Intern Onboarding Checklist
Everything you need to onboard a intern from Day 1 through their first 90 days. Customizable for your company size and work setup.
Last updated May 21, 2026 • By Pro Sulum • Free to use, no signup
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Day 1: Complete HR setup, receive equipment and access, meet the mentor, and understand the internship structure.
- Complete I-9, payroll setup, and any required internship agreements — Finish all HR and legal documents required before beginning work, including any school-sponsored internship agreements if applicable. critical
- Receive laptop and get access to email, Slack, and the team's project management tool — Set up the company laptop, configure email, join Slack with a completed profile, and get added to the relevant project boards. critical
- Meet your assigned mentor for a one-hour orientation meeting — Have a dedicated first meeting with your mentor covering the internship structure, the project, communication expectations, and how to ask for help. critical
- Review the intern handbook and code of conduct — Read through all intern-specific policies covering working hours, confidentiality, acceptable use of company systems, and social media guidelines. critical
- Meet the full team and get brief introductions to each member's role — Join a team meeting or a round of informal introductions so you know who to go to for different types of questions. important
- Review the internship project brief and learning objectives with your mentor — Read the project scope document and the stated learning objectives for the internship, and ask questions until both are clear. critical
- Get access to the code repository or the primary technical tools used by the team — Receive GitHub access, API credentials, or whatever technical tools are central to the project and confirm they are working. critical
- Schedule a recurring weekly one-on-one with your mentor — Set up a standing calendar invite for a 30 to 45 minute weekly meeting with your mentor for the full duration of the internship. critical
Week 1: Finish environment setup, complete project scoping, and begin the first defined work task.
- Complete a technical orientation covering the team's main tools and stack — Get a guided walkthrough (from the mentor or a senior engineer) of the tools, codebase, or systems relevant to the project. critical
- Break the internship project into milestones with your mentor and agree on a timeline — Create a written project plan with three to five milestones, delivery dates for each, and a definition of done for the final deliverable. critical
- Complete any required compliance or security training — Finish any mandatory company training modules on data security, privacy, or acceptable use assigned by HR or IT. critical
- Attend the team's standard recurring meetings (stand-up, sprint planning, or weekly sync) — Join the regular team meetings to understand the workflow, current priorities, and how the team communicates about work in progress. important
- Complete a self-directed review of any technical prerequisites for the project — Identify any knowledge gaps relevant to the project (a framework, a tool, a process) and spend time filling them through documentation, tutorials, or asking the mentor. important
- Submit a Week 1 reflection to your mentor outlining what you have learned and what questions remain — Write a brief summary (one page or less) covering your first week observations, open questions, and what you are most looking forward to working on. important
- Confirm access to all project resources (shared drives, design files, data sets, or documentation) — Verify you can access every resource needed to complete the first project milestone and flag any missing access to the mentor. critical
- Have coffee or a virtual chat with two teammates outside of structured meetings — Reach out informally to two team members to learn about their work and build a relationship outside of scheduled meetings. nice-to-have
Month 1: Deliver the first project milestone, participate actively in team activities, and complete a mid-program check-in.
- Deliver the first project milestone on schedule — Complete and present the first defined project milestone to your mentor by the agreed delivery date. critical
- Complete a 30-day mid-internship check-in with your mentor — Have a structured 45-minute check-in covering project progress, learning goal attainment, and any adjustments to the project scope or timeline. critical
- Attend at least one company-wide meeting or all-hands if available — Join an all-hands meeting, town hall, or product review to understand the broader business context beyond your immediate project. important
- Complete one self-identified learning resource relevant to the project (course, book chapter, or tutorial) — Identify a skill gap discovered in the first month and complete a specific learning resource to address it. important
- Ask your mentor for mid-program feedback on communication and work quality — Request explicit feedback on two dimensions: the quality of your technical output and your professional communication style. important
- Document any processes or decisions made during the first milestone for future reference — Write up the key decisions, tools used, and lessons learned from the first milestone in the team's documentation tool (Notion, Confluence, or similar). nice-to-have
- Identify one team member you can shadow for a half-day to learn about their role — Choose someone on the team whose work connects to your project and ask to shadow them for a few hours to understand their perspective. nice-to-have
- Confirm the second milestone plan and timeline with your mentor — After delivering Milestone 1, align with your mentor on the scope and deadline for Milestone 2 before beginning work. critical
