Which tool to choose
To build the material a generalist assistant will do: ChatGPT or Claude. Claude holds long, structured documents together better (checklists, the month's plan). If your company already has an HR system with onboarding features, use AI to write the content and then load it there; if you don't have one, a shared document and a spreadsheet are enough to start.
How to do it
On computer or on phone the work is the same: you describe the context, get the plan, adapt it.
- Gather the essentials. Which role is joining, what your company does, which tools the person will use, who will be their point of reference. Without this, AI produces an onboarding good for anyone.
- Ask for the complete plan. The working syntax:
Act as the HR manager of a small company. I have to prepare the onboarding of a new salesperson starting in a week. Create: 1) a welcome email with the practical information (first day, hours, what to bring, who to turn to); 2) a checklist split into "before the first day," "first day," "first week," "first month"; 3) three concrete goals to reach within the first month. Cover both the practical side (access credentials, tools, documents) and integration into the team. My company sells and installs window and door frames for private customers.
- Cut and adapt. AI tends to overfill: remove what doesn't fit your reality and add the specific details (names, real tools, hours).
- Distribute the tasks. Ask: "turn the checklist into tasks with a person responsible for each one." That way you know who sets up the desk, who grants access, who welcomes them.
A concrete example
Paolo has a workshop and is hiring the first employee of his life. He doesn't know where to start. He describes the workshop to ChatGPT, the role (junior mechanic) and the tools. The AI prepares the welcome email, a checklist that goes from the documents to sign to the introduction to colleagues, and three first-month goals (learn the parts management system, do two services on his own, get to know the regular suppliers).
Paolo realizes he'd forgotten things that are obvious to those inside but not to whoever arrives: where to park, what time the break is, who to call if running late. He adds them. On the first day the young man finds everything ready and a clear sheet. The integration, usually chaotic, runs smoothly because the structure was already there.
When it does NOT work (and how to fix it)
If the checklist is generic and doesn't fit the role
A textbook checklist is boring and useless. Put the concrete details of the real job back into the prompt (the precise tools, your company's procedures) and ask for items "specific to this role, not valid for any hire."
If you put too much on the first day
Swamping whoever arrives is the fastest way to scare them off. Ask the AI to "spread the tasks over time, keeping the first day light and focused on the welcome." Real learning begins in the second week, not in the first hour.
If the human part is missing
A perfect checklist makes no one feel welcome. AI organizes the access credentials and the documents, but the coffee with the team, the introduction made in person and the "ask me anything" you supply. That part decides whether the person will stay.
A tip from someone who really uses it
Save the plan as a template and reuse it for every hire, changing only the role. After the first few onboardings ask whoever joined what was missing, and have the AI update the checklist with those gaps. In a few hires you have an onboarding honed on the real problems, not on the imagined ones.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an onboarding last?
It depends on the role, but it's worth thinking about it over the first month, not the first day. The first few weeks decide a lot of how long a person stays: a well-tended integration pays back in loyalty and productivity more than it costs to prepare.
Can AI help me with the documents and contracts too?
It can write the communications and the checklists, and explain to you in plain words what's needed. But for employment contracts and legal obligations always check with a labor consultant: the rules change and a mistake there costs dearly.
Can AI handle the onboarding for me?
Here's the misunderstanding to clear up: AI prepares the structure, not the welcome. A new team member doesn't feel part of a team because of a well-made checklist, but because of how they're seen, listened to and included in the first days. The tool frees up your time to really be there; spend that time with the person.