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Free virtual assistant onboarding checklist: know what to hand over on day one
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Most onboarding goes wrong before the first task: logins that don't work, steps nobody wrote down, and no agreed way to ask a question. This checklist fixes those first, then hands the work over one task at a time.
Copy the virtual assistant onboarding checklist
Virtual assistant onboarding checklist
Assistant: [name]. Start date: [date]. Your contact person: [name]. Hours: [__] to [__] [your time zone]
Before day one
- Write down the three tasks you'll hand over first
- Write the steps for each one, or record yourself doing it once
- Set up a work email address: [address]
- Add them to the password manager: [tool]. Share logins there, never over chat
- Give access to [calendar], [inbox], [CRM], [accounting tool] with the lowest access that does the job
- Add them to [Slack / WhatsApp / Teams]
- Decide how they reach you when stuck: [channel], within [__] hours
Day one
- Walk through what the business does and who the customers are
- Check every login works while you're both on the call
- Agree the daily check-in: [time] on [channel]
- Agree the end-of-day note: done, stuck, next
- Hand over task one and watch them run it once
Week one
- Task one runs without you by [day]
- Hand over task two and task three
- Read every end-of-day note and answer the same day
- Keep a list of questions, and turn each answer into a line in the steps
- Check their first [10] pieces of work before they go out
Week two
- Check a sample of the work instead of all of it
- Hand over the next task from your list
- Ask them what they'd change in the steps
- Set the numbers you'll look at from here: [turnaround / errors / tasks done]
- Book a 20-minute review for the end of the week
The end of week two
- Which tasks now run without you: [list]
- What still comes back to you, and why: [list]
- What you'll hand over next month: [list]
- Is this the right person for the work: [yes / not yet / no]
What to hand over first
Start with three tasks that repeat every week and that you can explain in writing. Add the next one only when the last one runs without you.
- Work that repeats: inbox sorting, booking calls, data entry
- Work with a clear finished state, so you can check it fast
- Work where a mistake in week one costs little, not refunds or bank access
A filled-in onboarding checklist
Daniel, Grace and their tasks are made up, to show the format.
Virtual assistant onboarding checklist
Assistant: Grace. Start date: 3 March. Your contact person: Daniel Ong. Hours: 9 am to 2 pm Singapore time
Before day one
- Three tasks to hand over first: sort the inbox, book client calls, send invoice reminders
- Steps written for the inbox and calls, and a screen recording for the reminders
- Work email set up: grace@ our company domain
- Added to the password manager. Logins shared there, never over chat
- Access to the shared inbox, the calendar and the invoicing tool, with no bank access
- Added to our Slack channel
- When stuck, she messages Daniel on Slack, and he answers within 2 hours
Day one
- Walked through what we do and who our clients are
- Checked each login on the call, and fixed the calendar access
- Daily check-in at 9:30 am on Slack
- End-of-day note on Slack: done, stuck, next
- Handed over the inbox, and watched her sort the morning's email once
Week one
- Inbox running without Daniel by Thursday
- Handed over client calls on Wednesday and invoice reminders on Friday
- Read each end-of-day note and answered the same day
- Eleven questions came up, and each answer went into the steps
- Checked her first 10 replies before they went out
Week two
- Checked one reply in five
- Handed over the monthly report data
- She rewrote two steps in the inbox guide, and both stayed
- Daniel will look at reply time and invoices overdue
- 20-minute review booked for Friday
The end of week two
- Running without Daniel: inbox, client calls, invoice reminders
- Still comes back: refund requests, because they need his call
- Next month: supplier follow-ups
- Right person for the work: yes
Onboarding mistakes that cost you the first month
These are the ones that send the work straight back to you.
- Handing over ten tasks on day one, so none gets checked
- Sharing passwords over chat instead of a password manager
- Explaining out loud and never writing it down, so you explain it again
- Checking everything for months instead of moving to a sample
- Waiting a month to say what's wrong
Rather not run this yourself?
Catalyst recruits, vets, employs and manages your assistant, so the checklist is shared work. The template stays free either way.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to onboard a virtual assistant?
Plan on about two weeks for the first three tasks to run without you. More complex work takes longer, so add one task at a time.
What should I give a virtual assistant on day one?
Working logins, written steps for one task, a way to reach you when stuck and the time of your daily check-in. Everything else can wait.
How do I share passwords with a virtual assistant safely?
Use a password manager and give the lowest access that does the job. Don't send passwords over chat or email.
What tasks should a virtual assistant start with?
Work that repeats every week, can be written down and costs little if it goes wrong in the first week. Inbox sorting and calendar booking are the usual first picks.
How often should I check in with a new virtual assistant?
A short daily check-in and an end-of-day note for the first two weeks. Once the work runs without you, most owners move to a weekly review.
Can I use this checklist for a remote employee?
Yes. Nothing in it is specific to a virtual assistant, though an employee will also need your normal HR paperwork.