, reused for every hire · Manager · A one-page doc
- List the 10 to 15 people the new hire will need most, with photo, role and what to ask them about.
- Add the channels for common requests: IT, expenses, time off, facilities.
- Walk through it on day one and pin it somewhere easy to find.
Ask after: Who did the new hire need in week one who wasn't on the map?
14. Help-offer round
10 minutes · The new hire's team · No materials · works on video
- In the first team meeting, each teammate says their name, their role and one thing they can help the new hire with.
- The new hire writes down the offers.
- The new hire introduces themselves last, as briefly or fully as they like.
Ask after: Which offer will the new hire take up first?
15. Jargon decoder
15 minutes · Buddy and new hire · A shared doc of team terms
- Open the team's list of acronyms, product names and project code names.
- The buddy explains the ten the new hire will hear most this week.
- The new hire adds every new term they hear in week one to the doc, so it improves with each hire.
Ask after: Which term confused the new hire most, and why do we use it?
16. Tool setup pairing
45 minutes · Buddy and new hire · No materials · works on video
- Sit together, or share screens, and set up each tool in the order the new hire will use them.
- Show the shortcuts and settings the team actually uses, not the full manual.
- Finish with a test: send a message, open a file, book a meeting.
Ask after: Which tool will need a second walkthrough later in the week?
17. Why we exist talk
20 minutes · A leader and the new starters · No materials · works on video
- A founder or senior leader tells the story of why the company or team exists, in their own words.
- Include one thing that went wrong and what the company learned from it.
- Leave five minutes for questions, with no question too basic.
Ask after: What will the new hire repeat when a friend asks what their new company does?
18. Day-one check-out
10 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- Before the new hire leaves, ask three questions: what was the best part, what was confusing, what do you need for tomorrow?
- Fix one thing from the answer before day two starts.
- Confirm the first meeting of day two.
Ask after: What will you change for the next new hire based on today?
Week one
Context before output: how the work flows, who the customers are and what good looks like here.
19. Shadow and debrief
Three meetings, plus 15 minutes after each · New hire and the meeting owner · No materials
- Invite the new hire to three meetings that show how the team works: a planning meeting, a customer call, a review.
- Before each, tell them what to watch for.
- After each, spend 15 minutes on what happened and why.
Ask after: Which meeting taught the new hire the most about how decisions get made here?
20. Customer hour
60 minutes · New hire, with someone from support or sales · No materials
- Listen in on support calls, or read 15 recent customer tickets or reviews.
- Write down the three problems customers mention most.
- Talk them through with the person from support or sales.
Ask after: Which customer problem surprised the new hire?
21. Five-team tour
15 minutes each · New hire and one person from each of five teams · No materials · works on video
- Book short chats with someone from each of the five teams the new hire will work with most.
- Give the new hire the same three questions for each: what does your team do, what do you need from us, and what do people often get wrong about your team?
- At the end of the week, the new hire sums up what they learned in a short note to the manager.
Ask after: Which team will the new hire work with most, and do they know who to call there?
22. Success at 90 days talk
30 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- The manager describes what success looks like at 30, 60 and 90 days, in plain words.
- The new hire writes it down in their own words and reads it back.
- Fill in the 30-60-90 plan template on this page together.
Ask after: Does the new hire know exactly what they are aiming for in month one?
23. Company trivia round
20 minutes · The team, in pairs · Ten trivia questions about the company, written by the team · works on video
- The team writes ten easy questions about the company: the first customer, the office plant's name, the product's oldest feature.
- Pair the new hire with a long-timer and play in the team meeting.
- Share the stories behind the answers; they carry more than any slide.
Ask after: Which answer led to the best story?
24. Follow one order end to end
90 minutes · New hire and a guide · No materials
- Pick one real piece of work, like a customer order, a support ticket or a feature, and trace it from request to delivery.
- Meet the person at each step for five minutes: what they do, what they need from the step before.
