When I think back to my own experiences as an employee earlier in my career, I realize that a smooth onboarding experience and transparent communication are everything. It took me several months to feel confident and like I was contributing. Despite my years of experience, everything was different—different types of projects, clients, processes, ways of communicating, and tasks. The same applies when hiring accountants in the Philippines. Expect a similar ramp-up time as with remote staff in your own country.

To ensure a smooth onboarding, here are some strategies that have helped me and my team:

• A good onboarding process - Efficient onboarding sets the stage for your new hire to understand their job, your company culture, and your expectations
• Lots of one-on-one time - Building the relationship is crucial as it opens up clear communication channels as opposed to only focusing on tasks and management processes. 
• Well-documented processes - Clear instructions and notes on the entire process help your entire team, and especially new hires get up to speed. However, you don’t necessarily have to have all the tasks and processes with super detailed step-by-step instructions right away, especially if you hire smart, capable people. However, you should be organized in some way that makes sense and clearly communicate your expectations and process.
• Patience and understanding - Don’t feel bad if you're not as organized as you'd like to be. Just have patience when someone takes a while to make sense of your work.

In this article, I’m going to share an onboarding checklist that I use as well as how you can set your new hires up for long term success. 

Why do you need a detailed onboarding plan for your new team members?  

Onboarding new accounting team members is a critical investment in your company’s future. It ensures new hires integrate into your systems and process, make a positive first impression, and quickly get up to speed.

More importantly, effective onboarding creates buy-in, fuels their passion and drive, and empowers them to contribute to your business's growth. Overlooking the importance of onboarding can undermine these benefits. 

How long does onboarding take?

Onboarding new team members typically takes anywhere from a few weeks to six months, depending on the role and the complexity of your firm's service offerings. It’s important to treat this period as an investment in your new hire’s future performance.

The key is to be realistic, give them as many resources and assistance as possible, and create an environment where they thrive and feel supported. The more you can treat onboarding as an investment, the more you’ll prepare your new hires to contribute effectively and feel valued, leading to better performance and lower turnover.

In fact, this starts before even posting the job. Write down what you'll look for in the first two weeks, four weeks, and long-term to evaluate if this person is successful. Share this in interviews, when making an offer, and of course during onboarding. Early on, look for enthusiasm and good questions rather than immediate productivity. Encourage gradual independence rather than expecting immediate speed.

Pro Tip: If it’s your first time hiring in the Philippines, allow extra time for your own learning curve. I find that first-timers sometimes struggle for a month or two, but by month three, they've worked through all the awkward unknowns and things start to click.

The key elements of a great onboarding plan 

Onboarding is time-consuming, but I’d argue it is some of the best time you can spend.  That’s because training talented new hires is an investment in your firm. They are not only going to be able to do their job better, but if you take the time to get to know them, they’ll likely stick around longer, too. 

A great onboarding plan involves having the right materials and videos in place to guide your new hire through the first few weeks.

Our recommended method for onboarding is lots of 1:1 calls as well as making onboarding videos.  With videos,  you only have to make it once and you can then send it to each new person that you hire.

In this section, we’ll outline the key videos you should be producing. 

Pro Tip: It’s OK if you don’t have time to make all of these videos. However, during onboarding, make sure that you address all of these things on a call with them.

New hire welcome video 

A welcome video from the accounting firm founder to each new hire sets the right tone from day one by introducing them to the team, showing your enthusiasm, and making them feel valued. 

In this video, outline what new hires can expect as they begin their training and encourage questions. Share a brief overview of your company’s mission, vision, and main services. This will help new hires understand how their role fits into the bigger picture.

You’ll also want to emphasize your unique approach to valuing employees. Explain that you believe in their potential and want them to understand the importance of their work. This fosters empowerment and motivation.

Finally, discuss the opportunities ahead and encourage them to watch the upcoming videos for more details.  

Company overview

Creating a company overview video helps you introduce new hires to the heart and soul of your business. A great company overview video goes beyond your mission, values, and culture, and also talks about why your firm is different and how everyone on your team contributes to it.

