Onboarding new team members shouldn’t feel like herding cats or running an obstacle course. If you’ve ever watched someone flounder through their first week—digging through endless docs, pinging random folks for access, or just sitting around waiting for direction—you know the pain. This guide is for folks who want a straightforward, no-nonsense process for onboarding using Beautiful workflows. Whether you manage a small startup crew or wrangle teams at a bigger company, this’ll help streamline things, cut down on confusion, and actually save you time.
Let’s get into it.
Why Workflows Matter for Onboarding
You can wing onboarding once or twice, but eventually, the cracks show: missed steps, forgotten paperwork, or new hires getting stuck. Workflows (when they’re simple and well-built) make sure everyone gets the essentials—no more, no less.
Beautiful promises clean, visual workflows that anyone can build or follow. But let’s be real: no tool automates common sense, and cluttered workflows are just as bad as no process at all. The goal here? Set up something that works for your team and stays out of the way.
Step 1: Map Out Your Actual Onboarding Process
Before you click a single button in Beautiful, sketch out what needs to happen when someone joins. Don’t just copy a generic checklist—write down what your team actually does.
What to include: - Account setups (email, Slack, HR tools, etc.) - Intro meetings (manager, team, cross-functional intros) - Required training or reading - Access to files, repos, or shared drives - First assignments or starter projects
Pro tip:
Ask a recent hire what tripped them up. Chances are, your current process has a few hidden potholes.
What to skip:
Don’t put “read the entire company wiki” or “schedule 15 intro calls” unless that’s really necessary. Keep it lean.
Step 2: Get the Basics Right in Beautiful
Now that you’ve listed your actual steps, it’s time to build the workflow in Beautiful. This doesn’t mean you need to use every feature. Start simple.
How to set it up:
-
Create a new workflow:
In Beautiful, start with a blank workflow rather than a template. Templates are often bloated or too generic. -
Add steps for each key item:
For each task from your list, create a step. Name them clearly—“Set up Slack account” beats “Comms onboarding.” -
Assign responsibilities:
Tag who’s in charge of each step: HR, hiring manager, IT, the new hire themselves. -
Set deadlines (if you must):
Only add deadlines where they matter. Too many deadlines turn into background noise.
What to ignore:
Don’t overuse automation from the start. Automate only the truly repeatable stuff—like auto-assigning an IT ticket when someone joins.
Step 3: Add Context, Not Clutter
A workflow isn’t just a checklist. If a step needs more info, add it—but don’t drown people in details.
Best practices: - Use short descriptions or links for “how-to” docs. - Attach only the essentials. If you link to a doc, make sure it’s updated. - Avoid embedding long videos or PDFs unless they’re truly necessary.
Honest take:
People ignore walls of text. If you wouldn’t read it, don’t expect your new hire to. Keep each step actionable.
Step 4: Test It Yourself (and With a Guinea Pig)
Don’t unleash your new workflow on someone’s first day without a dry run.
How to test: - Run through the workflow as if you’re the new hire. - Check if steps are in the right order and make sense. - Look for missing info, broken links, or places where it’s not clear who does what.
Even better:
Ask a teammate who hasn’t onboarded anyone in a while to try it out. Fresh eyes catch weirdness you’ve stopped noticing.
Step 5: Adjust for Roles and Teams
One size never fits all. A developer’s onboarding isn’t the same as someone in sales or ops.
How to adapt: - Use conditional steps or branching if Beautiful supports it (e.g., “If role = engineer, then add GitHub access”). - Separate out workflows for common roles if things get too complicated. - Don’t combine radically different tracks (“all new hires” plus “contractors” plus “interns”) unless the overlap is real.
Pro tip:
The simpler the workflow, the less you’ll need to update later. Don’t create a tree of steps just because you can.
Step 6: Roll It Out (Without the Drama)
Now you’ve got a working onboarding workflow. Time to actually use it.
What to do: - Let managers know there’s a new process. Share the link and a quick “here’s what’s changed” note. - Use your workflow on the next new hire. Don’t try to retroactively force it on everyone—start with the next person and see how it goes.
Don’t:
Make a big song and dance. Most people just want something that works and doesn’t waste their time.
Step 7: Gather Feedback (But Don’t Overdo It)
You’ll learn more from real-world use than from any amount of planning. After a few onboardings, ask for honest feedback.
Ask things like: - What was confusing or missing? - Any steps that felt pointless? - Did anything take longer than it should have?
How to collect it:
A quick chat, a short form, or just a Slack DM. Don’t send a 30-question survey—nobody wants that.
Step 8: Iterate, Don’t Overcomplicate
Your onboarding process isn’t set in stone. The best teams tweak things as they go.
Tips: - Update steps when you spot bottlenecks. - Remove steps that don’t add value. - Don’t chase “perfect”—good and consistent beats fancy.
What to skip:
Avoid weekly meetings just to “review onboarding.” Fix things as you spot them.
What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works: - Clear responsibilities—everyone knows what’s theirs. - Short, actionable steps—no fluff. - Context where needed—but just enough. - Feedback loops—so you can improve over time.
Doesn’t Work: - Overly complex workflows—new hires get lost, and managers stop using them. - Too much automation—if every step triggers five emails, people tune out. - Ignoring feedback—bad processes linger if nobody speaks up.
Keep It Simple (and Actually Useful)
The goal isn’t to build the fanciest onboarding in the world—it’s to help new teammates get up to speed, without wasting anyone’s time. Start small. Use tools like Beautiful to take the grunt work out of onboarding, but don’t let the tool drive your process.
Iterate as you go, keep what works, and toss the rest. Your future self—and your new hires—will thank you.