90 Days: Deliver the final project, present work to the team, complete the performance review, and determine next steps.
- Deliver the final project deliverable to your mentor for review — Submit the completed project output by the agreed final deadline, including documentation and any handoff materials needed for the team to use your work. critical
- Present your project to the team in a 15 to 20 minute presentation — Prepare and deliver a presentation covering what you built, what you learned, the results, and any recommendations for follow-up work. critical
- Complete the formal internship performance review with your mentor and manager — Participate in a structured review covering technical output, learning objective attainment, and professional growth. critical
- Write a personal reflection on your learning objective progress — Review the learning objectives set at the start of the internship and write a one-page reflection on how each one was or was not achieved. important
- Send thank-you notes to your mentor and key teammates — Write brief, sincere notes to the people who invested time in your development during the internship. important
- Discuss full-time conversion or future opportunities with your manager — Have a direct conversation about whether a full-time role or return internship is a possibility and what the path looks like. important
- Return any company equipment and complete offboarding paperwork — Return the laptop or any physical equipment, complete the offboarding checklist, and confirm all company accounts will be deactivated. critical
- Connect with teammates on LinkedIn before your last day — Send LinkedIn connection requests to your mentor, manager, and any teammates you worked closely with to maintain the professional relationship. nice-to-have
Hiring an Intern for the first time can feel overwhelming for a small business owner managing a team of just a few people. Without a dedicated HR team, you are likely juggling many responsibilities and may not have a clear process to onboard someone new. Time is tight, and the pressure to get it right on your own can be stressful because you do not have a ready-made playbook. This uncertainty can make it tempting to rush through the onboarding or leave important details out, which risks confusion and lost productivity. In the first week, the most important priority is helping the Intern understand their role well enough to start contributing on simple tasks. Small businesses often rely on everyone wearing multiple hats, so even as an Intern, they need a clear focus on the key responsibilities they can handle independently. A good first week sets expectations and builds confidence by giving the Intern manageable assignments that connect directly to your business’s daily needs. One effective way to onboard without burning time on constant supervision is what could be called the "Record & Delegate" method. Before your Intern starts, record a 5-minute video showing yourself performing the top 3 to 5 tasks you want them to learn. This video acts as the training guide or standard operating procedure (SOP). The Intern watches the video, then tries doing the tasks themselves. This method reduces the need for repeated explanations and lets you train without micromanaging. It also frees you from being the bottleneck, so you can focus on other priorities while the Intern learns independently. The single most common mistake small business owners make when onboarding an Intern is assuming they can learn everything on the job without clear instructions or support. Expecting an Intern to figure out tasks without guidance often leads to mistakes, frustration, and wasted time. Interns generally need structure and clear examples at the start to build confidence and perform well. Skipping this step can slow down work and damage the Intern's experience. By the time 90 days have passed, a "ready to work independently" Intern in a small business should be able to complete their core tasks without asking for help every step of the way. They should understand how their work fits into the bigger picture and communicate when they face challenges. At this point, they can take on new assignments with minimal supervision and contribute meaningfully to daily operations. This level of independence means your upfront investment in training has paid off and your Intern is a reliable part of the team. If you want a Intern who documents their own processes and builds systems as they go, rather than requiring you to document everything first, that is what a Virtual Systems Architect does. Start with this checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
I hired someone for this role before and it did not work out. What usually goes wrong?
Most failed Intern hires come down to one of three problems: the owner skipped structured onboarding in week one, there was no documented process for the hire to follow, or expectations were never made explicit. The new hire guessed, made mistakes, and the owner assumed the person was the problem. In most cases the process was the problem. This checklist closes all three gaps. Start with a clear first week, a Record and Delegate video for each core task, and written expectations before the hire ever logs in.
What tasks are appropriate for an Intern in a small business?
Interns typically handle entry-level tasks that support daily operations, such as data entry, research, social media updates, basic customer communication, or organizing files. Choose tasks that are useful but do not require extensive experience.
How long should I plan to spend training my Intern?
Initial training usually takes a few hours spread over the first week, with ongoing support as they build confidence. Using the "Record & Delegate" method can reduce your live training time significantly.
Do I need a formal contract or agreement with my Intern?
Yes, it’s important to have a simple written agreement that outlines expectations, work hours, duration of the internship, and any compensation or benefits. This protects both you and the Intern.
How do I keep an Intern motivated without an HR team?
Regular check-ins, clear tasks, and recognizing their contributions go a long way. Make sure they feel part of the team and understand how their work matters to your business.
What if my Intern is not meeting expectations?
Address issues early with honest feedback and offer additional guidance if needed. If problems continue, it’s okay to adjust their responsibilities or end the internship respectfully.
Can an Intern work remotely for my small business?
Yes, remote work is possible if the tasks can be done online and you have a way to communicate clearly. However, remote Interns may require more structured check-ins to stay on track.
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