This video should be a story. A compelling story provides context, conveys empathy, and explains the "why" behind your actions. This is why we take our story seriously – for ourselves, our team, and our customers.

In your company overview video, introduce the company by telling its story and the founder’s story. New hires want to know how you got into this business in the first place. Sharing these details is crucial for getting your team members’ buy-in.

Core values

Your core values are all about converting what drives your business and ensuring your new hires understand the principles behind it. This fosters a strong, values-driven culture where everyone is aligned and motivated by the same core beliefs.

The best place to start is to define each of your core values. Explain that these values represent who you are at your core, both as a business and personally. They are the foundation upon which all your business operations and decisions are built. 

Everything in your business can change except these guiding principles. Your core values remain a constant. Over time, you may clarify or combine values to keep each one powerful and meaningful.

This means any new services and products are aligned with these values, and you only hire people who exhibit them. During performance reviews, you assess how well team members embody these values in their actions.

While you should only have a few core values, you may want to create a separate video for each one. 

I’d also encourage you to explore your company culture more deeply in this video. Sometimes, core company values and culture can seem vague. Make it clear how these values translate into everyday actions and behaviors. For example, at our company, we’re self-starters, ambitious, assertive, and problem solvers.  

Pro Tip: Too many core values can dilute their impact. This is why you might refine them over time, but the essence of who you are does not change.

What the company does

Think of this as the “what we do” part of your onboarding video series. This is where you give new hires a clear and comprehensive understanding of your service offerings and the unique value you bring to the market. This ensures they are well-informed and aligned with your company’s goals from the start.

Depending on how complex your service offerings are, you may want to record one video, or you may want to record separate videos for each service you offer. Regardless of whether you record one or multiple videos, make sure to explain not only what you do but also focus on the how and why. 

Who we work with

Now that your new accountant has an overview of your company, who they’ll be working with, what your overarching values are, and what your core services are, it’s time to let them know who your ideal clients are.

Here are some things you want to include in this video:

• Provide an overview of the different types of clients on board, including core client expectations and client management.
• Describe the key characteristics of your prospective clients.
• Highlight common needs and challenges potential clients face.
• Share brief success stories or case studies of current clients you've helped.
• Use a real example (or two) to illustrate how your services have led to meaningful client impact.
• Explain how your company handles onboarding clients, including initial client emails and client meetings.
• Mention the importance of building strong client relationships and maintaining open communication.

Your role 

Just like the individual welcome video, this video on their role is one that you should create from scratch each time. That’s because the focus of this video is all about “why you’re here.” It is a way to make a new hire feel valued and excited about their role.

In this video, start with a warm welcome and express your enthusiasm about having the new person on the team. Go out of your way to explain how they will contribute to the company’s ongoing story. Highlight that whatever culture and experiences they bring to the company are highly valued and will help make the team even more amazing.

You can also discuss why you hired them, including specific skills, experience, and potential contributions. Then, provide an overview of the projects and tasks they will be involved in, key expectations, working hours, and reporting structure, and show how their work fits into the larger picture of the company’s goals. You’ll also want to mention any key metrics and expectations. This is so important because the clearer you can be around the direct impact of their work on the company and their team, the more likely they will be bought in and willing to go above and beyond for the company. 

Key Takeaways 

Onboarding starts when you create the job ad, not after the offer letter is signed and finalized. That’s because you should write down what success looks like in concrete terms as you are thinking through the job ad and job description. 

• What are you looking for in terms of attitude, culture fit, and initial comfort with systems? Don’t expect full productivity!
• What progress on responsibilities do you hope to see after 30 days? What questions should they be asking?
• What are the 1-2 key performance metrics on which they will be evaluated quarterly?

Then, once you have the right person onboard, share these yardsticks with them on your onboarding 1:1s and in your onboarding videos. This way, all of the onboarding videos you record become a smart investment that ensures new hires feel valued and integrated. This comprehensive approach sets the stage for a positive onboarding experience, aligning new hires with your company's values and goals from the start.