Management Onboarding Checklist

Refer to: OHR

1. PURPOSE. The purpose of this circular is to establish the Indian Health Service (IHS) procedure for proper and complete onboarding of new employees.
2. POLICY. The Onboarding Checklist (Exhibit 20-03-A) [PDF - 697 KB], is a mandatory tool for supervisors to use when all new employees are hired. This checklist will standardize and document the completion of required actions and tasks for both the employee and supervisor.
3. BACKGROUND. It is the goal of the IHS to maximize employee talent with our business processes and practices to meet modern-day human capital management and human resources operational challenges now and in the future. As part of the efforts to maximize talent, and promote effective integration into IHS, the IHS is instituting an onboarding checklist for supervisors to ensure uniform onboarding for all employees starting with the IHS. This uniform onboarding will enhance the Agency’s most important resource – its employees.

   IHS must ensure that all employees are trained in subjects pertinent to the IHS mission and to the federal government. The list of mandatory training courses on the checklist provides an employee a list to complete required training. The checklist is documentation that employees have gone through mandatory training on protecting children against sexual abuse, equal employment opportunity awareness, ethics, cybersecurity, cultural competency, and other subjects.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES.
   1. Office of Human Resources, Division of Human Resources Operations and Systems, and Regional Human Resources Offices. Upon determining the start date of a new employee, the OHR/DHROS or Regional HR offices will send the Onboarding Checklist to the new employee’s supervisor along with the new employee’s start date.
   2. Supervisor.
      1. Onboarding Checklist. Upon receiving the start date of a new employee and Onboarding Checklist, the supervisor must start the onboarding process, completing the Onboarding Checklist throughout the process.
      2. Preparation for First Day Section. Supervisor must complete and initial each item, as applicable.
      3. Employee’s First Day Section. Supervisor must complete and initial each item and ensure that each new employee is given a copy of the Onboarding Checklist and understands the requirement of completing it.
      4. Completion of the Onboarding Checklist. Supervisor ensures the new employee is guided and allotted time for each action or task. The checklist is separated into categories to document the onboarding process. The supervisor will initial and date verifying the new employee has completed the item. The Onboarding Checklist must be signed and dated, certifying completion.
   3. Onboarding Employee.
      1. Onboarding Checklist. (Manual exhibit 20-03-A)
         1. Initial and date each completed task listed in Employee’s First Day, Employee’s First Week, and Employee’s First Month, and the date each mandatory training was completed. Sign and date the Onboarding Checklist once completed, certifying they have completed the steps and resolved all applicable issues.
         2. Return the completed original Onboarding Checklist to the immediate supervisor.
5. RECORDS RETENTION. The supervisor maintains a set of administrative records for all direct employees, consistent with the records retention schedule. The supervisor must issue a copy of the completed Onboarding Checklist to the employee and must retain a hard copy of the original Onboarding Checklist in the employee’s administrative file. A disposition authority will emulate the Health and Human Services (HHS) retention authority until a record series can be added to the IHS Records Disposition Schedule.
6. SUPERSEDURE. None. This Circular does not supersede any prior guidance, including the IHS Medical Credentials and Privileges Review Process at IHS, Part 3, Chapter 1.
7. EFFECTIVE DATE. This circular becomes effective on the date of signature.
/Michael D. Weahkee/
RADM Michael D. Weahkee, MBA, MHSA
Assistant Surgeon General, U.S. Public Health Service
Director, Indian Health Service