- The new hire draws the flow on one page.
Ask after: Where in the flow does work most often get stuck?
25. Fresh eyes list
Ongoing for two weeks · New hire · A private note
- Ask the new hire to note everything that seems confusing, slow or odd, without filtering.
- Make clear there is no penalty for anything on the list.
- Review it together at the end of week two.
Ask after: Which item on the list has everyone else stopped noticing?
26. Skip-level lunch
45 minutes · New hire and their manager's manager · No materials
- The new hire has lunch or coffee with their manager's manager in the first week.
- The skip-level shares the bigger picture and how this team fits in it.
- They end with an open invitation to raise anything, any time.
Ask after: Does the new hire feel able to reach out to the skip-level later?
27. Explain it back
15 minutes · New hire and buddy · No materials · works on video
- On day four or five, the new hire explains the product or service to the buddy as if to a friend.
- The buddy notes what was right and fills the gaps without correcting every word.
- Repeat at the end of month one and compare.
Ask after: What part of the product is still fuzzy for the new hire?
28. Week-one retro
20 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- On Friday, ask: what helped most this week, what didn't, and what do you want more of next week?
- Take notes and make one change to week two.
- Write the answers into the onboarding plan for the next hire.
Ask after: What will change for the next new hire because of this week?
The first 90 days
From learning to contributing to owning something. These mark the milestones so they don't slip past unnoticed.
29. 30-day check-in
30 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- Compare the first month against the 30-day goals in the plan.
- Ask what is clearer now and what is still confusing.
- Agree on the goals for days 31 to 60.
Ask after: Is the new hire on track, and do they know it?
30. Starter project
2 to 4 weeks · New hire, with a reviewer · No materials
- Give the new hire one contained project with a visible finish line by day 60.
- Name a reviewer who is not the manager.
- When it is done, the new hire presents it to the team.
Ask after: What did the project teach the new hire that training didn't?
31. Fresh eyes readout
15 minutes · New hire and the team · No materials · works on video
- Around day 30, the new hire shares the top three items from their fresh eyes list in a team meeting.
- The team thanks them, picks one to fix and names an owner.
- Report back on the fix within a month.
Ask after: Did we act on what the new hire noticed?
32. New-starter cohort lunch
60 minutes · Everyone who started that quarter · No materials · works on video
- Once a month, bring together everyone who started in the last three months, across teams.
- Invite one leader to join for the first half and leave for the second.
- Ask the group: what do you wish you had known in week one?
Ask after: Which answer should go into the next new hire's where-and-when email?
33. First team outing
60 minutes · The whole team · No materials · works on video
- Within the first two months, hold a team event the new hire can join as a full member.
- Mix them into teams with people they haven't worked with yet.
- Keep it in work hours and make the activity low pressure, like a hosted game.
Ask after: Who did the new hire meet for the first time?
34. Run a meeting segment
10 minutes · New hire and the team · No materials · works on video
- In month two, the new hire runs one segment of the team meeting: an update, a demo or a discussion.
- The manager helps prepare but doesn't step in during it.
- Afterward, give one piece of praise and one tip.
Ask after: How did it feel to lead in front of the team for the first time?
35. Mentor match
30 minutes a month · New hire and a mentor outside the reporting line · No materials · works on video
- Around day 45, as the buddy steps back from daily questions, match the new hire with a mentor from another team.
- The mentor focuses on career and craft, not day-to-day tasks.
- They meet monthly, with the new hire setting the agenda.
Ask after: What does the new hire want to learn from the mentor this year?
36. 60-day two-way feedback
30 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- Both prepare: one thing going well and one thing to change, about the work and about the onboarding.
- The new hire goes first.
- Each picks one change to make before day 90.
Ask after: Did the new hire feel safe enough to give honest feedback?
37. First learning goal
20 minutes to set · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- Pick one skill that would make the biggest difference in the role over the next six months.
