How to Build a New Hire Checklist in ClickUp
Using ClickUp to manage your new hire checklist gives your team a central workspace for every onboarding task, document, and communication. This how-to guide walks you through building a streamlined onboarding system so every employee starts with the same clear, consistent experience.
The steps below are based on the new hire checklist templates and onboarding best practices described on the official ClickUp blog article at this resource. You will learn how to turn those ideas into a repeatable, practical workflow.
Why Use ClickUp for New Hire Checklists
Before you build your workflow, it helps to understand what makes ClickUp a strong choice for onboarding:
- Centralizes tasks, docs, forms, and communication
- Supports templates so you can reuse the same onboarding process
- Makes responsibilities visible across HR, IT, payroll, and managers
- Provides automation to reduce manual follow-up
- Scales easily for remote, hybrid, or in-office teams
Instead of managing onboarding in spreadsheets, email, and chat threads, ClickUp lets you store everything in one structured, searchable workspace.
Step 1: Plan Your Onboarding in ClickUp
Start by defining the core structure of your onboarding process before you build anything inside ClickUp.
Define the stages of onboarding
Most new hire checklists follow a simple timeline. Map this out on paper or a whiteboard, then translate it into ClickUp later.
- Pre-boarding: Offer letter, paperwork, accounts, equipment
- First day: Orientation, introductions, workstation setup
- First week: Training, shadowing, goals, early feedback
- First 30–90 days: Performance expectations, milestones, reviews
List all stakeholders and responsibilities
Clarify who owns which onboarding tasks before you build your ClickUp template:
- HR or People Operations
- Hiring manager
- IT or security
- Payroll and finance
- Facilities or office management
For each stakeholder, list the actions they must complete for every new hire. These become assigned tasks in your ClickUp onboarding checklist.
Step 2: Create a New Hire Space in ClickUp
Now you are ready to translate your plan into a dedicated onboarding area inside ClickUp.
Set up a Space for onboarding
- Create a new Space labeled clearly, such as “People Ops” or “Employee Onboarding”.
- Customize Space settings to enable needed features like Tasks, Docs, Forms, and Automations.
- Add relevant members or teams so only the right people see sensitive information.
This Space will hold your templates, docs, and active onboarding checklists for every new employee.
Create Folders and Lists for new hire workflows
Within your onboarding Space, create a structure that mirrors the stages you planned earlier.
- Create a Folder called “New Hire Checklists”.
- Inside that Folder, create Lists like:
- Pre-Boarding Checklist
- First Day Checklist
- First Week Checklist
- 30–90 Day Follow-Up
This structure makes it easy to see which onboarding phase each task belongs to and keeps your ClickUp hierarchy clean.
Step 3: Build Your New Hire Task Template in ClickUp
Next, you will turn your list of onboarding activities into a reusable task template in ClickUp.
Add core checklist tasks
In your “New Hire Checklists” Folder, create a master List named “New Hire Master Template”. Add tasks for every common step, such as:
- Send official offer and welcome email
- Collect signed documents and ID verification
- Set up email and user accounts
- Request or ship equipment
- Schedule orientation session
- Assign required training modules
- Set 30-, 60-, and 90-day check-ins
Assign each task to the appropriate role (HR, IT, manager) rather than to a specific person. This keeps your ClickUp template flexible as team members change.
Use custom fields to track onboarding details
ClickUp custom fields help you organize key data across every new hire checklist:
- Role / Title
- Department
- Location (remote, hybrid, office)
- Start Date
- Manager
- Equipment Required
Add these custom fields at the List level so they appear consistently on every task created from the template.
Convert your list into a template
- Open the “New Hire Master Template” List in ClickUp.
- Ensure all tasks, assignees, due dates relative to start date, and custom fields are set.
- Use the Save as Template option for the List.
- Give the template a clear name such as “Standard New Hire Onboarding”.
This ClickUp List template becomes the starting point for every future new hire, saving your team hours of setup work.
Step 4: Add ClickUp Docs for Guides and Policies
ClickUp Docs keep all your onboarding content in one place and linked directly to your checklist tasks.
Create a centralized onboarding handbook
Inside your onboarding Space, create a Doc called “New Hire Handbook”. Include sections such as:
- Company values and mission
- Code of conduct and key policies
- Benefits overview and enrollment steps
- Tools and systems directory
- Communication norms and meeting etiquette
Link this Doc from relevant tasks in your ClickUp new hire checklist so employees can quickly find the right information.
Attach role-specific resources
For each department or role, create smaller Docs or pages that cover:
- Team goals and KPIs
- Core processes and checklists
- Key contacts and escalation paths
- Common tools with login and training details
Attach these Docs to tasks assigned to the hiring manager or mentor. This ensures every new hire receives the right materials for their job.
Step 5: Use Automation in ClickUp to Save Time
Automation in ClickUp reduces manual follow-up across your new hire checklists.
Trigger tasks based on start dates
Use automation rules so tasks automatically adjust relative to each hire's start date:
- Create an automation: when a new hire task is created and the custom field Start Date is set, update due dates to offsets like “3 days before” or “1 week after”.
- Apply these rules at the List or Folder level so every onboarding project stays aligned with the hire timeline.
Automate status updates and notifications
Set up simple automations in ClickUp such as:
- When a task moves to “Complete”, notify the hiring manager.
- When a critical task is overdue, change priority to “High” and alert the assignee.
- When all tasks in a phase are completed, move the parent task or List status to the next stage.
These rules help you avoid missed steps and keep everyone informed without extra emails.
Step 6: Launch and Improve Your ClickUp Onboarding Workflow
With your template, Docs, and automations ready, you can start onboarding your next hire in ClickUp.
Run your first onboarding
- Duplicate the “Standard New Hire Onboarding” template List.
- Rename it with the employee name and start date.
- Fill in custom fields like role, department, and manager.
- Review task assignees and due dates, then make any final adjustments.
- Walk through the checklist with the hiring manager so expectations are clear.
Track progress in real time using ClickUp views such as List, Board, or Calendar.
Collect feedback and refine the template
After the new hire completes the onboarding period, ask stakeholders what worked and what was confusing. Then:
- Update your ClickUp templates with new tasks or clearer instructions.
- Adjust automations so they reflect actual workflows.
- Revise Docs to answer common new hire questions.
Continuous improvement turns your onboarding in ClickUp into a scalable, reliable system.
Where to Learn More About ClickUp Onboarding
For more examples of new hire checklist templates and use cases, review the official guide at ClickUp's new hire checklist article. You can also explore professional consulting services, such as Consultevo, to help design and optimize your ClickUp workspace for HR and people operations.
By following these steps, you will have a complete, reusable new hire checklist in ClickUp that helps every employee feel supported from day one.
Need Help With ClickUp?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.
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