Employee Onboarding SOP for Hospitality & Tourism

# Employee Onboarding SOP - Hospitality & Tourism

## Purpose
Follow for every new hire to reduce ramp-up time, improve retention, and ensure compliance with employment law requirements.

## When to Use
A comprehensive onboarding procedure from offer acceptance through first 90 days, covering paperwork, IT setup, training schedule, and check-in cadence.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your hospitality & tourism business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Employment Hero or Slack)

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## Employee Onboarding Standard Operating Procedure

### 1. Purpose and Scope
This SOP defines the standard onboarding process for all new employees from offer acceptance through their first 90 days. A structured onboarding experience reduces time to productivity, improves retention, and ensures compliance with Australian employment legislation. This procedure applies to all employment types: full-time, part-time, and fixed-term contracts.

### 2. Roles and Responsibilities
- **HR Manager:** Coordinates the end-to-end onboarding process, manages compliance documentation, and conducts check-ins.
- **Hiring Manager:** Prepares role-specific training, sets initial goals, and provides day-to-day guidance.
- **IT Administrator:** Sets up technology access, equipment, and security credentials.
- **Assigned Buddy:** Provides informal guidance, answers day-to-day questions, and helps the new hire integrate socially.

### 3. Prerequisites
- Signed employment contract and accepted offer letter
- Employment Hero account configured with onboarding workflow
- Equipment ordered (laptop, phone, access card)
- Workspace prepared (desk, supplies, or home office kit for remote workers)

### 4. Procedure

**Phase 1: Pre-Start (Offer Acceptance to Day 1)**

**Step 1: Send Welcome Pack** (Owner: HR Manager, Timeline: Within 2 days of acceptance)
Send the digital welcome pack via Employment Hero including: welcome letter, company handbook, team introduction, first-day logistics (start time, location, parking, dress code), and any required pre-reading.

**Step 2: Collect Compliance Documents** (Owner: HR Manager, Timeline: Before start date)
Collect via Employment Hero: Tax File Number declaration, superannuation choice form, bank details, emergency contact, proof of work rights (passport or visa), and any required licences or certifications.

**Step 3: Set Up IT Access** (Owner: IT Administrator, Timeline: 2 days before start)
Create accounts for: email, Slack, project management tool, file storage, and any role-specific software. Configure laptop with standard applications. Prepare login credentials in a sealed envelope or secure link.

**Step 4: Prepare the Workspace** (Owner: Office Manager or Hiring Manager, Timeline: Day before start)
Set up the workstation with equipment, stationery, and any branded welcome items. For remote employees, ship the home office kit with setup instructions. Ensure building access is activated.

**Step 5: Notify the Team** (Owner: Hiring Manager, Timeline: 1-2 days before start)
Announce the new team member via Slack with: their name, role, start date, and a brief background. Ask the team to make themselves available for introductions on Day 1.

**Phase 2: First Week (Days 1-5)**

**Step 6: Day 1 Welcome** (Owner: HR Manager + Hiring Manager, Timeline: Day 1)
- 9:00 AM: Greet the new hire and provide a tour of the office (or virtual tour for remote teams)
- 9:30 AM: IT setup session to confirm all systems are working
- 10:30 AM: HR induction covering policies, values, and compliance
- 12:00 PM: Team lunch or virtual coffee
- 1:30 PM: Hiring Manager one-on-one covering role expectations and first-week plan

**Step 7: Introduce the Buddy** (Owner: HR Manager, Timeline: Day 1)
Introduce the assigned buddy. The buddy's role is to answer informal questions, provide context on team norms, and ensure the new hire feels welcome. Schedule a 15-minute daily catch-up for the first week.

**Step 8: Complete Mandatory Training** (Owner: New Employee, Timeline: Days 2-5)
Complete required training modules: WHS induction, anti-discrimination and harassment, data privacy and security, and any industry-specific compliance training. Track completion in Employment Hero.

**Step 9: Week 1 Check-in** (Owner: Hiring Manager, Timeline: End of Day 5)
Conduct a 30-minute check-in covering: how the first week went, any questions or concerns, confirm the training schedule for Weeks 2-4, and set short-term goals for the first month.

**Phase 3: First 90 Days**

**Step 10: Role-Specific Training** (Owner: Hiring Manager, Timeline: Weeks 2-4)
Deliver structured training on: role responsibilities, systems and tools, processes and procedures, key stakeholder introductions, and client-facing protocols (if applicable). Document the training plan in Notion.

**Step 11: 30-Day Check-in** (Owner: HR Manager + Hiring Manager, Timeline: Day 30)
Formal check-in covering: adjustment to role and team, progress against initial goals, any training gaps, feedback for the business, and confirmation of probation timeline and expectations.

**Step 12: 60-Day Review** (Owner: Hiring Manager, Timeline: Day 60)
Review progress against goals set at 30 days. Discuss: emerging strengths, areas for development, any support needed, and begin setting goals for the post-probation period.

**Step 13: 90-Day Probation Review** (Owner: HR Manager + Hiring Manager, Timeline: Day 90)
Formal probation review covering: overall performance assessment, confirmation of ongoing employment (or probation extension with clear rationale), goal-setting for the next quarter, and development plan. Document the outcome in Employment Hero.

### 5. Quality Checks
- All compliance documents collected before or on Day 1
- All mandatory training completed within the first 5 business days
- All check-ins (Week 1, Day 30, Day 60, Day 90) conducted on schedule
- New hire feedback collected at Day 30 and Day 90

### 6. Revision History
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---------|------|--------|---------|
| 1.0 | [Date] | [Author] | Initial release |

### 7. Related Documents
- Employment Contract Templates
- Company Handbook
- WHS Induction Materials
- IT Setup Guide
- Probation Review Template

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**Complexity:** advanced | **Setup time:** 30 minutes | **Tools:** Employment Hero, Slack, Notion

Note: This template has been tailored for hospitality & tourism businesses in Australia. Adjust terminology and compliance references to match your specific context.