What should you automate first?

Choose a task with a clear starting point and an obvious finish. My recommendation is to begin with preparation assignments and the practical welcome message.

Employee onboarding means helping someone learn their role, meet colleagues and understand how the business works. It includes ongoing support, rather than ending with an introductory meeting. Asana explains the onboarding process.

Write a narrow starting rule

For your first workflow, use this rule: the hire is approved, the start date is confirmed and a manager is assigned. A workflow is simply the sequence of actions that follows an event. If a required detail is missing, send the record back for correction.

Zapier describes onboarding automation as software handling repeatable work, including welcome messages, paperwork and training assignments. Its guide also describes automatically notifying teams and assigning onboarding tasks. Zapier's onboarding automation guide.

For a small online shop, choose one customer support role for the pilot. Define which preparation steps belong to the owner, which belong to the supervisor and which the new employee should complete.

If you are reviewing several administrative processes, use the same narrow scope when planning recurring billing automation. Keep separate owners and approval rules for each process.

How do you turn a checklist into an automated process?

Give every checklist item an owner, a deadline and evidence of completion. Write these before choosing onboarding checklist software.

For example, replace “prepare access” with “employee signs in and opens the training folder.” Replace “explain the role” with “manager and employee agree on the first practice assignment.” These are proposed acceptance checks you can adapt to your business.

Keep one employee record

Choose one place for the approved start date, role and manager. Give each hire a unique reference. Ask whoever builds the automation to check that reference before creating another checklist.

Set deadlines relative to the start date. Decide what should happen when that date changes: review future reminders, update outstanding tasks and ask a person whether any previous message needs correcting.

Use simple statuses such as waiting, ready, completed and blocked. Require a short explanation for blocked items. Assign someone to review them instead of repeatedly sending the employee the same reminder.

For introductions booked through a separate service, review the setup questions in the appointment booking guide. Include the right attendee, time zone and rescheduling procedure in your test.

Which employee onboarding automation tools should you consider?

Start by testing the tools your team already uses. Ask each potential supplier to demonstrate your specific checklist and one exception, such as a delayed start.

Asana's guide emphasizes consistent steps, accessible information and a clear schedule. Zapier's guide covers connecting repeatable onboarding actions across a workflow. Use these as different evaluation questions: where will people track the work, and how will actions move between applications? Asana's process guidance; Zapier's automation guidance.

Give each tool a specific job

• Asana: if you are evaluating it, ask for a demonstration of your role checklist, owners and deadlines.
• Zapier: verify the exact event and action needed in your existing applications before subscribing.
• Your current employee system: decide whether it should hold the approved hiring record.
• Your existing document folder: prepare a single starting page with the materials this role needs.

Avoid buying a package solely because it advertises onboarding automation software. Ask what happens when a connection fails, who receives the warning and how your team continues manually.

When assessing cost, include setup, staff training and time spent fixing errors. The small business cost review guide can help you frame that discussion. Record the work required alongside the subscription quote.

What should the first week actually look like?

Build the week around a small useful task and regular opportunities to ask questions. Schedule time to practise before expecting independent work.

Hypothetical example: an online shop

Imagine hiring a support assistant to answer delivery questions. This is a suggested plan, not a customer case study or a promise of results.

1. Before arrival: send the start time, contact person and first-day outline.
2. Day one: show where approved delivery information lives and walk through sample questions.
3. Day two: ask the employee to draft replies using fictional orders.
4. Day three: review the drafts together and explain when to ask a supervisor.
5. Day four: practise a delayed delivery and an unclear customer request.
6. Day five: agree which questions the employee can handle and where support is still needed.

Write a welcome message that answers practical questions: “Hi [name], please join us at [time]. [person] will meet you. Your first session covers [task]. Contact [person] if your plans change.” Check every placeholder before enabling delivery.

Assign a named colleague for everyday questions. Asana recommends a mentor or onboarding buddy alongside the manager. Asana's mentoring recommendation.

If the employee is returning after time away, ask which tools and routines they want to revisit. Offer the career break return guide as optional preparation, and agree on support together.

How do you test the workflow before using it?

Run a fictional employee through the entire process using a test email address. Inspect the actual messages and tasks, rather than accepting a successful status as the only check.

• Leave the manager field empty and check who receives the correction request.
• Submit the same employee record twice and check for duplicate tasks.
• Change the start date and inspect every outstanding reminder.
• Cancel the hire and check that pending actions stop.
• Simulate a failed step and confirm that the owner receives an alert.

Write the recovery procedure

Tell the coordinator how to send the welcome information manually, assign missing tasks and record what was completed. Before restarting a failed workflow, require a check for actions that already succeeded.

Keep the shared checklist limited to operational details. Put private employee documents somewhere with separately defined access. Ask the account administrator to approve permissions before granting access to business systems.

Finally, ask someone unfamiliar with the setup to follow the employee instructions. Note where they hesitate, which link they cannot open and which contact they cannot identify. Fix those problems before inviting a real hire.

How long should onboarding take, and what should you measure?

Set milestones for learning the role and review them with the employee. Treat the first week as the opening stage.

Asana recommends three to six months for gradual onboarding. Use that as planning guidance, then set expectations for your particular role. Asana's onboarding timeline.

• Count preparation tasks finished by their agreed deadlines.
• Record whether the employee can complete the chosen practice task.
• Track time spent chasing, correcting and explaining repeated instructions.
• Ask which unanswered question is preventing progress.

Do not promise a retention improvement from installing software. Asana connects strong onboarding with retention, but that does not establish the separate effect of automation in your business. Asana's discussion of onboarding benefits.

If you track retention, compare groups over the same completed period. Divide the number still employed at that point by the number who started in that group. Keep the actual counts visible and note changes in management, workload or working conditions.

Use the conversations suggested in the employee motivation guide to discuss support. This week, finish one checklist, assign its owner and test one fictional hire before expanding.