Bringing New Employees Into Your Business

The growth of any business is reliant on talent acquisition. Once you’ve mastered the HR recruitment process it is important that any new team member is given the correct introduction to your business.

Once a candidate has been sent a job offer letter, the process of integrating them into your workforce begins. The hiring process can often be a lengthy process to secure the best talent. HR professionals and hiring managers need to collate the right information to ensure their addition to the team is smooth.

In this Croner article, you can learn about the employee onboarding process. Explore what must be included in a new starter checklist and employer responsibility with regards to the information you need to provide to the individual.

How to prepare for a new starter

There are a number of documents that must be prepared for a new employee. This is exactly why a new employee checklist is such an important document. There are elements for the employer and employee to complete at the beginning of a new starter’s employment period.

One of the first things employers need to do for a new employee is get them to fill out an Employee Starter Form. Once this has been completed, employers can ensure that the employee is given the correct tax code.

This document should be submitted to HMRC before the employee’s first payday. If it has been correctly filed, the employee will pay the correct amount of tax, which is peace of mind for them from day one.

How to complete the five sections on a new employee starter form

It’s important that all questions are answered on a new starter checklist. There are five main sections which are:

1. Employee personal details

Here, the employee can fill out their first name, last name, gender, date of birth and address details. If they know it, you must also collect their national insurance number.

2. Employment start date

This established the date the employee received the relevant tax code. It can also be useful to explain to the employee that they need to retain their start date information for things like mortgage applications in the event of relocation.

3. Employee Statement

This section will help establish the employee’s financial situation and therefore is another important aspect in ensuring they receive the correct tax code.

4. Student loans

Here, the employee can outline their student loan status. Employers need to know that if the new starter has a student loan, what balance is outstanding and what repayment plan are they on.

5. Declaration

The final section of the new starter checklist is the declaration. This confirms that, to their knowledge, everything on the form is accurate.

Do employers need to give employees any forms beyond a new starter checklist?

Aside from a new starter checklist, there are other forms employees should complete when starting a new position. Some roles may require a DBS check or Right to Work check, for example.

The forms required will vary from industry to industry based on the specific nature of a role. Risk assessment may be required as part of a health and safety at work check. Commonly, however, there are four types of form employees should complete.

This list includes non-compete forms, an agreement not to work for competitors; company policy forms, including Equality and Diversity; health forms, assessing suitability for a role and confidentiality forms, for employees who will process sensitive data.

Is there an essential new hire checklist?

In short, yes! Here are six steps employers should take when taking on a new hire.

Complete a background check

This may be a right to work check, checking criminal history or residency checks for foreign workers. It is an essential process to guarantee the safety of clients and other team members.

Submit a job request form to HR

If you are the decision maker, ensure that you contact your HR department to proceed with a contract of employment.

Review the schedule and job basics

Either via phone or via email, employers should reach to the new starter to clarify the schedule for the first day and subsequent week. If, for example, your new starter needs to attend an induction then you must inform them. You can also supply information like parking arrangements and dress code.

Prepare team introductions

One of the most important things to consider with any hire is the balance of your existing team. In order to better integrate new employees into your business, take steps to communicate with team members and introduce the new hire. You can set up meetings with key figures and arrange a workplace tour. This can form part of a wider HR audit.

Prepare their work environment

There’s nothing more disorientating for a new employee than not being able to hit the ground running. Ensure you’ve got a clean space for them when they arrive and get work equipment in place.

Prepare for new hire training

Schedule any training and arrange for trainers, equipment, and space as necessary.

Download your free employee checklist

To ensure you’ve got everything covered when taking on a new staff member, download our free checklist by clicking the button below.

And remember, with Croner, you can access our range of services from contracts and documentation to health and safety checks.

Speak to one of our consultants today for more information on 0800 470 2860.