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You know how frustrating it can be to find an employee who doesn’t have the right skills, or worse yet has a tendency to slack off on their tasks. This checklist will help you avoid costly mistakes and get your company running smoothly from day one.
The “free new hire checklist template word” is a free downloadable template for creating and filling out a new hire checklist. The template includes everything from the basics to more advanced items like company policies.
When adding new personnel to your company, a new hiring checklist ensures you don’t skip any critical processes. You may be unclear of what is necessary if this is your first time recruiting. Many small businesses accidentally skip important onboarding processes like completing the Form I9 or obtaining workers’ compensation insurance, for example. Because these may be expensive mistakes, we’ve produced a free, customized checklist that you can download.
Zenefits, a task management and collaboration platform, can help your HR staff and managers coordinate around typical new recruit onboarding tasks. Keeping track of your checklist ensures that you don’t forget important duties like collecting I-9 and W-4 forms, arranging manager orientation, setting up personnel files, issuing badges or keys, and more. Zenefits has HR templates and processes that may be customized. Sign up for a free seven-day trial to give it a go with no strings attached.
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Template for a New Hire Checklist: PDF | Word
Checklist for New Hires, which you may download for free.
We’ve designed a simple one-page template based on the 10 stages in our new hire checklist below, which you can download and alter as a DOC or PDF file. You’re ready to move on to the remaining action items on the list after you’ve set up your employer identification number (EIN), taxes, and workers’ compensation insurance (steps one through five below). The checklist’s remaining elements are all about the new recruit. That is, these stages give your new team members with materials that will assist them in launching effectively.
Steps to Take Before Hiring Employees
The new hiring checklist’s steps one through five guarantee that you’re ready for your first employee. The remainder of the one-page template may be changed and reused for each new recruit to ensure you don’t miss a crucial stage in the hiring process.
Instead of following the procedures in the checklist, use an independent-contractor employment contract if you’re recruiting a 1099 contractor rather than a W2 employee. You may not need to do things like state registration, workers’ compensation, or other things to hire a freelancer or gig worker who isn’t an employee.
1. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN).
Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) are nine-digit numbers provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to monitor company tax information. You most likely got one when you first began your company. If not, you must register for an EIN on the IRS website before hiring your first employee. This enables you to set up your payroll with the most up-to-date tax information for your company.
2. Register for State & Local Taxes
Make sure your company is registered for state and local taxes, if it isn’t already. Each state will provide you with a unique ID or number that you’ll need to start processing payroll. This information is also used to alert the state when you recruit a new employee so that they can track state employment and unemployment statistics and handle company and employee payroll taxes.
3. Get Workers’ Compensation Insurance
To safeguard their company and employees, most US states require firms with one or more employees (other than the owners) to acquire workers’ compensation insurance. A public money or a private carrier may usually be used to acquire this. Visit the National Federation of Independent Businesses to learn about your state’s policies and agencies (NFIB). The majority of payroll software can assist you in creating a workers’ compensation plan.
Gusto is an example of a low-cost payroll solution for small businesses that also provides workers’ compensation. Gusto can help you set up payroll for your first (and subsequent) new employees. It includes online forms and e-signature capabilities to guarantee that important onboarding activities, such as saving employee data online, are completed appropriately. Gusto provides a free 30-day trial and lets you run your first paycheck for free.
Gusto is a great place to visit.
4. Post State & Federal Labor Law Posters
Labor law notifications will most likely be needed to be posted throughout the workplace, depending on the state you’re in and the sector you work in. These are known as labor law posters, and they include information on at-will employment, minimum pay rates, and anti-discrimination rules, among other things. The majority of federal and state entities will distribute these posters free of charge (or at least give you links to PDF versions of the posters to print out).
The US Department of Labor provides an interactive quiz that might assist you in determining which federal poster you need. You should also check with your state agency to see if there are any additional mandatory announcements. In addition, many payroll systems charge a nominal cost for a poster.
5. Find out how much your state’s unemployment tax is.
The rate at which you pay state unemployment insurance (SUI) fluctuates from year to year, based on your salary or income. You should get your SUI tax rate in the mail each year, or you may look it up on the website for your state’s tax registration. Because there will be no unemployment claims, new enterprises will utilize a default rate. This information is needed to set up your payroll procedure.
