Want Better Employees? Start with Better Onboarding

Let’s talk about onboarding.

Onboarding might be one of the most underrated, overlooked, and impactful parts of running a business.

But most owners see it as a pain in the ass.

Nobody’s jumping out of bed in the morning excited to plan a new hire’s first week.

Many of the clients I’ve worked with (even some doing as much as $50 million in annual revenue and hiring executives that report to the CEO) have no onboarding process.

None.

No welcome message. No first-week agenda. No plan.

Just, “Here’s your desk, here’s your key fob, and good luck.”

What are you communicating when that’s the experience? What’s the signal?

I’ll tell you: it’s not a good one.

Whether you mean to or not, you are always communicating something.

And in those early days, your new hire is reading everything like a signal flare.

If their first day feels unplanned or slapped together, they’ll draw their own conclusions:

• Maybe we don’t value preparation here.
• Maybe quality doesn’t matter.
• Maybe I’m on my own.

Now imagine a different scenario.

Imagine this person shows up and gets a warm, thoughtful welcome email the day before.

• They’re greeted at the door by name.
• There’s a clear agenda for their first week.
• They’re introduced to teammates and shown how their work connects to the bigger picture.
• There’s a review scheduled at 30, 60, 90 days.
• Training is laid out.
• Expectations are clear.

Now that sends a signal.

You’re saying:

We’re organized. We care about doing things well. You matter to us. Excellence is our baseline.

And by extension, that becomes the standard they hold themselves to when they show up for work.

When they talk to your clients.

When they make decisions on your behalf.

When you’re proud of your systems, your people will be proud to work within them.

And they’ll reflect that pride in every interaction they have with your customers, your partners, and each other.

That’s culture. That’s leadership.

How to make an onboarding plan the easy way – with the help of AI

Onboarding can feel like a chore. And it’s hard to find the time to build an onboarding plan from scratch.

This is where AI like ChatGPT can help.

One of my favorite phrases is: it’s always easier to edit than author.

The hardest part is getting started. Once you’ve got something—anything—on the page, it’s a lot easier to tweak, refine, and improve.

Now, if you’re staring at a blank screen thinking, “I don’t even know where to begin,” here’s a little tip: use ChatGPT to get the ball rolling.

You don’t have to be a writer. You just have to ask the right questions.

How to use ChatGPT to draft your onboarding plan

Start a new chat and type this prompt:

“Create a simple onboarding plan for a new [role] in a small business. Include a welcome message, first day agenda, week one tasks, training checkpoints, and a 90-day review.”

You can customize the role—“project manager,” “physiotherapist,” “office admin,” “junior technician”—whatever fits your business.

Review the output.

Don’t expect perfection. That’s not the point. What you’ll get is a decent first draft—something to react to. Something you can edit.

Tweak it to match your style and culture.

Maybe you want to add a specific team member for introductions. Maybe there’s software training you always forget to assign. Maybe you like to take your new hire for lunch on Day One. Add it in.

Copy and paste into a doc.

Use it as a template. Save it in your “New Hire” folder. Now you’ve got a repeatable process you can improve over time.

The key here is not to overthink it. Progress, not perfection.

A rough onboarding plan that you actually use is better than the perfect one that lives in your head and never makes it onto paper.

There’s no second chance to make a good first impression.

So, make it count.

If you want to build a self-managing business—one where people take ownership, act like pros, and represent your company well—start by showing them what that looks like from day one.

Set the standard. Be intentional. Make onboarding a reflection of your culture, not an afterthought.

Because if you don’t set the tone, someone else will. And you might not like the tune they choose.

Want help creating systems that actually work—onboarding included? Book a Call with John