Welcoming new folks to your team is always a bit of a juggling act. You want them to hit the ground running without overwhelming them—or slowing everyone else down. If Oneflow is your contract management tool of choice, this guide is for you. I’ll walk through how to get new team members set up, train them to actually use the thing, and avoid the usual time-wasting pitfalls.
Let’s be honest: most onboarding guides are either way too basic or full of buzzwords. Here’s what actually works.
Step 1: Start With The Basics—Before They Even Log In
Don’t just invite people and hope for the best. Before anyone touches Oneflow, set the stage:
- Explain what Oneflow does, in plain English. “It’s our tool for creating, sending, and managing contracts. You’ll use it for X, Y, and Z.”
- Clarify why you’re using Oneflow. Is it for speed? Audit trails? Easier e-signatures? Newcomers need to know why this matters.
- Share your internal process. Who drafts contracts? Who approves them? When is Oneflow required vs. optional?
Pro tip: Write this down somewhere—a shared doc is fine. Save yourself from repeating it every time someone new joins.
Step 2: Create Accounts and Assign the Right Roles
Now, get them into the system. But avoid the “just add everyone as admin” trap.
- Send the invite from your Oneflow admin dashboard. Add their work email.
- Assign the right access level:
- Admin: Only give this to people who actually need to change settings or manage users.
- Editor: Can draft and send contracts, but shouldn’t be able to mess with global settings.
- Viewer/Reader: For people who just need to keep an eye on contracts.
You can always adjust permissions later. Start with the least access they need and bump it up if necessary.
What to skip: Don’t waste time creating elaborate permission hierarchies no one will follow. Keep it simple.
Step 3: Walk Through the UI—Live, If Possible
Even if Oneflow looks “intuitive,” different people get stuck in different places.
- Schedule a 30-minute screen share or call for the basics:
- Dashboard overview: What’s here, and what’s noise?
- How to start a new contract
- Where to find templates (and which ones to use)
- How to send, track, and sign contracts
Let them click around and ask “dumb” questions. Encourage it. The first week is the best time for people to admit they’re lost.
Pro tip: Record this walkthrough. Future new hires can watch it on double speed.
Step 4: Share Your Templates and Naming Conventions
Don’t let everyone start from scratch or invent their own document names. It’s a recipe for chaos.
- Point out which templates to use for what. (“Use ‘Sales Contract Q2’ for all new deals over $10k.”)
- Lay out your naming rules. (“Always start with CLIENTNAME–DATE–TYPE.”)
- Explain any weird quirks. If your team has a “do not touch” template, say so.
If you don’t have templates or naming rules, now’s the time to make them. They’ll save you a ton of confusion later.
Step 5: Show How to Send, Track, and Get Contracts Signed
This is where people either get it—or start emailing PDFs again.
- Drafting: How to fill out key fields and double-check details.
- Sending: Cover the difference between internal reviews and sending to clients.
- Tracking: Where to see if someone’s opened, viewed, or signed.
- Signing: Walk through an actual signature flow, so they’re not surprised later.
If Oneflow integrates with your CRM or email, point that out—but don’t overcomplicate things on day one.
What to skip: Don’t overload new folks with automation or API stuff unless they actually need it.
Step 6: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Every tool has its gotchas. Here’s what tends to trip up new Oneflow users:
- Wrong template selection: Double-check before you start editing.
- Sending to the wrong email: Slow down, especially for high-stakes contracts.
- Missing required fields: Oneflow might let you skip ahead, but your legal team won’t thank you later.
- Not setting reminders: If following up is your job, learn how to set these in Oneflow.
Pro tip: Share a cheat sheet of “Top 5 Mistakes” and pin it in your team chat.
Step 7: Encourage Safe Experimentation (in a Sandbox)
Let people play without fear of breaking real contracts.
- Set up a test workspace or use dummy data.
- Encourage new hires to create, send, and sign test contracts (with a teammate, not a real client).
- Review their process together: Did they miss any steps? Anything confusing?
People learn best by doing, not just watching.
Step 8: Offer Ongoing Help—But Don’t Babysit
After the basics, make it clear where to go for help:
- Point to Oneflow’s help docs and support. (Their documentation is solid, but not perfect.)
- Set up a team Slack or chat channel for quick questions.
- Nominate a go-to person (if you’re big enough) for trickier issues.
But don’t hover. Let people try, fail, and learn. It’s better than micromanaging.
Step 9: Review and Iterate
After a couple of weeks, check in with your new team member:
- Ask what tripped them up. Was anything unclear? Did the process make sense?
- Update your onboarding doc with any new “gotchas” or tips.
- Gather template feedback. Are they useful, or does everyone ignore them?
Onboarding is never truly “done.” The best teams tweak their approach every time someone new joins.
What to Ignore (Unless You Really Need It)
It’s tempting to explore every bell and whistle. Here’s what you can skip unless it’s truly relevant:
- Advanced automation: Most teams don’t need this out of the gate.
- API integrations: Unless you have a developer ready to maintain it, hold off.
- Custom branding: Nice to have, but doesn’t move the needle for training.
- Analytics dashboards: Focus on getting contracts signed first—reporting can wait.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Keep It Moving
Getting new team members up to speed in Oneflow isn’t rocket science. Focus on the basics, avoid overcomplicating things, and be honest about what actually matters. Don’t expect perfection—just set people up with the right tools, let them experiment, and tweak your process as you go.
Most importantly: write things down, share what you learn, and don’t let onboarding be a secret handshake. Get the essentials right, and you’ll spend less time fixing mistakes and more time closing deals.