The problem: A new person starts Monday. You know you should have a welcome note, a first-week plan, and a list of the logins they'll need, but it usually ends up in your head and a few rushed texts.
What you end up with: A friendly onboarding packet for each new hire: a welcome letter, a day-by-day first-week plan, a checklist of accounts and equipment to set up, and links to your how-to guides, all drafted for you to check.
What you'll need
The role, start date, and manager's name, a short list of what the new person should learn in week one, and any how-to guides you already have.
Getting set up
Bringing on someone new and want their first week to go smoothly? Here's how to tackle it, based on each tool's official docs. First, pick a tool. Notion says its AI can generate docs from your pages. Google says Gemini in Docs can create first drafts that match your tone. Microsoft says Copilot in Word can write, edit, and summarize documents, and can check for missing info or inconsistencies. Next, keep one master onboarding page with your welcome basics and house rules. Then, for each hire, add a few notes about the role. And last, the agent drafts the packet. You check it and share it yourself.
Step by step
- Give the agent your master onboarding page and the notes for this role.
- Ask it to draft a warm welcome letter from you.
- Have it build a first-week plan, one short list per day.
- Ask for a setup checklist of accounts, equipment, and keys, with who handles each one.
- Have it link your existing how-to guides where they fit.
- Read it all, fix anything wrong, and remove anything private.
- Share it with the new hire before day one.
A prompt to start with
Copy this prompt, then make it your own. "Using our onboarding page and these role notes: [notes], draft an onboarding packet for [name], starting [date] as [role], reporting to [manager]. Include a short, warm welcome letter from me, a day-by-day plan for week one, and a setup checklist (accounts, equipment, keys) with an owner for each item. Only use facts from my notes. Mark anything you're unsure about with [CHECK]."
What you'll get
A welcome letter, a first-week plan, and a setup checklist with owners, ready for you to review.
If something goes wrong
If the plan is too packed, ask for no more than three goals a day. If it invents policies, remind it to use only your onboarding page. If it reads stiffly, paste in a message you've written so it can match your voice.
Keep in mind
Paperwork like tax forms, contracts, and pay setup must follow the rules where you operate. Check those with your accountant or local resources. Don't put passwords in the packet. Share logins through a safe tool instead.
Sources
- Notion AI — product page
- Google Workspace — AI tools for business
- Microsoft Copilot for small business — product page and FAQ
Where each fact came from
- Recommended tools · checked Oct 28, 2026 · rechecked regularly — Notion AI — product page
- Getting set up · checked Oct 28, 2026 · rechecked regularly — Google Workspace — AI tools for business
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