HR & People Ops

Free Employee Onboarding Checklist Template for Google Docs (Mail Merge Ready)

A structured onboarding checklist with tasks for IT setup, team introductions, training, and first-week milestones. Copy it into a Google Doc, connect a Google Sheet of new hires, and generate a personalized checklist for every row in one click.

The template

Everything in {{double braces}} is a merge tag. Each tag matches a column header in your Google Sheet, and Batch Merge fills in the value from each row automatically — one finished checklist per new hire.

EMPLOYEE ONBOARDING CHECKLIST New Hire: {{New Hire Name}} Job Title: {{Job Title}} Department: {{Department}} Start Date: {{Start Date}} Manager: {{Manager}} Buddy: {{Buddy Name}} Manager: work through each section below in order. Check items off in this document as they are completed so everyone can see onboarding progress at a glance. ──────────────────────────────────────── BEFORE DAY ONE — IT & WORKSPACE SETUP ☐ Create the company email account and share credentials with {{Manager}} ☐ Order and configure equipment: {{Equipment}} ☐ Set up accounts: chat, calendar, HR portal, and password manager ☐ Prepare the workspace at {{Desk Location}} ☐ Send the welcome email with first-day logistics and arrival instructions ☐ Add {{New Hire Name}} to the {{Department}} team calendar and mailing lists ☐ Schedule the first-week calendar: orientation, team intros, and training blocks DAY ONE ☐ Welcome meeting with {{Manager}} at {{Orientation Time}} ☐ Office or virtual tour and team introductions ☐ Issue the building access badge and parking details (on-site hires) ☐ HR orientation: policies, payroll setup, and benefits overview ☐ Verify that all equipment and account access works end to end ☐ Lunch with {{Buddy Name}} and the {{Department}} team WEEK ONE ☐ 1:1 with {{Manager}} to review the role and 30-day expectations ☐ Complete required compliance and security training ☐ Confirm direct deposit and tax forms are submitted in the HR portal ☐ Meet key cross-functional partners outside {{Department}} ☐ Shadow a teammate on a typical workflow ☐ Review team documentation, tools, and processes with {{Buddy Name}} FIRST 30 DAYS ☐ Weekly check-ins with {{Manager}} ☐ Complete the starter project and share results with the team ☐ Confirm all recurring team meetings are on the calendar ☐ Finalize benefits enrollment before the deadline ☐ 30-day review with {{Manager}}: feedback, questions, and goals for days 31–90 ──────────────────────────────────────── Questions? Contact {{HR Contact}} or your manager, {{Manager}}. Welcome aboard, {{New Hire Name}} — we're glad you're here!

Tip: choose Google Doc as the output format for this template. Each new hire gets their own editable checklist Doc — share it with the manager and the new hire on day one so they can check items off together as onboarding progresses. PDF works too, but it can't be ticked off.

Set up your Google Sheet

Create one column per merge tag. Column headers must match the tag names exactly (they're case-sensitive). Each row becomes one checklist:

New Hire Name	Job Title	Start Date	Manager	Department	Equipment	Buddy Name	Desk Location	Orientation Time	HR Contact
Priya Nair	Customer Success Manager	Aug 3, 2026	Tom Reyes	Customer Success	MacBook Air, 27" monitor, headset	Lena Fischer	Floor 2, Desk 214	9:30 AM	hr@yourcompany.com
Marcus Webb	Data Analyst	Aug 10, 2026	Ingrid Sol	Analytics	Dell XPS 15, dual monitors, dock	Ravi Patel	Remote (home office)	10:00 AM	hr@yourcompany.com

Tip: HR keeps this sheet as the single source of truth for the incoming class — add a row whenever a hire signs, then run Batch Merge the week before start dates to generate the whole batch at once.

Generate one checklist per new hire

Copy the template into a Google Doc. Click Copy template above, paste into a new Doc, and adapt the tasks to your company — add rows, reorder sections, apply your branding. Tags survive formatting.

Install Batch Merge free from the Google Workspace Marketplace, then open your sheet and choose Extensions → Batch Merge → Open Batch Merge.

Pick your template. Select the checklist Doc with the file picker. Batch Merge scans it and shows every tag as a pill — green when it matches a column header, amber when it doesn't. Fix any amber pills by renaming columns or tags.

Choose Google Doc output and run. Pick Google Doc (or PDF / DOCX), choose a Drive folder, and click Run. Batch Merge writes a status per row and a Merge Log so you always know what was generated.

On the free plan you get 25 merge runs per month — each run can process your whole sheet. Email delivery (send each checklist straight to the hiring manager), scheduling, and Google Slides templates are on Pro.

FAQ

Can managers actually check the items off?

Yes — generate Google Doc output instead of PDF. Each new hire gets their own editable Doc, so the manager, buddy, and new hire can tick boxes, add notes, and track progress right in the document. PDF output is best when you want a fixed record instead.

How do I list multiple pieces of equipment for one hire?

Put everything in the one Equipment cell, separated by commas — e.g. "MacBook Air, 27" monitor, headset". Batch Merge inserts the cell text exactly as written, so the full list appears on that hire's checklist.

Can I send each checklist to the hiring manager automatically?

Yes — on the Pro plan, add a manager email column and pick it as the recipient. Batch Merge attaches each generated checklist to a personalized email per row, so every manager gets their new hire's checklist without you forwarding anything.

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