Getting a new team member on board is an exciting time for any business. But we all know the administrative side of setting them up with all the necessary IT can be a major headache.
It’s not just about creating an email account and configuring a laptop. There’s a whole laundry list of tasks, managing licences, setting up phone systems, and granting access to the various apps your company runs on.
With so many factors to consider, questions arise: Are all these tasks included? Is your IT company responsible for them? How can you be sure everything will be done as needed?
In this article we dig into why the new starter process matters, point out the common pitfalls, and give you the key elements of a smooth, successful setup.
Why does new starter setup matter so much?
Getting the new starter process right is crucial for your business to run smoothly. If the ball gets dropped, you can expect disruptions, productivity dips and even security risks. We’ve heard plenty of stories from companies whose IT providers continually botch the process, leaving employees starting their jobs without the tools they need or access to essential systems, throwing carefully planned inductions into chaos.
It’s not just the inconvenience and wasted time, either. Think about the impression it leaves on a new employee. Spending their first day struggling with tech issues doesn’t exactly create a positive feeling about their new workplace, and first impressions shape how people see your company’s culture and values.
So by prioritising a well-executed new starter process you don’t just make life easier for your employees, you safeguard the business, boost productivity, and keep sensitive data secure.
Why does it go so wrong?
When it comes to setting up new employees, things can get messy. Let’s break down why it so often goes haywire:
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Who's in charge?
The biggest issue is not being clear about who’s responsible for what. It’s not just the IT company, your internal HR and hiring-manager processes matter too. Make sure everyone knows their role, document the handover to your IT provider, and agree exactly what they’ll handle versus what’s on your plate. A good provider covers this from the start.
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Keeping everyone in the loop
Outsourcing your IT is great, but some providers rely too heavily on you for information. It’s not fair to expect HR or hiring managers to know every IT requirement. Instead of the “you didn’t tell us” blame game, establish default requirements and communicate the specific needs of each role.
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One size doesn't fit all
Each employee is unique, and their setup needs vary. Some need access to certain systems, others need specific software. You need either a flexible process or separate forms for different setups, and a reliable provider should help you navigate it.
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Change is the name of the game
Requirements shift as technology evolves and new systems come in. Outdated documentation and missed updates wreak havoc. Your IT company should update documentation and processes as they make changes, it’s worth the extra time during installs.
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Streamline requests and builds
Big IT companies sometimes split new-user requests and device builds across different people. Because both are interconnected, that causes confusion. It’s best to have one person oversee both.
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Automate, automate, automate
Setting up a new employee involves dozens of small manual tasks, and more room for mistakes. Automate as much as possible to reduce human error. Remote management tools can deploy services and enforce controls with no human intervention.
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Go for the gold standard
Starting with the right setup makes life easier for everyone. Centralise devices under a management system, group employees logically for access permissions, and standardise user profiles. Your provider should assess your setup and suggest improvements.
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The power of documentation
Providers often miss requirements simply because they don’t have the full picture. Accurate, up-to-date documentation, backed by regular audits, keeps everyone aligned.
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Experience counts
Some companies hand critical tasks like account setup to junior staff. It may look easy, but the risks are high when it goes wrong. Have experienced professionals handle it from the get-go.
Understanding these challenges and taking the right steps will smooth your onboarding experience and minimise headaches, benefiting your employees while safeguarding your security and productivity.
The Sereno way
With years of experience running large IT operations, we’ve seen it all, and learned from our mistakes. We’ve fine-tuned our process to deliver a smooth onboarding experience, free from the issues that plague other organisations.
When you join us, one of our first steps is a conversation about your starter and leaver processes and your device-build requirements, after a detailed audit of your entire IT environment so we fully understand your needs. We pay close attention to different roles and variables, aligning everything with your internal processes, and we make sure everyone knows who’s responsible for what.
During that thorough audit we also review your setup against best practice, and provide recommendations to improve your environment and simplify the setup process. To make things even smoother, we’ve invested in automation tools that increase reliability, and we’ll always suggest technologies that allow for future automation in your IT environment, setting you up for scalability and success.
We don’t hand your setups to junior engineers, every team member working on them has a minimum of five years’ experience, so you get one expert point of contact and a process that just works.
In our Partner Portal, you’ll find a dedicated section to submit personalised new-starter requests, simple, guided, and accessible to all your hiring managers and approvers, so nothing bottlenecks at approval. Behind those friendly forms sit customised backend task lists built specifically for your setup, so nothing is overlooked. Need a new device or want to set up an existing one? The Portal lays out every option, from specific devices to software packages and compatible peripherals. And once the work is done, your dedicated engineer runs a final check to make sure all documentation is up to date and accurate, keeping our records fresh and ready for any future changes.
A new employee having a bad first day reflects poorly on your company, and on us. We want every starter to walk away with a great impression of Sereno, because that sets the tone for the whole partnership.
Want a new-starter process that works every time? Talk to Sereno and we’ll show you what good looks like.
Written by
Eric Ryan
Part of the Sereno IT team helping growing UK businesses make confident, jargon-free technology decisions. Read more business operations guidance in our Business Operations library.
