Email template · Onboarding
New hire check-in email
In short
A new hire check in email asks a recent hire how their first days or months are going and invites them to a short conversation or survey. It is sent at set points, usually the end of week one and at 30, 60 and 90 days. Below are templates for each milestone and a two-question pulse for hourly and high-volume hires.
When to send it: Send on the last day of week one, then at 30, 60 and 90 days after the start date. For hourly roles with high early attrition, add a check-in at the end of week two on the floor.
New hire check-in email: 4 versions
End of first week
SubjectHow was your first week, [First Name]?
Hi [First Name], You've made it through week one. How's it going? I'd like to hear what's been good, what's been confusing, and anything you need that you don't have yet (access, equipment, an introduction to someone). Nothing is too small. We have our one-to-one on [Day and Time]. If it's easier, reply here with a few lines beforehand and we'll pick it up then. Thanks for a great start, [Manager Name]
30-day check-in
SubjectYour 30-day check-in
Hi [First Name], It's been about a month since you joined, and I'd like to set aside 30 minutes to talk about how things are going. I've booked [Day and Time]; move it if it doesn't suit. A few things I'd like to cover, so you can think about them ahead of time: - Is the job what you expected when you accepted the offer? - What has helped you most so far, and what has slowed you down? - Do you have what you need from me, [Buddy Name] and the team? - Which of your [30-Day Goals] feel on track? [Optional: Before we meet, please fill in this short form, about five minutes: [Form Link].] Talk soon, [Manager Name]
60 and 90 day check-in
SubjectYour [60 / 90]-day check-in
Hi [First Name], You're coming up on [60 / 90] days, which is a good moment to step back. I've put [Day and Time] in our calendars. This time I'd like to talk about: - Progress on the goals we set at 30 days: [Goal Summary] - What you'd like to take on next - Anything about the role, team or company that still doesn't make sense - [90 days: how your probation or introductory period review will work] Please come with your own view of how it's going. I'll share mine too, so there are no surprises. Thanks, [Manager Name]
Two-question pulse (hourly / high-volume)
Subject[First Name], quick question about your first [Number] weeks
Hi [First Name], You've been with us at [Site] for [Number] weeks. Two quick questions, under a minute: 1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how is the job going so far? 2. What's one thing we could do better for new team members? Answer here: [Form Link] Your answers go to [HR / Site Leadership] so we can fix problems early. If something needs attention now, call [Contact Name] at [Phone Number]. Thanks, [Company] People Team
Subject line ideas
- How was your first week, [First Name]?
- Your 30-day check-in
- Let's catch up: your [60 / 90]-day check-in
- Quick question about your first weeks
- How's it going so far?
- Checking in on your first month
- Time for your [90]-day conversation
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Company]. You've been with us [Number] weeks now. How's it going? Two quick questions, under a minute: [Form Link]. Need help with anything right now? Reply here. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Manager Name], [Buddy Name], [Day and Time], [30-Day Goals], [Goal Summary], [Form Link], [Site], [Number], [Contact Name], [Phone Number], [Company]
Why check-ins are an attrition tool
Most early leavers make the decision quietly, somewhere between week two and week eight. In contact centers and warehouses, it is common for 20% to 40% of a hiring class to be gone within 90 days, and the reasons are usually fixable: a schedule different from what was promised, a supervisor they never really met, a system nobody trained them on. Scheduled check-ins are how you find out while there is still time to act.
The email itself is simple. What makes it work is that it is sent on a schedule, that someone reads the answers, and that the new hire sees something change as a result.
The check-in schedule
- End of week one: informal, from the manager, focused on logistics and first impressions. Access problems and missing equipment surface here.
- 30 days: the first proper conversation. Compare the job to the expectations set at the offer stage; mismatches here predict early exits.
- 60 days: progress on goals and how the person is fitting in with the team.
- 90 days: a fuller review, often tied to the end of an introductory period, followed where relevant by a probation completion email.
At each point, the manager has the conversation. HR or a central team can send a short, anonymous onboarding survey email alongside, because some issues (including issues with the manager) won't come up face to face.
What to ask
Ask questions that produce something you can act on. "How's it going?" gets "fine." Better: "Is the job what you expected when you accepted?", "What has slowed you down this week?", "Who haven't you met yet that you should?" Our list of new hire check-in questions gives a full set by milestone, and the new hire check-in form turns them into a one-page record that the manager and employee can both keep.
Tie the 30-, 60- and 90-day conversations to goals set in the first week. Clear early goals make the check-ins concrete; this guide on setting goals with new hires covers how to set them.
Running check-ins at volume
A distribution center onboarding 60 associates a month can't rely on supervisors remembering every 30-day date. Automate the reminders and the pulse survey, and route the answers to someone with the time to act on them. Two questions by text get far higher response rates from hourly staff than a 15-question survey by email.
Then watch the data by cohort, site, shift and supervisor. If new hires on one shift rate their first month at 2.8 out of 5 while everyone else is at 4.1, you have found your attrition problem. Onboarding reports that show check-in completion and scores side by side with 30-, 60- and 90-day retention make that pattern visible without a spreadsheet project.
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking and then doing nothing. A new hire who flags a problem and sees no response is more likely to leave than one who was never asked.
- Making the 30-day check-in a performance review. It should be two-way; save formal assessment for the end of the introductory period.
- Only the manager asking. Some problems are with the manager.
- Skipping check-ins for internal transfers and rehires. They are new to the team, even if not the company.
- Long surveys for hourly staff on a personal phone with no paid time to complete them.
Frequently asked questions
What should a new hire check in email say?
Acknowledge the milestone, ask how things are going, list the two to four topics you want to discuss so they can prepare, and give a time for the conversation or a link to a short form.
When should you do 30, 60 and 90 day check-ins?
On or near the 30th, 60th and 90th day after the start date, plus an informal check at the end of the first week. Book them on the calendar during week one so they aren't forgotten.
What do you ask in a first week check-in email?
Ask what has gone well, what has been confusing and whether anything is missing, such as access, equipment or introductions. Keep it light and practical.
Who should send new employee feedback emails?
The manager should run the milestone conversations. HR or a central team can send a short anonymous survey alongside so new hires can raise issues they may not share with their manager.
How do you check in with hourly new hires at scale?
Send a two-question pulse by text at set points, route answers to a named person, and track scores by site, shift and supervisor alongside early retention.