Getting a new coworker up to speed shouldn't be a slog. If you're tired of the usual “welcome email, good luck!” routine and need something that actually works, this guide is for you. Whether you're a team lead, HR, or just the one everyone points to when something needs doing, I'll walk you through onboarding with Yamm in a way that won't waste anyone's time. Expect clear steps, a few things to skip, and some honest advice from someone who's tried a bunch of tools and seen what sticks.
Why bother with a tool like Yamm?
Let’s be honest: onboarding is often a mess. You forget steps, people miss docs, and before you know it, your new hire is lost on day two. Yamm promises to help—it's a workflow tool for automating onboarding, sending info, collecting forms, and tracking what’s done. If your current process is a Google Doc and some hope, Yamm can do better.
But don't expect miracles. No tool will fix bad documentation or a team that doesn’t care about onboarding. Yamm just gives you structure and automation—what you do with it matters more.
Step 1: Get the basics sorted before you touch Yamm
Before you start setting up onboarding workflows, get your ducks in a row. Yamm can’t magically invent info or fix chaos. Here’s what you should have ready:
- Onboarding checklist: What does every new person need to do? (Accounts, paperwork, intros, etc.)
- Key docs: Links to your handbook, org chart, policies, etc.
- Contacts: Who answers questions about IT, HR, or the kitchen coffee machine?
- Welcome email template: Don’t reinvent the wheel every time.
Pro tip: Ask your last new hire what confused them. If they say “everything,” you have some work to do.
Step 2: Set up your Yamm account and workspace
If you’re new to Yamm, sign up and create a workspace for your team. (If your company already uses it, get added as an admin or workflow creator.)
- Go through the basic setup: team name, logo, invite core teammates.
- Set permissions so not everyone can edit onboarding flows—trust me, you want some control.
- Link your main communication tools (Slack, Gmail, whatever you actually use).
What to skip: Don’t bother setting up every possible integration right now. Stick to what your team uses daily.
Step 3: Build your onboarding workflow
Here’s where Yamm shines. You’ll build a repeatable “flow” that guides each new hire through what they need.
3.1. Map out your onboarding steps
Common steps include: - Welcome email/slack message - Intro to the team (with contact info) - Links to docs and policies - IT/account setup tasks - First-week goals - HR forms or surveys
Don’t overcomplicate it. You can always add more later.
3.2. Create the workflow in Yamm
- Start a new workflow and name it something obvious (“New Hire Onboarding”).
- For each step, add:
- A clear task or message
- Links to docs or forms
- Who’s responsible (new hire, manager, IT, etc.)
- Deadlines, if needed
Yamm lets you assign tasks and send reminders automatically. This is huge for stuff that always falls through the cracks (like IT account setup).
Pro tip: Keep your steps short and actionable. “Read the entire company wiki” is a great way to make someone hate you.
3.3. Add forms and surveys
If you need info from your new hire (emergency contacts, t-shirt size, whatever), add forms directly in the workflow. Yamm can pull this into a spreadsheet or send it to HR.
Step 4: Automate communications (but don’t sound like a robot)
Yamm’s email/slack automation makes it easy to send welcome messages, reminders, or tasks. But here’s the catch: people can spot a template a mile away.
- Personalize where it matters—use their name, mention their role, add a real greeting.
- Don’t dump all info at once. Space things out over the first week.
- Set up gentle nudges for unfinished tasks (but don’t nag).
What to ignore: Don’t automate every single message. The first-day welcome should come from a real person, not “HRbot.”
Step 5: Test your onboarding flow
Before you unleash it on a real hire, run through the workflow yourself or with a teammate.
- Does every link work?
- Is the order logical?
- Are there confusing steps?
- Did you forget to assign a task to someone?
Fix what’s broken. Remove anything that’s busywork.
Pro tip: If it takes you more than 30 minutes to complete the “first day” steps, you’re probably overcomplicating things.
Step 6: Launch—and learn
When you have a real new hire, launch the workflow and see how it goes.
- Watch for bottlenecks (does IT always lag? Are forms missing info?)
- Ask your new teammate for honest feedback after their first week.
- Update your workflow right away if something flopped. Don’t wait for the next hire.
What works: Yamm is great for keeping everyone accountable. No more “wait, who was supposed to set up their email?”
What doesn’t: Yamm won’t magically make your documentation better or your culture welcoming. You still need to check in like a human being.
Step 7: Maintain your onboarding flow
This isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it deal. Every time something changes—new tool, new policy, new teammate—update your workflow.
- Review your onboarding flow every couple of months
- Ask recent hires if anything is outdated or missing
- Trim steps that no one uses
Pro tip: Assign someone (maybe you) to own onboarding. Otherwise, it’ll rot.
What to watch out for
- Over-automation: If your onboarding feels cold or overwhelming, scale back the automated messages.
- Too much info at once: Drip out essential info. Don’t send 10 documents on day one.
- Workflow sprawl: Resist the urge to make a workflow for every single event. Stick to onboarding (and maybe offboarding).
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it human
Yamm can make onboarding less painful, but it’s just a tool. The real value is in clear steps, useful info, and a bit of human touch. Start with the basics, get feedback, and don’t try to automate everything all at once. Iterate as you go. Your new hires will thank you—and so will your future self.