AI Prompts for Employee Onboarding Guides

"Create a comprehensive 30/60/90-day onboarding plan for a new [Job Title, e.g., Senior Marketing Manager]. For each 30-day phase, define: 1) The primary learning objective, 2) Three specific, measurable goals or deliverables they must achieve, and 3) Key stakeholders they must meet with. Ensure the plan progresses logically from 'Learning & Observing' to 'Contributing' to 'Leading & Innovating'."

"Draft a 'Welcome to the Team' email to be sent to the entire company introducing our new [Job Title], [Name]. Keep the tone upbeat and welcoming. Include a brief bio detailing their impressive past experience at [Previous Company], what their core focus will be here, and 2-3 fun personal facts (e.g., hobbies, pets) to spark conversation in the office/Slack. End with a call to action for everyone to say hi."

"Draft a detailed hour-by-hour itinerary for a new hire's very first day at a remote-first company. The schedule must balance HR compliance (IT setup, benefits enrollment) with cultural integration (team lunch, manager 1-on-1). Crucially, include scheduled 'downtime' so they don't get Zoom fatigue. Make the tone of the schedule welcoming and structured."

"Draft the 'Our Culture & Values' page for our new employee handbook. We are a startup that values [Value 1], [Value 2], and [Value 3]. For each value, provide a 1-sentence definition, followed by a concrete 'We do this' and 'We don't do this' behavioral example. Avoid corporate jargon; make it sound like it was written by humans for humans."

"Create a comprehensive 'IT & Software Provisioning Checklist' for a new [Role, e.g., Developer]. Divide the list into: Hardware (laptop, monitors), Base Software (Slack, Email, password manager), Role-Specific Tools (GitHub, AWS, Figma), and Security Access (VPN, building keycard). This checklist will be used by the IT team to ensure the employee is unblocked on Day 1."

"I am onboarding a new [Role]. Describe the criteria for a perfect "First Week Quick Win" project. It needs to be low-risk, easily achievable, but highly visible so they can build confidence and establish initial credibility. Suggest 3 hypothetical examples of a quick win project for this role, and explain how the manager should guide them through it without micromanaging."

"Create an agenda for the very first 1-on-1 meeting between a manager and a new hire on Day 1. The goal is to establish psychological safety and align expectations, not to discuss projects yet. Include specific questions the manager should ask regarding working styles, preferred feedback mechanisms, and how they like to be recognized. Outline the 'Communication Contract' they should agree on."

"Draft a 1-page 'Onboarding Buddy Expectations' guide. We are assigning existing employees to be peer mentors for new hires. Outline the buddy's exact responsibilities for Week 1, Month 1, and Month 2. Include specific prompts for check-in conversations (e.g., "Ask them what acronyms they are confused by"). Clarify the boundary between a 'Buddy' (cultural guide) and a 'Manager' (performance evaluator)."

"Help me structure a "Company Jargon & Acronym Glossary" for our onboarding wiki. Design a clean format with columns for Term, Definition, and Context/Example. Generate 5 humorous/typical examples of startup jargon (e.g., 'All Hands', 'OKR', 'Standup') formatted in this specific layout, to show the HR team how the final document should look."

"Draft a 'Role Expectations' document that bridges the gap between the vague job description they applied for and the actual daily reality. For the role of [Role], list the Top 3 Daily Responsibilities, the 2 metrics they are ultimately held accountable for, and explicitly state what falls *outside* of their scope to prevent burnout. Include a 'Who to go to for X' chart."

"Create a 6-question '30-Day Onboarding Feedback Survey' to send to new hires to gauge the effectiveness of our training process. Include a mix of quantitative (1-5 scale) and qualitative (open-text) questions. Focus on uncovering gaps in training, clarity of expectations, and whether they feel culturally integrated. The tone should encourage radical candor."

"Draft a 'Communication Etiquette Guide' for our remote-first company to include in the onboarding packet. Clearly define when to use Slack (urgent, brief), when to use Email (external, long-form), and when a Zoom call is required. Establish rules around expected response times, core working hours, and the acceptable use of 'Do Not Disturb' status to protect deep work."