- Choose how to learn it: a course, a workshop, a mentor, a stretch task.
- Put a check-in on the calendar for three months later.
Ask after: Is the learning goal tied to real work the new hire will do?
38. Leadership Q&A for new starters
45 minutes · Recent starters and one or two leaders · No materials · works on video
- Collect questions from recent starters ahead of time, with an anonymous option.
- Leaders answer every question, including the hard ones, or say when they will.
- Share a written summary afterward.
Ask after: Which question do leaders need to answer better in onboarding itself?
39. Help onboard the next hire
1 to 2 hours · Recent hire and the next new hire · No materials
- When the next person joins, ask the recent hire to run one onboarding activity for them, like the story tour or the jargon decoder.
- They share what they wish they had known.
- It shows the recent hire they are now an insider.
Ask after: What did the recent hire add that a long-timer wouldn't think of?
40. Day-90 review
45 minutes · Manager and new hire · No materials · works on video
- Review the 90-day goals: what was met, what moved, what is next.
- Ask the new hire to rate their onboarding and name the one thing to change.
- Mark the end of onboarding: a note to the team, a lunch, a small thank-you to the buddy.
Ask after: Does the new hire feel like a full member of the team now?
A 30-60-90 day onboarding plan template
Three phases: learn, contribute, own. Copy it into a doc, change the goals to fit the role, and share it with the new hire in week one.
Days 1 to 30: Learn
- Goals
- Know the team, the customers and how work flows.
- Use every core tool without help.
- Finish one small real task each week.
- The new hire
- Shadow meetings and follow one piece of work end to end.
- Keep the fresh eyes list.
- Meet the five teams you work with most.
- The manager
- Hold weekly 1:1s.
- Share the success-at-90-days picture.
- Remove blockers within a day.
- Checkpoint
- 30-day check-in: what is clear, what is not, goals for days 31 to 60.
Days 31 to 60: Contribute
- Goals
- Deliver a starter project with a visible finish.
- Take part in team decisions.
- Need less day-to-day help from the buddy.
- The new hire
- Run one segment of the team meeting.
- Present the top items from the fresh eyes list.
- Pick a first learning goal.
- The manager
- Give specific feedback on the starter project.
- Match a mentor from another team.
- Hold the 60-day two-way feedback.
- Checkpoint
- 60-day feedback: one thing going well and one to change, from both sides.
Days 61 to 90: Own
- Goals
- Own one area or process end to end.
- Work independently on routine tasks.
- Help someone else, such as the next new hire.
- The new hire
- Take the lead on a recurring task.
- Help onboard the next hire.
- Set goals for the next six months.
- The manager
- Shift 1:1s from onboarding to growth.
- Thank the buddy.
- Ask for an honest rating of the onboarding.
- Checkpoint
- Day-90 review: goals met, next goals set, onboarding closed.
The first learning goal often comes out of the 60-day talk. Our professional development ideas have options for every budget.
A first-day schedule for a new employee
A 9 to 5 day using activities from the list. Notice how much open time it leaves; first days are tiring. For a remote hire, keep the order and swap the tour for a screen-share.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 9:0030 min | Arrive, meet the buddy at the door, coffee |
| 9:3030 min | First-hour coffee with the manager |
| 10:0045 min | Tool setup pairing with the buddy |
| 10:4515 min | Break |
| 11:0020 min | Story tour of the office |
| 11:2010 min | Help-offer round in a short team huddle |
| 11:3030 min | Who to ask map and jargon decoder |
| 12:0060 min | Day-one team lunch |
| 1:0030 min | HR and payroll essentials, kept short |
| 1:3020 min | Why we exist talk, or a recorded version |
| 1:502 hr | First small win, with open time to settle in |
| 3:5060 min | Free time: reading, setup, a walk |
| 4:5010 min | Day-one check-out with the manager |
Onboarding buddy program basics
A buddy is the person a new hire can ask anything without worrying how it sounds. It works best with a few clear rules.
