Checklist: new employee computer setup
The first day at a new job shouldn't start with waiting for email access. Here's what's worth having ready before a new hire sits down at their desk.
Before day one
Order or prepare the hardware ahead of time
Buying a new laptop or setting up spare hardware takes time — especially if you need to add memory or swap a drive. Start at least a week before the new hire's start date, not the day before.
Set up the company account and assign licenses
A Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace account, an email address, an office suite license — all of this should exist and work before the new hire tries to log in on day one, not during their first coffee break.
Grant only the access that's actually needed
It's easier to add a missing permission in week two than to claw back excess access nobody remembers granting later. Decide upfront which systems and folders a given role should have access to, and stick to that for every new hire in the same position.
Set up basic security right away, not "later"
Two-factor authentication, disk encryption, up-to-date antivirus software — these are far easier to turn on the first time the computer boots up than to go back and add a month later, once the device is already in daily use.
Quick checklist
- Hardware ordered/prepared and tested before day one
- Company account, email, and licenses active
- Access granted according to the role — not "just in case"
- 2FA, disk encryption, and antivirus enabled from first boot
- Access to shared resources (network drive, chat, team calendar)
- A short "who to contact" note for when something doesn't work
Why it's worth writing this down once, instead of improvising every time
Companies that hire only occasionally often improvise with each new employee, which leads to inconsistent access and forgotten security steps. One written checklist — even a very simple one — eliminates most of those mistakes and cuts down the time needed to set up a new workstation.
Hiring someone new soon?
We'll prepare and configure the hardware, accounts, and access before day one — following a checklist tailored to your company.