Email template · Onboarding
Pre-boarding email before start date
In short
An onboarding email before the start date (a preboarding email) tells a new hire what to complete before day one and keeps them engaged during the notice period. It lists paperwork with deadlines, explains checks and equipment, and confirms the start date and contact. Below are templates for a paperwork kickoff, a mid-notice check-in and an hourly training class.
When to send it: Send the paperwork email within two to three days of acceptance, a check-in midway through a long notice period, and the first-day logistics email about five business days before the start.
Pre-boarding email before start date: 3 versions
Paperwork kickoff
SubjectBefore you start: a few things to complete by [Paperwork Deadline]
Hi [First Name], We're getting everything ready for your start on [Start Date]. To make day one about meeting the team rather than filling in forms, please complete the following by [Paperwork Deadline]: 1. Personal details, tax withholding (Form W-4 and any state form) and direct deposit: [Onboarding Link]. About [Paperwork Time] minutes. 2. Section 1 of Form I-9. You can do this online now, and it must be done no later than your first day. On day one, please bring original documents that show your identity and work authorization. The list of acceptable documents is here: [I-9 Document List Link]. 3. [Background check consent / Policy acknowledgments / Emergency contact form]. Need help or don't have a document you need? Reply here or call me at [Phone Number]. It's much easier to fix things now than on your first morning. Thanks, [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Mid-notice check-in
SubjectChecking in before [Start Date]
Hi [First Name], Hope your last weeks at [Previous Employer or 'your current job'] are going smoothly. A quick update from our side: - Your paperwork is [complete / almost done: just Outstanding Item left]. - Your [laptop / uniform / badge] is [ordered / ready for pickup on day one]. - [Manager Name] has your first week planned and will send you a short note soon. Is there anything you're wondering about before you start? Parking, dress code, what the first week looks like, anything at all. Just reply. Looking forward to [Start Date], [Your Name] [Title], [Company]
Hourly training class
SubjectYour training class starts [Start Date]: finish these 3 steps
Hi [First Name], You're booked for the [Job Title] training class on [Start Date] at [Start Time]. To keep your seat, please finish these steps by [Paperwork Deadline]: 1. New hire forms: [Onboarding Link] 2. [Drug screen / background check]: [Instructions or Link] 3. Reply to confirm you'll be there. Bring a photo ID and your Form I-9 documents on day one. Training runs [Training Schedule] and is paid at [Pay Rate]. Stuck on anything? Text [Text Number]. [Your Name] [Company] Recruiting Team
Subject line ideas
- Before you start: a few things to complete
- Your preboarding checklist for [Start Date]
- Getting ready for your first day at [Company]
- Action needed by [Paperwork Deadline]: new hire forms
- Checking in before [Start Date]
- Your training class starts [Start Date]: 3 quick steps
- Almost there: your onboarding steps
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Your Name] at [Company]. Before you start on [Start Date], please finish your new hire forms here by [Paperwork Deadline]: [Onboarding Link]. Text back if you get stuck. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Start Date], [Start Time], [Paperwork Deadline], [Paperwork Time], [Onboarding Link], [I-9 Document List Link], [Previous Employer], [Outstanding Item], [Manager Name], [Job Title], [Training Schedule], [Pay Rate], [Text Number], [Your Name], [Title], [Company], [Phone Number]
Why the weeks before day one matter
A hire is not a hire until they show up. In hourly and contact-center hiring, it is common for a noticeable share of accepted candidates to never start, and the gap between acceptance and day one is where that happens. Each week of silence gives a competing employer, a counteroffer or plain second thoughts a chance to win.
Preboarding emails close that gap. They move admin work out of day one, and each message is a small reminder that a team is expecting this person. For a 30-person training class, getting three extra people to show up is the difference between a full class and an understaffed queue for the next three months.
What to cover before the start date
- Tax and payroll setup: Form W-4, any state withholding form and direct deposit, so the first paycheck is right.
- Form I-9: the employee must complete Section 1 no later than the first day of work, and the employer must examine documents and complete Section 2 within three business days of the start. Tell people in advance which documents to bring. You can't tell them which specific documents to choose from the acceptable list.
- Background checks, drug screens or licensing where they apply, with clear instructions. Consent and disclosure for background checks must follow the FCRA.
- Policy acknowledgments that can be read in advance: handbook, code of conduct, IT use.
- Equipment and access: laptop shipping, badge photo, uniform size, system accounts.
If you need to chase specific documents, the document submission request email is a better fit than repeating this one.
A sequence that works
One email is not preboarding. A simple cadence for a salaried hire with a two- to four-week notice period:
- Day 1 after acceptance: welcome note.
- Day 2 or 3: paperwork kickoff (the first template above).
- Midway: check-in from HR plus a personal note from the manager.
- About five business days before start: the first day email with time, place and agenda.
- Day before: a short reminder by text or email.
For hourly hires starting within a week, collapse steps 1 and 2 and send the day-before reminder by text. Building this as an automated onboarding journey means every hire gets the same steps, and recruiters only step in when someone stalls.
Confirm the start date in writing
Start dates drift. Notice periods change, background checks run late, a class gets moved. Whenever the date changes, send a start date confirmation email rather than mentioning it in passing inside a paperwork reminder. A new hire who shows up on the old date, or not at all, is a preventable failure.
Tracking who is stuck
The useful number is not how many emails went out but how many new hires have completed each step, and who hasn't started. A dashboard of outstanding items by hire, through your onboarding tool, lets a recruiter call the three people who haven't opened the link rather than resending to all thirty. Silence on paperwork is often the earliest sign that someone isn't coming, so a phone call two or three days before the deadline is worth making.
Mistakes to avoid
- Ten tasks in one email. Group them, number them and give one deadline.
- Asking for things you can't ask for yet. For example, don't request I-9 documents before the offer is accepted, and don't ask medical questions before a conditional offer.
- Forms that only work on a desktop. Many hourly hires will complete them on a phone.
- No human contact. Automated reminders help, but a new hire who replies with a question needs an answer from a person within a day.
Frequently asked questions
What is a preboarding email?
It is any email sent to a new hire between offer acceptance and day one to complete paperwork, arrange equipment and keep them engaged. Most teams send a short series rather than a single message.
What should an email to a new hire before the start date include?
The tasks to complete with a deadline (tax forms, direct deposit, Form I-9 Section 1, any checks), what to bring on day one, equipment details and a named contact for questions. Keep it numbered and scannable.
Can a new hire fill out Form I-9 before the start date?
Yes, once they have accepted the offer. Section 1 must be completed no later than the first day of work, and the employer completes Section 2 within three business days of the start.
How many onboarding emails should be sent before day one?
Three to five for a salaried hire with a few weeks' notice: welcome, paperwork, a check-in, first-day details and a day-before reminder. For hourly hires starting within days, two or three plus a text reminder.
How do I reduce new hire no-shows?
Keep in touch every few days before the start, make paperwork easy to finish on a phone, confirm the start date in writing, send a reminder the day before and call anyone who goes quiet.