Onboarding is the most repeated process in any HR department. Every time someone is hired, the same sequence runs: documents, access, equipment, training, evaluations. The employee's name changes, but the structure stays the same.
The problem is that most teams manage this process through email, spreadsheets, or scattered messages. It works for two hires a month. When volume increases, gaps appear: a pre-employment medical exam nobody scheduled, a laptop that was not requested in time, a system account created three days after the first day.
This article presents a 6-stage onboarding template, detailing fields, assignees, documents, SLAs, and automations for each stage. The template is available in the CaseFy marketplace — install it and start using it the same day.
Why structure onboarding in stages
A disorganized onboarding process creates three concrete problems:
- 1Rework: someone has to manually chase every pending task, every day, by email or message.
- 2Legal risk: regulatory deadlines (tax enrollment, employment registration, occupational health exams) have legal due dates. Missing a deadline means fines.
- 3Bad employee experience: arriving on the first day to find no desk, no computer, and no email access is the fastest way to lose a recently hired talent.
When onboarding becomes a structured process with stages, assignees, and deadlines, these problems disappear. Everyone knows what needs to be done, when, and what happens if it is not.
The template: 6 onboarding stages
Stage 1: Pre-admission
Goal: resolve all paperwork before the first day so the new hire arrives and everything is ready.
Case fields: full name, tax ID, expected start date, position and department, direct manager, approved salary range, contract type.
Required documents: government ID, proof of address, birth or marriage certificate, bank details for payroll, occupational health certificate from the pre-employment medical exam.
Tasks: - Schedule pre-employment medical exam - Collect employee documents (via external form) - Submit employment registration to the tax authority - Register in payroll system - Request transportation and meal benefits - Sign employment contract
SLA: all tasks completed at least 2 business days before the start date.
Assignee: HR Analyst / Personnel Department.
Automations: - When the case is created, send an external form to the new hire for document collection - 5 days before the start date, notify the assignee if the medical exam has not been scheduled - When all documents are attached, automatically move to the next stage
Stage 2: Internal preparation
Goal: ensure everything is physically and digitally ready for the first day.
Tasks: - Request equipment from IT (laptop, monitor, peripherals) - Create corporate email account - Create access to internal systems (ERP, CRM, team tools) - Prepare workstation (desk, chair, supplies) - Prepare welcome kit (badge, employee handbook, swag) - Notify the team about the new member (name, role, start date) - Schedule onboarding meetings on the manager's calendar
SLA: all tasks completed at least 1 business day before the start date.
Assignee: IT (equipment and access), Facilities (workstation), Direct manager (communication and calendar).
Automations: - When the case enters this stage, automatically notify IT to create accounts and prepare equipment - When the case enters this stage, notify the direct manager to inform the team - If 2 days remain before the start date and the IT equipment task is not complete, escalate to the IT manager
Stage 3: First day
Goal: make a great first impression and handle in-person tasks.
Tasks: - Welcome the employee at reception - Deliver badge and welcome kit - Office tour (common areas, restrooms, kitchen, emergency exits) - Introduce the team and direct manager - Deliver equipment and help with initial setup - Sign pending documents (NDA, security policy, internal regulations) - Introduce the designated buddy - Review the first week's agenda
Documents: signed NDA, equipment receipt form, signed information security policy.
SLA: all first-day tasks completed by end of business.
Automations: - On the start date, send an automated welcome email with practical information (address, schedule, dress code, HR contact) - At end of day, send a confirmation checklist to HR to validate all tasks were completed
Stage 4: First week
Goal: integrate the employee into the team's routine and complete mandatory training.
Tasks: - Complete mandatory training (compliance, workplace safety, data privacy, code of ethics) - Present day-to-day tools and systems - Align expectations and probation goals with manager - Assign first supervised tasks - Schedule lunch or coffee with members of other teams - Buddy performs daily check-ins
SLA: mandatory training completed by day 3. Goals aligned by day 5.
Automations: - On day 3, check if mandatory training is marked as complete. If not, notify HR - On day 5, send a form to the manager to confirm probation goals have been defined
Stage 5: First month
Goal: evaluate adaptation, course-correct, and consolidate the integration.
Tasks: - Manager holds a 1:1 feedback meeting (30 days) - Assess cultural and technical adaptation - Adjust expectations and goals if needed - Verify all access and tools are working - Collect employee feedback on the onboarding process - Buddy records integration assessment
Documents: 1:1 feedback record (form filled by manager).
SLA: 1:1 feedback completed by the 30th calendar day after the start date.
Automations: - On day 25, notify the manager to schedule the 1:1 feedback - On day 28, send a feedback form to the employee to evaluate the onboarding experience - When the manager records the assessment, automatically move to the next stage
Stage 6: Probation evaluation (45 days)
Goal: decide on contract continuity within the legal probation period.
Employment law in Brazil allows probation contracts of up to 90 days, often split into two 45-day periods with a formal evaluation at the end of each. This template reflects that practice.
Tasks: - Manager fills out the probation evaluation form - HR reviews the evaluation and checks for pending items - Formal decision: confirm, extend probation, or terminate - Communicate decision to the employee - If confirmed: update status in payroll and tax authority - If terminated: start the termination process within the legal deadline
Fields: technical rating (1-5), behavioral rating (1-5), manager recommendation, final decision, justification, decision deadline.
Documents: completed probation evaluation form, formal decision notice.
SLA: decision recorded by the 43rd calendar day (2 days before the first 45-day period expires).
Automations: - On day 38, notify the manager to fill out the evaluation - On day 42, if the evaluation has not been submitted, escalate to HR and the manager's manager - When the decision is recorded, trigger the corresponding workflow (confirmation or termination)
How to customize the template by department
The base template works for any area, but different departments have specific needs:
Technology: add development environment setup tasks (repos, CI/CD, VPN), specific tool access, architecture and coding standards training.
Sales: include product training, pricing, and sales process training. Configure CRM access. Schedule shadowing with experienced salespeople in the first week.
Finance: compliance and internal controls training. Access to accounting and reconciliation systems. Additional confidentiality agreements.
Legal: access to case law databases and court systems. Contract template and internal standards training. Define initial contract or case portfolio.
To customize in CaseFy, duplicate the base template and add the fields, tasks, and automations specific to each department. The 6-stage structure stays the same — only the content within each stage changes.
What changes when onboarding becomes a process
When onboarding is managed by email and spreadsheets, HR is the bottleneck. Every hire depends on someone remembering, chasing, and checking. With 5 simultaneous hires, control is lost.
When onboarding is a structured process:
- Each hire is a case with its own timeline. Everything is recorded: documents sent, accounts created, feedback completed.
- Automations eliminate manual follow-up. IT gets notified to create accounts at the right time. The manager gets the feedback reminder on the right day. Payroll gets the deadline alert before it is too late.
- SLAs show what is overdue. Instead of asking "did you do it yet?", the dashboard shows which tasks are on track and which need attention.
- External forms collect data without intermediaries. The new hire receives a link, fills in their details, and attaches documents. Everything goes straight to the case, no email involved.
- The probation evaluation is never forgotten. The system notifies, follows up, and records. The decision is made on time and documented.
Template available in the marketplace
The 6-stage onboarding template is available in the CaseFy marketplace. Install it with one click, adapt the fields and automations to your context, and start operating.
Each new hire becomes a case. Each case follows the same flow. Each stage has an owner, a deadline, and documentation. HR stops being the chaser and becomes the process manager.