New Intern Checklist

Hiring and onboarding a new employee is never an easy task. There are forms, signatures, and information you will need to prepare for them. It's easy to forget some of the details and make the process inefficient. 

A great way to ensure you have ticked all the boxes is by having a comprehensive intern onboarding checklist that will guide you step-by-step through the process, which is directly after hiring. Here’s your checklist:

Send confirmation letter

In the confirmation letter include the most relevant information as shown in the template below. However, there is additional information you might want to include, such as:

• A copy of the internship agreement
• HR documents that need to be signed before arrival
• Dress code
• Anything they might need to bring along
• Information on entering the building, such as door code

Set up workspace

Ensure the workstation is set up for the intern to use. Make sure it is located in a room with the rest of the team and close to the mentor for easy communication.

Notify staff

• Notify the office administrator and ask them to ensure everything is set up for the intern to start work.
• Contact IT to grant permission for the intern to access the necessary systems.
• Remember to send out an email to the team a day before the intern arrives to let them know the intern is starting. Include in the email information about the intern and their responsibilities.

Schedule induction

Contact the person responsible for each department to ensure they select a time on the day the intern arrives to fill them in on how they will fit into work at the office. 

Teams, members, and areas to cover are:

• HR to oversee the paperwork (document collection such as PAN/Aadhar/Bank passbook copy, etc.)
• Team member (in most cases mentor) to give the intern a tour
• Team leader to introduce to the company
• Mentor to explain day-to-day tasks, procedures and introduce the tools used

Set up accounts

Set up their accounts on any systems they will need access to before they have arrived to ensure the intern(s) can get to work without any interruptions or delays. The main areas are:

• Email
• CRM
• Slack / IM service
• Personal voicemail (optional)

Adjust this list according to your company’s needs.

Assign mentor

Having a mentor is highly beneficial for both the company and the intern. It's a cost-effective, hands-on approach that will ensure the intern is motivated and high-performing.

The mentor should ensure that everything is ready before the intern arrives, assist with technical equipment, explain the job expectations, assign jobs to the intern, notify of relevant staff training, and include the intern in staff meetings that might be beneficial.

Due to the responsibilities of the mentor, you should ensure the following is discussed:

• Development goals for the intern
• Expectations that both people seek from the relationship
• Schedule for formal meetings and co-working
• Confidentiality
• Duration of the mentoring relationship