Staff onboarding and offboarding, handled properly
A new starter should sit down on their first morning to a working laptop, email and access to the files they need. A leaver should lose access the moment they go, with their mail and files kept for the business. We run both from a checklist, so nothing depends on someone remembering.
Staff onboarding & offboarding IT for small and medium businesses
Joining a new job and spending the first two days waiting for a laptop and passwords sends the wrong message, and it wastes salary while they wait. It usually happens because nobody told IT in time, or because setting someone up involves a dozen small steps in different systems that live only in one person's head. A written onboarding checklist, triggered by a simple request form, turns that into a routine job that is done before the person arrives.
Offboarding matters even more, and it is the half that gets forgotten. A former staff member who can still sign in to email, the accounting system or the shared drive is a real risk, whether they left on good terms or not. Shared passwords they knew need changing, company devices need to come back, and their mailbox and files need to stay available to the business. Doing all of that on the last day, not weeks later, closes the gap.
We keep one checklist per business, built around your systems. For a new starter it covers the Microsoft 365 account and licence, group memberships, a prepared laptop, phone setup, line-of-business software, printer access and a short welcome on how to get IT help. For a leaver it covers sign-in block, session sign-out, device collection and wipe, mailbox conversion, file handover and licence removal. Each step is ticked off and recorded, so you can show what was done and when.
What's included
Request forms
A simple form for managers to tell us about a starter, a role change or a leaver, with the details we need to do the job right first time.
New starter accounts
Microsoft 365 account, licence, email groups, Teams channels and SharePoint access set up to match the role, ready before the first day.
Day-one laptop
A laptop or desktop prepared in advance with updates, security, apps and printers, so the new starter signs in and starts working.
Line-of-business access
Accounts requested or created in accounting, practice, CRM and other business systems, with the vendor contacted where they control access.
Leaver lock-out
Sign-in blocked, active sessions ended, multi-factor methods removed and mobile access cut on the agreed last day and time.
Device return and wipe
Company laptops, phones and tokens collected, data checked, then devices wiped and prepared for the next person or recycled.
Data retention
The leaver's mailbox kept as a shared mailbox or archive, and their OneDrive files handed to their manager before the account is removed.
Shared password changes
Passwords the leaver knew, such as Wi-Fi, alarm codes held in IT, shared accounts and supplier portals, listed and changed.
Who is staff onboarding and offboarding for?
A proper onboarding and offboarding process helps if:
- New starters regularly wait for a laptop or passwords
- You are not sure whether former staff can still sign in anywhere
- Shared passwords have not changed since several people left
- Leavers' laptops sit in a drawer, unwiped
- Managers cannot find a former employee's emails or files
- You hire seasonal or contract staff who come and go often
Not sure where to start?
Our free IT health check looks at your devices, accounts, backups, security and network. You get a short written report with what is working, what is at risk and a price to fix it. No obligation.
Book the health checkStaff onboarding & offboarding IT questions
How much notice do you need for a new starter?
The more the better. A week lets us order a laptop if needed and set everything up calmly. If a device is already on hand, a few working days is usually enough for a well-prepared first morning.
What happens to a leaver's email?
We usually convert the mailbox to a shared mailbox so their manager can read and reply to messages, with an auto-reply pointing contacts to someone else. It can be kept for as long as your policy requires.
How quickly can you lock out a leaver?
We can block sign-in at a set time on their last day, or immediately during business hours if the departure is unplanned. Sessions on phones and laptops are ended at the same time.
What about files on their laptop?
Company files should already be in OneDrive or SharePoint. Before a device is wiped, we check for anything stored locally and move it to the business, then hand the OneDrive files to the right person.
How long should we keep a former employee's data?
That depends on your obligations under privacy, employment and tax rules, and on your own policy. We set retention to whatever period you decide and can suggest common approaches, but the policy itself should be confirmed with your adviser.
Do we save money by removing licences?
Yes. Once mail and files are handled, the leaver's Microsoft 365 licence can be removed or reassigned, so you stop paying for an empty seat.
Is onboarding and offboarding included in the plans?
Account setup, changes and lock-outs are covered by your support plan. New hardware is quoted in writing first, and device preparation is part of normal support.
Other ways we help
Managed IT
One monthly price per person for support, security, updates and backups. Your outsourced IT team.
Managed IT
IT support
Remote and onsite help when you need it, billed by the hour. No plan, no contract.
IT support
Cyber security
Practical protection against scams, ransomware and account takeover, set up and kept current.
Cyber security