IT Employee Onboarding Checklist

Overview

A structured IT onboarding checklist ensures every new hire gets consistent, secure access from day one. Missed steps lead to shadow IT, security gaps, and a poor employee experience.

Use this checklist for every new employee. Assign an IT buddy, track progress, and get sign-off before closing the ticket.

1. Pre-Arrival Preparation

Complete these items before the employee's first day. Ideally 3-5 business days in advance.

• Create AD/Entra ID account — Set up the user account in Active Directory or Microsoft Entra ID with correct OU/group placement

  New-ADUser -Name "Jane Smith" -SamAccountName "jsmith" -UserPrincipalName "jsmith@contoso.com" -Path "OU=Users,DC=contoso,DC=com" -Enabled $true

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• Assign Microsoft 365 license — Provision the appropriate E3/E5/Business license based on role

• Send welcome email to hiring manager — Confirm start date, desk location, and first-day schedule

• Order hardware — Laptop, monitor, dock, peripherals based on the role-specific hardware matrix

• Prepare welcome packet — Print or stage Wi-Fi credentials, support contacts, and quick-start guide

• Create accounts in line-of-business apps — CRM, ERP, ticketing system, or any role-specific platforms

• Reserve desk/workspace — Confirm physical setup including power, network drop, and phone (if applicable)

2. Hardware Setup

Configure the device before handing it to the employee.

• Image the device with standard OS build — Deploy the approved Windows 11 / macOS image via MDT, Autopilot, or ABM

• Apply all Windows/macOS updates — Ensure fully patched before deployment

  # Check update status
  Get-WindowsUpdate -Install -AcceptAll -AutoReboot

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• Enroll in MDM (Intune / Jamf) — Device must be managed before it leaves IT

  # Verify Intune enrollment
  dsregcmd /status | findstr "AzureAdJoined"

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• Enable disk encryption (BitLocker / FileVault) — Full-disk encryption is mandatory

  manage-bde -status C:

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• Apply asset tag and record serial number — Log in asset management system with assigned user

• Connect and test peripherals — Dock, monitors, keyboard, mouse, headset all functional

• Verify device boots to login and connects to Wi-Fi — Confirm basic functionality before handoff

3. Account & Identity

Set up secure access across all identity systems.

• Enroll in MFA — Register Microsoft Authenticator or FIDO2 key during first-day setup

• Add to security groups — Assign department and role-based groups for proper access scoping

  Add-ADGroupMember -Identity "SG-Marketing-Users" -Members "jsmith"

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• Configure VPN access — Set up Always-On VPN or per-app VPN profile for remote access

• Verify SSO works for all assigned apps — Test login to each provisioned SaaS application

• Add to shared mailboxes and distribution lists — Department inbox, team DLs, all-company announcements

• Set email signature — Deploy the standard company email signature template

• Configure Conditional Access policies — Ensure the user's device meets compliance policies before granting access

4. Security Configuration

Every device must meet baseline security requirements before connecting to the corporate network.

• Verify EDR agent is installed and reporting — SentinelOne, CrowdStrike, or Defender for Endpoint must be active

  # Check SentinelOne status
  & "C:\Program Files\SentinelOne\Sentinel Agent\SentinelCtl.exe" status

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• Confirm Windows Firewall / macOS firewall is enabled — Host firewall must be active with corporate profile

• Deploy password manager — Install and configure Bitwarden, 1Password, or company-approved manager

• Run initial vulnerability scan — Verify no critical vulnerabilities on the fresh build

• Enable Windows Defender Credential Guard — Protect credentials from Pass-the-Hash attacks (Windows Enterprise)

• Verify USB device policy — Confirm removable storage is blocked or restricted per policy

• Confirm screen lock timeout — Auto-lock after 5 minutes of inactivity

  # Check via Group Policy
  gpresult /r | findstr "screen"

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5. Software Installation

Install only approved software from the company catalog.

• Install productivity suite — Microsoft 365 Apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote)

• Install communication tools — Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or Slack (as per company standard)

• Install role-specific software — Design tools, IDEs, accounting packages, etc. per the software matrix

• Install RMM agent — NinjaOne, Datto, or ConnectWise agent for remote support and monitoring

• Install approved browser — Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome with managed policies pushed via Intune/GPO

• Verify all installed software is licensed — Check license activation status for each commercial application

6. Network & Access

Connect the user to all required network resources.

• Connect to corporate Wi-Fi (802.1X) — Deploy the Wi-Fi profile with certificate-based authentication

• Verify correct VLAN assignment — Confirm the device is on the appropriate network segment

• Map network drives / SharePoint libraries — Connect to department file shares and document libraries

• Install and test network printers — Add printers via print server or universal print

• Verify internet filtering profile — Confirm web content filtering policy is applied (DNS filtering or proxy)

• Test internal application access — Verify connectivity to intranet, ticketing system, and knowledge base

7. Training & Compliance

Security awareness and policy acceptance are mandatory before granting full access.

• Complete security awareness training — New-hire module covering phishing, social engineering, and data handling

• Enroll in phishing simulation — Add to the next scheduled phishing campaign for baseline testing

• Sign Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) — Digital or physical signature on the IT acceptable use agreement

• Provide IT support contacts — Helpdesk number, email, ticketing portal, and escalation path

• Review data classification policy — Ensure the employee understands confidential vs. internal vs. public data

• Complete compliance training — HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or industry-specific training if applicable

8. Verification & Handoff

Final checks before closing the onboarding ticket.

• Test email send/receive — Send a test email and confirm it arrives in both directions

• Test VPN connectivity — Connect via VPN from outside the office network and access internal resources

• Verify MFA is working — Confirm the user can authenticate with MFA across all enrolled applications

• Test all provisioned applications — Open each application and verify functional access

• Complete IT onboarding sign-off form — Manager and employee sign the checklist confirming all items complete

• Schedule 30-day follow-up — Calendar reminder to check in, review access, and remove any unused licenses

Quick Reference

Offboarding Counterpart

When the employee leaves, reverse this checklist: disable accounts, revoke MFA, wipe the device, reclaim hardware, and remove from all groups and licenses. A separate offboarding checklist ensures nothing is missed.