MSP Employee Onboarding Checklist: Set New Hires Up for Success
Your new engineer starts Monday. By Wednesday, they are handling tickets. By Friday, they have access to 15 client environments they have never seen before. Nobody mentioned the documentation is three years out of date.
This is how MSPs lose people in the first 90 days. Not through poor pay or bad culture — through chaotic onboarding that leaves new hires feeling overwhelmed, unsupported, and set up to fail.
A structured onboarding programme is not a luxury for growing MSPs. It is a survival requirement. The MSP industry's average first-year turnover exceeds 25%. Much of that is preventable through better onboarding.
The 90-Day Onboarding Framework
Week 1: Orientation and Foundation
Day 1: Welcome and Setup
Administrative: - [ ] Employment paperwork and contracts - [ ] Company policies (acceptable use, security, leave) - [ ] IT equipment provisioned and configured - [ ] Email and communication tools access - [ ] HR system access (payroll, leave, benefits) - [ ] Building access and security credentials
Orientation: - [ ] Welcome meeting with manager - [ ] Team introductions - [ ] Company overview and values - [ ] Role expectations and 90-day goals - [ ] Introduction to onboarding buddy/mentor
Technical Foundation: - [ ] RMM and PSA tool access and orientation - [ ] Documentation system access and navigation - [ ] Internal knowledge base orientation - [ ] Communication channels (Slack, Teams, email groups)
Day 2-3: Environment Familiarisation
- [ ] Overview of client portfolio and key accounts
- [ ] Network architecture review
- [ ] Security toolset orientation (EDR, SIEM, vulnerability scanner)
- [ ] Backup and recovery systems overview
- [ ] Monitoring and alerting systems
Day 4-5: Process Training
- [ ] Ticket management workflow
- [ ] Incident response procedures
- [ ] Change management process
- [ ] Escalation procedures
- [ ] Documentation standards
Weeks 2-4: Technical Training and Shadowing
Week 2: Shadowing - [ ] Shadow experienced engineers on tickets (minimum 20 hours) - [ ] Observe client interactions and communication style - [ ] Review common issue resolution approaches - [ ] Begin handling simple tickets under supervision
Week 3: Guided Independence - [ ] Handle tickets with buddy available for questions - [ ] Complete platform-specific training modules - [ ] Review and update documentation for environments worked on - [ ] Begin client-specific familiarisation for assigned accounts
Week 4: Supervised Practice - [ ] Handle tickets independently with review - [ ] Complete security awareness training - [ ] Participate in team meetings and knowledge sharing - [ ] 30-day check-in with manager
Month 2: Developing Capability
Week 5-6: Expanding Scope - [ ] Take on more complex ticket types - [ ] Begin participating in project work - [ ] Deep-dive on key client environments - [ ] Complete role-specific technical certifications (if applicable)
Week 7-8: Building Relationships - [ ] Meet key client contacts - [ ] Participate in client-facing meetings (with support) - [ ] Contribute to internal knowledge base - [ ] 60-day check-in with manager
Month 3: Integration and Independence
Week 9-10: Full Independence - [ ] Handle full ticket load independently - [ ] Participate in on-call rotation (with backup) - [ ] Lead small projects or initiatives - [ ] Provide feedback on onboarding process
Week 11-12: Performance and Planning - [ ] 90-day performance review - [ ] Set goals for next quarter - [ ] Identify areas for continued development - [ ] Transition from onboarding to ongoing development plan
Technical Onboarding Specifics
MSP Tool Proficiency
Every new MSP hire needs proficiency in:
Core Tools: - RMM platform (ConnectWise Automate, Datto RMM, NinjaRMM, etc.) - PSA system (ConnectWise Manage, Autotask, HaloPSA, etc.) - Documentation platform (IT Glue, Hudu, etc.) - Communication tools (Slack, Teams, email)
Security Tools: - EDR platform - SIEM or monitoring platform - Vulnerability scanner - MFA and identity management
Infrastructure: - Microsoft 365 admin centre - Azure/AWS console (if applicable) - Networking tools and monitoring - Backup and recovery platforms
Knowledge Requirements
Before handling live tickets, new hires should understand:
- Your security policies — what is allowed and what is not
- Your documentation standards — how to document work properly
- Your escalation procedures — when and how to escalate
- Your client communication standards — how to interact professionally
- Your change management process — how changes are approved and implemented
Measuring Onboarding Success
Key Metrics
| Metric | Target | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first ticket | <3 days | Days from start to first independent ticket |
| Time to full capacity | <30 days | Days from start to full ticket load |
| 30-day satisfaction | >4.0/5.0 | New hire survey |
| 90-day retention | >95% | Still employed at 90 days |
| Manager satisfaction | >4.0/5.0 | Manager assessment |
Feedback Loops
New hire feedback: - 30-day survey: How is the onboarding experience? - 60-day survey: What would you change? - 90-day survey: Overall onboarding assessment
Manager feedback: - 30-day assessment: Is the new hire on track? - 60-day assessment: What additional support is needed? - 90-day assessment: Is the new hire ready for full independence?
Process improvement: - Quarterly review of onboarding metrics - Annual review of onboarding programme content - Continuous improvement based on feedback
Common Onboarding Failures
No structured plan. New hires are handed a laptop and told to figure it out. This is the fastest way to lose people.
Skipping training. "We are too busy for training" is the most common excuse for poor onboarding. The cost of a poorly trained engineer making mistakes on live systems far exceeds the cost of training time.
Overwhelming with information. Dumping all documentation on a new hire in week one does not work. People learn progressively, not in a single data dump.
No buddy or mentor. New hires need someone to ask questions without feeling stupid. Without a buddy, they either struggle in silence or make mistakes.
No check-ins. New hires need regular feedback and support. Without structured check-ins, problems compound until they become failures.
Related Guides
- MSP Employee Satisfaction Survey — Keep new hires engaged long-term
- MSP Employee Feedback System — Continuous feedback beyond onboarding
- MSP Cybersecurity Awareness Training — Security training for new hires
- Best Certs for MSP Engineers — Certification paths for new hires
- MSP Quality Management System — Quality processes that support onboarding
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