HR Manager onboarding plan
An HR manager handles sensitive information from day one. Onboarding should cover data access, open employee cases and legal obligations before process improvements.
What good onboarding achieves
Run HR operations reliably, handle employee cases confidentially and support managers with hiring, onboarding and performance.
Week one example
- Day 1: HR system access and data-protection obligations; meet leadership.
- Day 2: Policies, employee handbook and local employment requirements.
- Day 3: Open cases and sensitive matters, handed over confidentially.
- Day 4: Hiring pipeline and current onboarding process.
- Day 5: Meet managers to understand their people needs.
30/60/90 progression
- Day 30: Owns day-to-day HR administration and open cases.
- Day 60: Supports managers on hiring and performance conversations.
- Day 90: Has improved one people process, such as onboarding or reviews.
People to meet (examples)
- CEO or people lead
- Department managers
- Payroll provider contact
- Legal or employment advisor
Systems to learn (examples)
- HRIS
- Payroll system or provider portal
- ATS
- Policy documents and handbook
Manager checkpoints
- Week 1: case handover complete
- Day 30: HR admin running
- Day 60: manager feedback
- Day 90: process improvement
Common mistakes
- Handing over sensitive cases informally
- Not explaining local legal obligations
- Overloading with process redesign in month one
- No introductions to managers
Checklist
- HRIS access
- Data-protection briefing
- Policies reviewed
- Open cases handed over
- Payroll process understood
- Hiring pipeline reviewed
- Managers met
- Priorities agreed