HR Mavericks

Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia

IT Onboarding

When you make a new hire, your new employees will rely on a handful of technological devices, applications and tools to successfully complete their job. IT onboarding creates a uniform training program to ensure that all required technology is properly set up and new hires are well-trained on the tools they’ll be using.

Continue reading to learn what IT onboarding is, why it’s important, steps to a successful IT onboarding program and an IT onboarding checklist to use for your company.

What Is IT Onboarding?

IT onboarding is part of the general onboarding process where you introduce and train new hires on the technology they’ll use in their day-to-day responsibilities. This can range from setting up new employees with computers, phones and other devices, to sharing information about cybersecurity and online privacy best practices. IT onboarding also incorporates technology training, which teaches new hires the technological aspects of the job. If the position is IT-based or heavily reliant on technology, the IT onboarding process will be more extensive than the standard program.

Why IT Onboarding Is So Important

New employees need to use a slew of technology tools and software to be successful in their roles. IT onboarding is important to help new hires:
  • Familiarize themselves with technology systems. New hires may be overwhelmed by the amount of technology they’ll need to use to be successful in their role. A comprehensive IT onboarding experience can help them become familiar with the tools, software and processes before they jump into their day-to-day responsibilities.
  • Set up required accounts. Between software for the job, communication applications and security programs, new employees have more than a handful of accounts they’ll need to access. IT onboarding provides an opportunity for new hires to set up all of their technology accounts with the assistance of your company’s IT professionals.
  • Learn about safety and security. When you hire new employees, you grant them access to confidential information about the company. Providing a clear overview of cybersecurity and privacy practices in IT onboarding helps new hires understand how to navigate and protect sensitive information.
  • Feel confident in their ability to use provided technology. Not only should new hires familiarize themselves with their new technology, they need to feel confident in their abilities to use it in order to complete the requirements of their role. A robust IT onboarding program ensures all new employees learn the ins and outs of the necessary technology.

How to Make Sure IT Onboarding Goes Smoothly

Technology is an important tool for employees across all industries, but issues are common. To ensure that your IT onboarding goes smoothly, consider following the steps below.

1. Provide Your IT Department With All Required Information About the New Hire

Each new hire will require different types of technology to be successful in their position, depending on the role and industry. Once the candidate officially accepts their offer, send relevant information to the IT department so they know what technology to prepare for the new employee. Some information to gather for IT includes:
  • The new hire’s name
  • Contact details
  • Job title
  • Department
  • Starting date
  • Software they’ll need for their job

2. Order and Set Up Technology Before Their First Day

Equipped with information about the new hire, the IT department can order and set up all of the tech equipment before the new employee’s first day. Depending on the size of your company, you may have extra computers and equipment waiting to be assigned to new employees. No matter what size your company is, you should be prepared to order and set up the following pieces of technology:
  • Laptop or computer
  • Monitor
  • Docking station
  • Mouse
  • Keyboard
  • Charging cables
  • Company cell phone

3. Create Accounts for All Applicable Software and Tools

As with setting up tech devices, your IT department will need to create accounts for all of the software and tools that a new hire will need in their position. Most employees will require a company email address and internal communication tools like Google Chat, Skype or Slack. Other accounts you may need to create include Google Drive, productivity tools like Trello or Asana and analytics tools like PowerBI and Tableau.

4. Schedule 1:1 or Small Group Training Meetings

On the new employee’s first day, schedule time for a one-on-one or small group IT onboarding training session to walk through all of the devices and accounts they need to know how to navigate. In this meeting, your IT department will walk new hires through their company email and messaging apps, as well as some of the important security procedures. Consider scheduling enough time to walk through some of the technology available for general use at the office as well.

5. Provide Resources Around Cybersecurity, Privacy and Basic IT Systems Training

While you can review information around Cybersecurity and internet safety in their training meeting, have the IT department prepare independent training modules that dive deeper into cybersecurity, privacy and other basic IT systems training. New hires can refer to this training as they get acclimated to their position and can contact the IT department if they have any questions or concerns.

6. Review Data Privacy Agreements

In tandem with their independent training, your IT department should create a data privacy agreement that new hires can review and sign before completing their IT onboarding. This assures that all of the confidential data that you provide new employees remains private and covers the organization legally in case of a data breach.

7. Keep an Open Line of Communication

Technology can be tricky to understand and new employees can easily mess up their devices. Make sure to keep an open line of communication between new employees and the IT department so that any issues can quickly be resolved.

IT Onboarding Checklist

The following IT employee onboarding checklist can be used to prioritize tasks required to complete the process.
  1. Gather new employee information.
  2. Order necessary equipment.
  3. Set up technology.
  4. Create accounts for necessary tools and software.
  5. Conduct IT onboarding meetings.
  6. Complete independent cybersecurity and privacy training.
  7. Have employees sign a data privacy agreement.
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Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
Automated Onboarding
Culture Acclimation
Employee First Day
Employee Onboarding Experience
Facility Tour
I-9 Acceptable Documents
I9 Authorized Representative
Induction
Initial Goal Setting
Learning Curve
Meet-and-Greet
New Hire Gifts
New Hire Orientation
Onboarding Buddy
Onboarding Milestone
Remote Onboarding
Role-Specific Training
Safety Training
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Team Introductions
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Workplace Policies
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