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Onboard Your First Employee With AI

Your first hire changes the business. A clear first week helps them succeed and saves you repeating yourself.

Step by step

  1. Write the job in plain words. What success looks like in 30 days.
  2. Gather paperwork. Tax forms and required notices, per your state.
  3. Build a first-week plan. Introductions, shadowing and small wins.
  4. Document your top tasks. Short how-to sheets.
  5. Check in daily. Ask what is unclear.

What to expect

Expect a day-by-day plan, a checklist of paperwork topics to ask your accountant about and short training sheets for the tasks you do most.

Mistakes to avoid

Do not leave the new person alone with no instructions on day one. Avoid skipping payroll and tax setup. Do not assume they will learn by watching only.

A good next step

Hold a 15 minute check-in at the end of every day in the first week.

A prompt you can copy

Type this into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini

Create a first-week onboarding plan for a part-time customer service hire at my small retail shop, with a daily agenda, a training checklist and three questions to ask at the end of the week.

Good to know. Employment rules vary by state. Check with your state labor department or payroll provider.

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Common questions

What forms do I need?

Federal and state tax forms and eligibility verification. Ask your accountant.

How long should training last?

Plan at least a few weeks of coaching.

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