- Who. A peer, not the manager, who has been here at least six months, knows how things really work and wants to do it.
- What they do. Answer the questions people feel silly asking, make introductions, and eat lunch with the new hire in week one.
- Time. About an hour a week, more in week one. Tell the buddy's manager and lighten their load to match.
- How long. The first 60 to 90 days. From about day 45 a mentor takes the bigger career questions, and the buddy steps back.
- What they don't do. Evaluate performance. The new hire should be able to say anything to their buddy.
- Thank them. Recognize buddies in public at day 90. Good buddying is real work.
Onboarding activities for remote hires
Every activity above marked "works on video" runs on a call, so most of them double as virtual onboarding ideas. On top of that, remote onboarding needs a few extra habits:
- Ship everything early. The laptop, any equipment and a welcome gift should arrive at least two days before the start date.
- Cameras on for the first meeting. Ask the team to join the first call on video so the new hire can put faces to names.
- Overlap hours. Agree on the hours the new hire and buddy are both online, especially across time zones.
- More, shorter check-ins. Two 15-minute check-ins a day in week one beat one long one; remote hires can't lean over and ask.
- Say it in writing too. Follow every verbal explanation with a link or a note, so nothing depends on memory.
- One visit if you can. If budget allows, bring a remote hire to the office or a team meetup within the first 90 days.
How to introduce a new team member
An introduction is the new hire's first impression of the team, and the team's first impression of them.
- Introduce them in the first team meeting with three facts they chose, not their résumé.
- Post an intro in the team channel on the morning of day one, with a photo if they are happy to share one.
- Send a short intro email to the people outside the team they will work with most.
- Ask each teammate to send a one-line hello in the channel by the end of day one.
- Mention them by name at the next all-hands or department meeting.
- Play a name game or a light get-to-know-you game in week one.
For week one, our name games and get to know you games have plenty of light options.
Three intro messages to copy
Fill in the brackets and change anything that doesn’t sound like you.
From the manager, in the team channel
Please welcome [Name], who joins us today as our new [role]! [Name] comes to us from [previous team or field], where they [one thing they did]. They'll be working on [first project]. [Buddy name] is their buddy for the first few months. Drop [Name] a hello and tell them one thing you can help with.
An email to the people they'll work with
Hi all, I'd like to introduce [Name], who started this week as [role] on [team]. You'll be working with [Name] on [shared work], so expect a short intro chat in the next couple of weeks. They're keen to learn how your team works and what you need from ours. Please make them welcome. Thanks, [Your name]
From the new hire, introducing themselves
Hi everyone! I'm [Name], the new [role] on [team]. Before this I [previous role or experience]. I'm looking forward to [one thing about the work]. Outside work you'll find me [one hobby or interest]. I'll be reaching out over the next few weeks, but please say hi any time. I'd love to hear what you work on.
Welcome gift ideas for new hires
A gift on day one says the team planned for them. It doesn't have to cost much.
- A handwritten note from the manager on the desk or in the box.
- A desk plant that the team picked out.
- A notebook and a good pen.
- A mug or water bottle, unbranded if you want it to get used at home.
- Lunch on the first day, paid by the team.
Gift boxes with real prices
From our chocolate gift collection, priced per box:
- Quogue Luxury Gift Box (X-Small), $22
- Signature Truffle Collection, $32
- The Bridgehampton, $38
- Quogue Luxury Gift Box (Medium), $58
Browse all gift boxes or our employee appreciation gifts.
Planning the new hire's first team event?
A hosted onboarding game gives a new hire an easy way to meet the team without small talk. A live host runs it in mixed teams, on Zoom by default. Our new hire onboarding events page covers events for new-starter groups. Book about 2 weeks ahead, or get a free quote.
Two hosted games that work well with new starters, with today’s prices.
