Starting January 1? Here’s the Onboarding Checklist to Use
New year, new hires, sometimes a new system too. Here’s how to get all three right without tripping over each other.
Two kinds of “January 1 onboarding,” and why this page covers both
Businesses starting a new payroll or HR provider on January 1 are often, at the very same time, onboarding new employees who start the same week. Handled separately, that’s two full onboarding processes competing for the same team’s attention in the same week. Handled together, a new system that’s already live means new hires go straight into self-service onboarding instead of paper forms during the messiest week of the year.
New employee onboarding checklist for a January start
New system onboarding checklist (if you’re also switching providers)
Planning a system switch? See the full Switching Payroll Providers on January 1 guide for implementation timing.
What breaks when these two overlap without a plan
A new system that isn’t fully configured yet, combined with a wave of new hires needing paperwork processed immediately, is how onboarding at a growing company turns into three weeks of chasing paperwork by hand. Onboarding automation is the alternative: Netchex customers cut that same process down from 3 weeks to 1 day.
Onboarding automation cuts time-to-hire
Reduction in onboarding time
Of managers get a full day back
Free, project-managed implementation, including free data import
Common questions
What documents do new hires need to complete before their start date?
At minimum: Form I-9, Form W-4, direct deposit information, and benefits enrollment paperwork if eligible immediately. Completing these electronically before day one avoids a paperwork bottleneck in the first week.
Should I onboard new hires the same week I switch payroll providers?
It’s manageable if the new system is fully configured and tested before go-live, but avoid scheduling a system cutover and a large new-hire wave in the exact same week without a clear plan for both. See the Switching Payroll Providers on January 1 guide for implementation timing.
Do benefits eligibility waiting periods reset on January 1?
Many employer plans run on a calendar-year plan year, which can simplify eligibility timing for employees who start January 1, but this varies by plan, so confirm your specific plan’s rules.
Further reading: Onboarding at Scale: How to Hire 50 People in Two Weeks Without Chaos and the Year-End Payroll & Tax Season Guide.
Starting new hires and a new system at the same time?
See how Netchex’s onboarding automation and implementation team keep both on track.
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