Steps for Establishing a New Hire Checklist
6. Document Pre-screening, Employment Verification & Background Checks
While most positions don’t require it, it’s a good idea to double-check that the person you’re recruiting has been honest throughout the application and interview process. So that there are no surprises, consider doing post-offer testing, pre-hire background checks, employment verifications, or drug screening (if permissible in your state). It’s advisable to save this information in a secure file folder.
7. Obtain a signed federal W-4 form from the employee.
On or before the first day of work, have your employee fill out and sign a Federal W-4 form. An employee’s tax withholding selections are specified on the W-4 form. The form is available on the IRS website. You do not need to send a copy to the IRS, but you should maintain the original.
8. Obtain a signed W-4 form from the state.
The federal W-4 form is used in several states. State taxes are not collected in other states. As a result, this activity is only significant in states that require you to utilize their own W-4 form. On the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, you may locate your state’s W-4 form or its equivalent. Obtain this on Day One, just like the federal W-4 (if your state requires it).
9. Have the employee fill out Form I-9.
The I-9 Form is used to verify an employee’s ability to work in the United States and must be completed within the first three days of employment. You are not required to send a copy to the government, but you must retain the original payroll records on file for three years following the date of hiring (or one year after the termination of an employee, whichever comes first).
10. Participate in the New Hire Reporting Program with the employee.
Within 20 days of their start date, businesses must report every new employee to their state’s new hire reporting program. The registry’s goal is to assist the government in enforcing child support payments, tracking employment statistics, and more. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) maintains a new hire reporting program center for each state, which you may access on the SBA’s website.
The New Hire Checklist in Action
The new hire checklist may be used for two purposes: the initial new hire and all future new hires. You may print it to make sure you’ve covered all of the bases before hiring your first new employee. If you’re working on the tasks with others, save it as a shared document so others can check off things as they’re completed, or print out copies to present to supervisors so they can track your progress.
Then, when you continue to recruit more people, you can change the editable version of the new hire checklist template to include anything specific to your company. As part of your recruiting process, you may need new drivers to provide a copy of their most recent physical, child care employees to produce documentation of a TB test, or new restaurant workers to complete a food safety course. You may also get rid of any chores you don’t require.
Most Commonly Asked Questions (FAQs)
Those hiring staff for the first time (and even those of us who have been recruiting and hiring for years) often have questions due to all of the federal and state labor rules. On this page, we’ve answered some of the most common questions we get on this subject.
Is there a comprehensive list of all the paperwork I’ll need for new hires?
Yes, there are several listings of new hiring forms available on the internet. They should all contain W-4s, I-9s, and job applications, which are typically used when employing staff. Some even allow you to customize the templates by adding your company’s logo or tailoring them to your sector.
Is there a checklist for onboarding a new recruit that includes more information?
Yes, after you’ve mastered the fundamentals of recruiting, a new hire orientation checklist or employee onboarding checklist will help you step up your game. These should provide you with best-practice guidelines for developing your own new recruit onboarding and orientation program. Reminders to complete crucial activities, such as setting up the employee’s new office and introducing them to the team, will be included in high-quality checklists.
What is the best software for keeping track of workers and paying them?
For handling employee data and processing payroll, businesses have a variety of alternatives. Some companies utilize HR software, while others outsource HR functions such as payroll processing to a third party. We propose adopting online payroll software to save money while guaranteeing compliance with federal and state labor and tax laws.
Is there anything more we’ll need once we start hiring?
As your company expands, you may want to look at some of the other employee-related materials in our HR area, such as:
What should be mentioned in the offer letter for a new hire?
An offer letter may be as basic as an email addressed to your prospective worker, including the job start date, salary rate, and any papers they’ll need to present. Using an offer letter template will help you create a customized offer letter that supports your job brand.
Conclusion
For a small company owner who is just starting to recruit personnel, the processes above may seem daunting. You can easily keep track of everything you need using our checklist. Please follow the processes in order to avoid breaching state or federal labor regulations or overlooking important actions that will help your new team member with their onboarding. You may proceed ahead with extended onboarding and training after the employee has been employed, which will help your new team member assimilate with their new team and firm.
The “new hire form template word” is a checklist that can be used to create a new hire checklist. The document includes the instructions and a template for the employee’s name, address, phone number, and email address.
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