The All-Encompassing Onboarding Process

Banner at the top of the article displaying package applicability. The word Core is highlighted in green, Pro in red, and Elite in blue, while Add-on is grayed out. This indicates the onboarding process applies to the Core, Pro, and Elite packages.

Purpose: There is a lot of information to keep track of with new employees. From recruitment to applications, required documentation, onboarding tasks, and getting the employee started on the right foot, there is little room for error. At BambooHR, we strive to make this experience delightful for you and your new employees. This guide will walk you through the entire onboarding process.

Table of Contents

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Create a job opening

Screenshot of the Create Job Opening form in BambooHR. The left side shows a progress list with steps: Job Information, Application Details, Job Pipeline, Automated Emails, Job Boards. On the right, the Job Information form is active, including fields for Posting Title, Hiring Lead, Department, Employee Type, Location, Compensation, and Job Description. Buttons at the bottom allow saving or previewing the posting.

Get started with your recruitment process by creating a job opening. You can use the embed code to post job openings on your website, or you can utilize the Careers Website that BambooHR’s Applicant Tracking System provides for you.

When you create a job opening, do not forget to publish the job opening to free job boards like Indeed and Glassdoor. You can also share the job opening on social media to get the word out.

Be sure to check out our applicant tracking reports to help you keep track of the information you need.

View candidates

Screenshot of a job opening page in BambooHR. At the top, a banner shows Offer Pending! An offer letter was sent to an employee on a specified date. Below, a candidate table lists three applicants. Columns display candidate name, status, rating (stars), application date, and last email activity. A sidebar shows job details and the hiring lead.

Keep track of your candidates in a job opening's candidate overview table, where you can update multiple candidates at one time. Be sure to add collaborators to the job opening or grant access for your recruiters to help out.

Screenshot of candidate profile. Tabs include Offer, Candidate Info, Notes, and Emails. The Candidate Info tab is open, showing name, title “HR Software Expert,” address, phone number, email, and skills. On the right, a rating widget shows five gold stars and buttons for email, phone, and notes. Offer status indicates Offer Sent.

Clicking on a candidate's name in the overview will take you to the candidate's profile. The profile is where you can find all of the details about the candidate. Use our standard templates or create your own email templates to stay in touch with your candidates by sending emails from the Emails tab.

Send an offer letter

Screenshot of the Offer tab within a candidate profile. Steps are displayed as icons: Sent, Viewed, and Signed, each checked off. Buttons allow canceling, revising, or viewing the offer. Sidebar shows contact details, available start date, and a status label “Offer Sent.”

Once you find your top choice, set up your offer letter template and send the candidate an offer letter. You can view the status of the offer letter through the Offer tab. The tab will appear on the candidate's profile after you send an offer letter to them. 

Hire the employee

Pop-up notification with confetti graphics and a green checkmark. Large text reads: “[Employee Name] got the job!” Below, it says “Add [Employee Name] as a new employee now.” A checkbox option is selected: Close this job opening and remove the public posting. At the bottom are buttons for Cancel and a green Add New Employee.

After the candidate signs the offer letter, you can easily hire them as a new employee. Their application information will transfer to the Add New Employee page, and you can add additional employee information.

New Hire Packet

Screenshot of the New Hire Packet screen for employee. The form includes email address, start date, arrival time, location, contact person, manager, and instructions. Buttons at the bottom include Preview & Send, Save & Send Later, and Cancel. Sidebar text confirms customization options for packet fields.

On the Add Employee page, check the box to send a New Hire Packet to the new employee. Your new employee can fill out their basic personal information through the New Hire Packet, and they will have a warm welcome to your company!

Before sending the New Hire Packet, confirm that you set up your Onboarding template the way you would like it to be. Any tasks assigned to the employee will send with the New Hire Packet. This packet also includes any tasks with documents to sign, and you can be sure to check that off before the employee’s first day.

Now you can sit back and relax, knowing that you have taken care of your employee onboarding experience. And your new employee will notice that the onboarding process is easy!

"Our current onboarding process is a disorganized mess of paper forms and manual data entry, leading to a poor new-hire experience and frequent errors. It's time-consuming for HR, and I'm worried we're missing crucial compliance steps. We need a streamlined, automated onboarding solution within BambooHR that ensures a smooth and consistent welcome for new employees, reduces HR workload, and guarantees all necessary paperwork is completed accurately and on time."

Our Solution: Our BambooHR Services team can help create a complete onboarding transformation, including strategic consulting and BambooHR optimization to eliminate manual processes, ensure compliance, and deliver a welcoming, error-free new hire experience, saving HR time while setting employees up for success.