New Team Member Onboarding Retrospective

Agree on what every new team member needs to know.

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Company Culture

What aspects of our company culture should new hires understand?

Our commitment to sustainability and reducing our environmental footprint.
The importance we place on work-life balance and flexible schedules.
Our open-door policy and emphasis on transparency across all levels.
Role Responsibilities

What key duties and expectations should be covered for this role?

Managing the content calendar and publishing schedule for our blog.
Conducting user research and analyzing data to inform product roadmaps.
Collaborating with cross-functional teams on new feature development.
Team Dynamics

How can we help new hires integrate into the team smoothly?

Assign a team buddy or mentor to help answer questions and provide guidance.
Schedule regular check-ins and feedback sessions during the first few months.
Encourage the new hire to attend team social events and outings.
Growth and Development

What opportunities exist for professional growth and skill development?

Access to online courses and certifications through our learning platform.
Regular lunch-and-learn sessions hosted by subject matter experts.
Opportunities to take on stretch assignments and leadership roles.
Open Discussion

What other areas should we cover during onboarding?

I think it would be helpful to cover our project management tools and processes in more detail.
It might be good to explain our approach to giving and receiving feedback, both positive and constructive.
We should make sure to go over any relevant compliance or regulatory requirements for their role.

What is the New Team Member Onboarding Retrospective?

The New Team Member Onboarding Retrospective is a session where your current team works out what a new hire needs to know to settle in. Together you list what to cover across five areas: company culture, role responsibilities, team dynamics, growth and development, and anything else people think matters. The result is an onboarding plan that sets clear expectations and helps the new person contribute from their first days. Your team draws on its own experience of joining. People remember what confused them, what they had to find out the hard way and what they wish someone had told them, and that adds up to a plan covering both the practical and the cultural side of joining. Run it again when the team changes or after a new hire has settled in, and the plan keeps improving from what the team thinks is important, beyond your standard onboarding checklists and documents.

New Team Member Onboarding retrospective format

Company Culture

What aspects of our company culture should new hires understand?

Ask people to share what they know about the company's values, mission and work environment, including the unwritten rules and norms nobody puts in a handbook.

Role Responsibilities

What key duties and expectations should be covered for this role?

Have the team outline the main tasks, goals and areas of ownership for the new role.

Team Dynamics

How can we help new hires integrate into the team smoothly?

Talk through how a new person builds rapport, learns the team's norms and finds their way around the people side of the team.

Growth and Development

What opportunities exist for professional growth and skill development?

Point to training resources, mentoring and paths for career growth within the company.

Open Discussion

What other areas should we cover during onboarding?

Leave space for any other topics or concerns people want to raise.

When to use this retrospective

  • Before a new hire starts, so the team agrees on what to cover and who will cover it.
  • As a team-building activity that makes your culture and team norms explicit.
  • After significant team changes or restructuring, to realign on roles and responsibilities.
  • Once or twice a year, to review and update your onboarding process.

Suggested icebreaker questions

  • If you could pick a new hobby or skill to learn, what would it be and why?
  • What's the best piece of advice you've ever received, and who gave it to you?

Want a warm-up your team plays, not just answers out loud? Browse free icebreakers →

Ideas and tips for your retrospective meeting

  • Ask for open, honest input from new and existing team members alike.
  • Have people think back to their own first day on the job.
  • Ask: what's something you wish someone had told you about the organization?
  • Where you can, involve cross-functional stakeholders for a wider view.
  • Share the results with your new team members and ask for their feedback and questions.
  • Try running it as an icebreaker with the new team member and the current team together.

Frequently asked questions

What is a new team member onboarding retrospective?
It's a session where your current team lists what a new hire needs to know about company culture, their role, team dynamics and growth opportunities. The output is a shared onboarding plan built from the team's own experience of joining.
When should you run an onboarding retrospective?
Run it before a new hire starts so the plan is ready on day one. Run it again a few weeks later with the new person in the room, so they can fill the gaps they noticed.
Who should take part?
The current team, the hiring manager and, where useful, colleagues from other functions the new hire will work with. Once the new person has settled in, invite them too, since they know best what was missing.
How long does an onboarding retrospective take?
Plan for 45 to 60 minutes. Five columns is more than most retrospectives, so timebox each one and save Open Discussion for anything the first four missed.
How is this different from an onboarding checklist?
A checklist covers the standard steps, like accounts, tools and policies. This retrospective captures what the team knows from experience: unwritten norms, who to ask about what and what people wish they'd been told.

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