Starting a new job is stressful. Running onboarding for new hires isn’t much fun either—lots of repetitive tasks, chasing folks for paperwork, and worrying you forgot something important. If you’re responsible for onboarding (HR, IT, or just the unlucky “person in charge”), you want a system that just works. No mystery. No busywork. Just a process new hires can actually follow, and that you won’t secretly dread.
This is where workflow automation tools like Letsdive can help—if you set them up for real-world use, not just to tick a box. Here’s the practical, not-overhyped guide to getting onboarding right with Letsdive.
Step 1: Decide What Actually Needs Automating
Before you jump into any tool, get brutally clear on what you’re trying to fix. Automation is great for stuff that’s repetitive, easy to forget, or easy to mess up—think:
- Sending out welcome emails with links, not typos
- Collecting paperwork (contracts, IDs, tax forms)
- Scheduling introductions and check-ins
- Reminding people to finish tasks (without you nagging them)
- Granting access to tools and accounts
Don’t waste time automating things that are one-offs, or that still need a human touch—like personalized training, or the awkward “meet the team” Zoom.
Pro tip: Write out your current onboarding steps. Circle the ones that screw up most often or drive you nuts. Start automating those.
Step 2: Map Your Onboarding Workflow
If you dive into Letsdive without a plan, you’ll end up with a mess. Take 30 minutes up front to sketch out what you want the process to look like.
- List every required task: Think paperwork, hardware setup, Slack invites, benefits enrollment—literally every step.
- Decide who owns each task: HR? IT? The new hire? Their manager?
- Set deadlines: When does each thing need to be done? (Day 0, Day 1, Week 1, etc.)
- Identify dependencies: Can the new hire start before IT sets up their laptop? (Spoiler: No.)
Make this list as clear and concrete as possible. This will save you hours fixing things later.
Step 3: Set Up Your First Letsdive Workflow
Log into Letsdive and head to the workflow automation section. The UI is pretty straightforward, but don’t get overwhelmed by all the options.
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Create a new workflow
Call it “New Employee Onboarding” (no need for clever names). -
Add tasks in order
For each step from your list, create a task. For example: - Send welcome email
- Request signed contract
- Order laptop
- Schedule intro call with manager
- Invite to Slack, Gmail, etc.
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First-week check-in survey
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Assign responsibilities
Tag who’s in charge of each task. If it’s always HR, assign it globally. If it changes, set it up so the hiring manager or IT gets notified. -
Set deadlines and reminders
Automation is useless if people ignore it. Set automatic reminders—a task isn’t done until it’s checked off. -
Add instructions and links
Don’t assume people know what to do. Add: - Links to forms
- Who to contact for help
- Step-by-step instructions for anything tricky
Don’t overcomplicate it: Start with the core steps. You can always add more later.
Step 4: Automate Communications
The best part of Letsdive is that it’ll handle much of the boring back-and-forth for you.
- Welcome emails: Use templates with placeholders for names, start dates, etc.
- Reminders: Set up automatic nudges if paperwork isn’t done or tasks are overdue.
- Status updates: Make it so managers (and you) can see where each new hire stands—no more “Did Alice get her laptop?” messages.
You can also set up workflows that ping IT or facilities when it’s time to assign hardware or set up accounts. This saves a ton of “Did you see my email?” pain.
What works: Automating reminders and status checks reduces forgetfulness, but don’t turn your process into a spam machine. One reminder is helpful. Five is just noise.
Step 5: Integrate with Your Existing Tools (Where It Makes Sense)
Letsdive plays pretty well with other tools—Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft Teams, and some HRIS platforms.
- Link with Slack or Teams: Have notifications and reminders go straight to the right channels.
- Connect with email and calendars: Schedule meetings or send invites automatically.
- Integrate with HR systems: If you’re using something like BambooHR or Gusto, you can sometimes sync employee info to skip manual entry.
What’s worth it: Integrations save time for recurring, multi-step tasks (like account creation or calendar invites). What’s not: Don’t bother integrating every little tool “just because.” It’s easy to break things if you try to automate steps that change a lot or require judgment.
Step 6: Test the Workflow on Yourself (or a Willing Volunteer)
Run through the workflow before you roll it out to real new hires.
- Pretend you’re the new employee and try to follow every step.
- Check if instructions make sense, links work, and reminders go out on time.
- Ask someone on your team to try it and tell you what’s confusing.
Fix anything that’s unclear or pointless. Don’t be precious about your workflow—if people skip a step or ignore a message, figure out why.
Step 7: Launch, Observe, and Iterate
Don’t expect perfection on day one. Roll out the workflow for your next new hire, but keep a close eye:
- Are tasks actually getting done, or just checked off?
- Is anyone getting flooded with reminders?
- Are there steps that always get skipped or cause confusion?
- Did someone get access to the right tools on time?
Ask your new hires for honest feedback. Most onboarding processes are “good enough,” but a few tweaks can save you hours (and make a better first impression).
What to Ignore (at Least For Now)
- Over-the-top personalization: Automation is about consistency, not making every new hire feel “unique.” Save the personal touches for live conversations.
- Automating social stuff: You can remind people to say hi, but you can’t force culture through a workflow.
- Metrics obsession: Don’t get sucked into dashboards about workflow completion rates. Focus on what actually matters—are people ready to do their jobs?
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Trying to automate emotional moments: A generic “Congratulations!” email isn’t a substitute for a real welcome.
- Too many steps: If your workflow looks like a subway map, it’s too complicated. Trim the fat.
- Not updating your process: Roles, tools, and policies change. Review your workflow every few months, or whenever something big changes.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
The best onboarding is the one everyone can actually follow. Start small with Letsdive, automate the tasks that annoy you the most, and resist the urge to make it perfect. Iterate as you go. You’ll have fewer headaches, your new hires will thank you, and—most importantly—you’ll spend less time chasing paperwork and more time actually welcoming people to the team.