New Employee Orientation and Required Forms Checklist

Checklist to help prepare for planning an optimal new employee orientation and onboarding process, including lists of forms, acknowledgements and brochures required in CA.

Whether your practice hires infrequently or on a regular basis, a well-organized and consistent orientation to welcome a new employee is essential in improving the chances of retaining a good employee and driving employee engagement beyond day one. Having a plan prepared ahead of time will show your new employee they are not an afterthought but important members of the team. New employees who experience a disorganized first day will question their decision to join your team.

Part of a thorough onboarding process assumes the basic groundwork of a formal offer-of-employment letter, background and reference check, license verification, etc., was satisfactorily completed. Your offer letter of employment has been accepted and signed and the start day is set. Now, it is time to start planning the optimal employee orientation! Before the employee’s first day, gather the information below and be ready to make your best “first” impression.

Prepare in advance to set your employee up for success:

• Prepare the employee’s workspace. Clean and organize the space, including shared workspaces. Designate a space where training will occur. Provide the tools needed so the employee doesn’t spend valuable time gathering resources.
• Determine how much training is needed. Allow time in the schedule for all involved with the training. Determine what type of training will be included and gather materials needed for each type of training. Consider HIPAA training prior to exposure to patient records and data, patient procedure and office routines or special equipment training. See Required Employee Training resource on cda.org
• Set a realistic timeline. Most employers are anxious to have new employees contributing to the everyday productivity of the office; however, it’s essential not to skip the HR and training steps.
• Designate an “office buddy” in advance. Choosing a positive, approachable team member will help the employee acclimate to the culture and the surroundings of the office.
• Schedule the new employee to start on a date that is convenient for your schedule and team. Avoid beginning on a day where the schedule won’t allow a smooth transition or when team members won’t be available or are too busy to train.
• Identify where to direct clinical staff to obtain Hepatitis B vaccination series.
• Make introductions and welcome the employee! Allow time during the morning huddle or make dedicated time in the schedule. Clarify the new employee’s role within the team, how they will fit into the practice and, if needed, to whom the employee should report.
• Set aside time to complete required forms. Your new employee’s first day should include adequately dedicated quiet time to complete all necessary required and practice-specific forms and acknowledgements. CDA Practice Support recommends as a best practice that you allow the employee time to read the employee manual during normal office hours. In doing so, you can acknowledge that the employee was paid to review the manual and had the ability to ask questions, therefore the employee cannot claim ignorance of practice policies.
• Make lunch plans. This doesn’t have to be formal. Include the new employee in the group around the lunch table or in an off-site run. Make sure the employee feels included.