Give new starters a route through their first week.

Organise around the first week

Start with the questions a new colleague needs answered: what to set up, who to meet and what to do first. Group these into a few branches. Keep policies available as supporting references instead of making the map a second handbook.

Make each step actionable

For each task, include the expected outcome, the person who can help and the place to begin. “Set up your account” is incomplete without a route to the request and someone to contact if it fails. Check every destination before sharing.

Show what matters today

Separate tasks for the first day from those for later in the week. Make dependencies explicit: an account may be needed before training can begin. Leave room for role-specific tasks without duplicating the shared information.

An example first-week map

A map for someone joining a sales team might have five main branches. Each one answers a question the new starter would otherwise have to ask.

The fifth branch, “Where to find things”, links to the handbook, the policies and the team drive. It is reference, not a task, so it sits apart from the rest.

Walk through it together

Use the map during the welcome conversation. Let the new starter ask questions and identify anything missing. Explain which parts are reference material and which require action, so every branch does not look like another urgent task.

Link the map to your LMS courses

Your learning platform records who has completed the required modules. The map shows the route: what to do, in which order and with whom. Link to the modules from the map instead of copying their content into it, so there is only one place to update.

Give every branch an owner

Links, people and processes change. Assign someone to check the map before each new starter joins. Name one person per branch, and ask each new starter which step was unclear.

Day one

HR

People to meet

Line manager

Set up

IT

First task

Team lead

Where to find things

HR, checked every quarter