What does a good onboarding doc look like?

A great onboarding document serves as both a roadmap and a collaboration tool for new hires and their managers. It should clearly outline expectations, resources, and key contacts while encouraging the new hire to actively engage by adding their notes, reflections, and questions. Start with a warm welcome and an overview of the team’s mission, vision, and immediate goals. Then, detail role expectations, such as deliverables for the first 30/60/90 days, areas for skill growth, and team norms. Include links to resources, documentation, and tools, as well as a list of key stakeholders and their roles. Finally, encourage the new hire to personalize the document with their thoughts and questions to spark meaningful discussions with their manager. Regularly review and update the doc together to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.

Template:

Welcome to the Team
[Personalized welcome note from the manager/team]

Your Role

• Key deliverables for the first 30/60/90 days.
• Areas for growth and strengths to leverage.

Team and Tools

• Team norms: [Communication methods, meeting rhythms, etc.]
• Tools: [Key software, guides, and training materials.]
• Dev Environment Setup: [Cover end to end dev setup]
• On Call: [Roles and Responsibilities]

Key Contacts

• Stakeholders: [List of team members and their roles.]
• Sister Teams: [List of teams and team members and their roles.]

Your Notes and Reflections

• Questions or areas for clarification.
• Personal observations or suggestions.

Follow-Up and Feedback

• [Schedule for check-ins and progress reviews.]

Nishanth pretty much nailed it. I just want to stress that docs like these should be living docs. Make sure to check in on them regularly, especially at the 30, 60, and 90 days marks. Assuming weekly 1 on 1s with your manager, this should be the 4th, 8th, and 12th 1:1 meetings roughly.

Don't be afraid to directly ask point-blank how you are doing: "Given my trajectory, am I on track to become a fully productive, solidly performing member of the team?". Reassure your manager that you're an adult and can take bad news (i.e. you are falling behind) if necessary. If it turns out that you're struggling, better to find out sooner rather than later, especially in the current market.

Never forget that 1 on 1s are meant to be awkward 😉