# Write a day-by-day first-week plan for a new hire

Turn a list of what your new hire must learn and who can train them into a five-day plan, with the gaps flagged so nobody shows up to an empty schedule.

- Category: Team and operations
- Difficulty: Easy
- Setup: about 10 minutes
- Time saved: about 40 minutes a use (our estimate, not a measurement)
- Works with: Any AI chat, Google Docs, Microsoft Word
- Test status: Run once on made-up data on 21 Oct 2026 with Claude. One run, not proof.
- Approval: Draft, not yet approved by the owner
- Version: 1
- Last checked: 2026-10-21
- Canonical URL: https://hoursaved.com/guides/new-hire-first-week-plan/

## What this does

List what a new hire must learn and who trains them on which days. The AI builds a five-day plan, from watching to doing alone, and flags gaps and deadlines for you to fix.

This is not HR or legal advice. Hiring paperwork and deadlines depend on your state; check with your payroll provider or an employment lawyer.

## Before you start

- Any AI chat.
- The job's skills, the start date and hours, and who is in on which days.
- About 10 minutes (our estimate).
- Privacy: role and first names only.

## Steps

1. **List** what the hire must do alone by the end of week one.
2. **Write** who can train and the exact days each is in.
3. **List** the paperwork: the SBA names a W-4, a Form I-9 and new-hire reporting to your state. USCIS says the hire finishes I-9 Section 1 by their first day.
4. **Paste** the prompt into your AI chat and fill in the brackets.
5. **Fix** every QUESTIONS FOR ME, UNCLEAR and CHECK item, then share the plan with trainers.

## The prompt

```
Help me plan a new hire's first week. Use only what I give you. Don't send anything.

Business: [name and type of business]
Role: [job title]
Start date and hours: [first day, daily hours]
Who trains them: [names, roles, and which days each is in]
What they must learn: [list]
Paperwork to finish: [list]
Anything else: [notes]

Make a day-by-day plan for the first 5 working days. For each day give: the date, a one-line goal, 3-5 tasks with who leads each, and one thing to check before they leave. Put paperwork early. Start with watching, then doing with help, then doing alone. End day 5 with a short check-in with the owner.

Only assign a trainer on the days I said they are in. If a date, trainer or skill is missing, write UNCLEAR. Don't invent rules, laws or deadlines; if something sounds like a legal requirement, mark it CHECK.

After the plan, list QUESTIONS FOR ME: anything you had to guess.
```

## Try it with made-up data

Business: Larkspur Bakehouse, a small bakery café. Role: counter and prep assistant. Start: Monday, April 8, 2030, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday to Friday. Trainers: Dana, shift lead, in every weekday; Priya, owner, in Tuesdays only. Must learn: opening checklist, register, setting the pastry case, espresso machine, handwashing and allergen rules. Paperwork: W-4, I-9, direct deposit form. Notes: "County wants a food handler card within 30 days, I think."

## What the AI gave us

> (Day 1 trimmed here.)
>
> **Day 2, Tue Apr 9.** Goal: paperwork and first hands-on tasks. W-4, I-9 and direct deposit form (Priya). Set the pastry case with help (Dana). Register practice during a slow hour (Dana). CHECK: Form I-9 has a timing rule; confirm the deadline. Check before leaving: all three forms done.
>
> (Days 3 and 4 trimmed here.)
>
> **Day 5, Fri Apr 12.** Goal: show what they've learned. Run the opening checklist alone. Check-in with the owner: UNCLEAR, Priya is only in on Tuesdays.
>
> QUESTIONS FOR ME: Can Priya do the Friday check-in by phone, or should it move to Tuesday, April 16? The food handler card note says "I think": CHECK the county rule. If it's 30 days, the date would be about May 8, 2030.

It caught the Tuesday-only owner and the check-in conflict. But it made a mistake you should not copy: it puts all the I-9 paperwork on day 2, and a CHECK note does not fix that. USCIS says the new hire completes Section 1 of Form I-9 no later than the first day of work, and the employer completes Section 2 within three business days of the start (by Thursday for a Monday start). The fix: do Section 1 on Monday, and decide who handles Section 2 when the owner isn't in, such as training Dana or meeting on Tuesday. You also had to settle the Friday check-in and confirm the food card rule.

## Check before you send

- [ ] Trainers are scheduled only on days they work.
- [ ] Day names and dates line up.
- [ ] I-9 Section 1 is on day one at the latest; other deadlines are confirmed with official instructions.
- [ ] Each day fits the person's hours.
- [ ] Safety and food or health rules come first.

## Don't paste

- The new hire's Social Security number, ID documents, bank details or address.
- Completed tax or work-eligibility forms.
- Health, family or background check details.

## When not to use this

- To decide legal deadlines. The AI marks them CHECK; you confirm them.
- Licensed or safety-heavy jobs, unless a qualified person writes that part.
- Instead of a real person greeting the hire.

## Questions owners ask

**What should a new employee do in their first week?**
Learn the space and safety rules, then watch, do with help, and do alone. Finish paperwork early and end with a short check-in.

**Can AI make an onboarding checklist for a small business?**
Yes, if you give it the skills, trainers and dates. It can't know your schedule or state rules, so check those.

## Sources

- [U.S. SBA - Hire and manage employees](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/hire-manage-employees)
- [U.S. SBA - AI for small business](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/ai-small-business)
- [USCIS - Handbook for Employers M-274, Completing Section 1 of Form I-9](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/30-completing-section-1-of-form-i-9)
- [USCIS - Handbook for Employers M-274, Completing Section 2 of Form I-9](https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-resources/handbook-for-employers-m-274/40-completing-section-2-of-form-i-9)

---

From HourSaved (https://hoursaved.com/), a brand of Momentum Elevation LLC. Web page: https://hoursaved.com/guides/new-hire-first-week-plan/