HR Automation Toolkit for Technology Companies

Subject: Welcome to {{COMPANY}} — first day prep

Hi {{FIRST_NAME}},

Congratulations again. We're excited to have you join us as {{ROLE}} on {{START_DATE}}.

Here's what you need from us before day 1:

1. Complete your I-9, W-4, and direct deposit forms in {{HRIS}} by {{DAY_MINUS_7}}.
2. Confirm your shipping address for equipment by {{DAY_MINUS_10}}.
3. Reply with your t-shirt size for your welcome kit.

Your first day at a glance:
- 9:00 AM — Welcome with {{MANAGER_NAME}}, your manager
- 10:30 AM — Coffee with {{BUDDY_NAME}}, your onboarding buddy
- 1:00 PM — HR orientation (benefits, handbook, tools)
- 3:00 PM — First 1:1 with {{MANAGER_NAME}}
- 4:30 PM — Wrap

If you're remote, your laptop will arrive by {{DAY_MINUS_2}}. If you're in office, head to the {{LOCATION}} reception at 8:45 AM.

Reach out anytime. Email me directly or text {{HR_PHONE}}.

{{HR_NAME}}
People Operations | {{COMPANY}}

Subject: Looking forward to Monday

Hi {{FIRST_NAME}},

Quick note from me before you start. I'm really glad you said yes.

A few things I want you to know going in:

- Your first month, your job is to learn. Not to ship anything heroic. I'll tell you when that changes.
- Ask me anything, even if it sounds dumb. I'd rather answer 10 questions than have you guess wrong.
- If something feels off in your first 30 days, tell me. We'll fix it.

For Monday: come at 9:00, no prep needed. We'll get you set up and you'll meet the team. Plan on a normal-energy day, not a sprint.

See you Monday.

{{MANAGER_FIRST_NAME}}

{{COMPANY}} onboarding buddy charter

The buddy is a peer (not manager) who answers the small questions
new hires don't want to bother their manager with.

Time commitment: 2 hours / week for 4 weeks, then ad hoc.

What you commit to:
- Day 1: lunch (in person if possible, video if not)
- Week 1: daily 10-minute Slack check-in: "What's confusing today?"
- Weeks 2-4: weekly 30-minute coffee or video call
- Always: be reachable on Slack for quick questions

What you do not commit to:
- Performance feedback (that is the manager's job)
- Career advice (above your pay grade unless you're senior)
- Covering for the new hire if they go silent

If concerns come up:
- Tell the manager directly within 48 hours
- Loop in HR if you suspect a mismatch with role or culture

You will be recognized for buddy work in your next review.

{{HIRE_NAME}} — 30 / 60 / 90 day plan
Role: {{ROLE}} | Manager: {{MANAGER}} | Start: {{START_DATE}}

By 30 days — LEARN
- Meet every member of the team in 1:1s
- Complete all required compliance training
- Read: {{TEAM_DOCS}}
- Shadow: {{SHADOW_PEERS}}
- Ship: one small, real, mergeable contribution
- Pulse check: what's working, what's confusing

By 60 days — CONTRIBUTE
- Own one project end to end (scope: {{PROJECT_SCOPE}})
- Establish working cadence with key cross-functional partners: {{XFN_PARTNERS}}
- First peer feedback round
- Demonstrate fluency with: {{TOOLS_OR_SYSTEMS}}

By 90 days — DRIVE
- Take ownership of {{ONGOING_AREA}}
- Set quarterly goals with manager
- Identify one process improvement to propose
- Confirm fit and trajectory

Manager check-in cadence: weekly 1:1, plus formal reviews at 30, 60, 90.

{{NAME}} — Self-assessment, {{CYCLE}}

1. Top three accomplishments this cycle
   For each: what was the impact, and how do you know?

2. Top three things you'd do differently
   Be specific. "I'd communicate more" doesn't count.

3. Goals for next cycle
   Three. No more. Each one with a measurable outcome.

4. What support do you need from your manager?
   Be direct. We can't fix what we don't hear.

5. Where do you want to grow next?
   Pick one of: deeper expertise, broader scope, people leadership,
   different domain, or none of the above.

Optional: anything else you want on the record before this cycle closes.

{{NAME}} — Manager review, {{CYCLE}}
Level: {{LEVEL}} | Track: {{IC_OR_MGR}}

Rate 1-5 on each dimension. Provide one specific example per dimension.

1. Impact — Did the work move the business?
   5: Outsized impact, scope larger than level
   3: Solid impact appropriate to level
   1: Output below level expectations

2. Craft — Quality, depth, technical or functional skill at level
   5: Setting the bar for the team
   3: Meets level expectations
   1: Gaps that affect outcomes

3. Direction — Choosing the right work, not just doing it well
   5: Identifies and prioritizes work others miss
   3: Picks the right work with manager input
   1: Frequently working on the wrong things

4. Collaboration — Effect on the team's ability to do their work
   5: Multiplier on others. People want to work with this person.
   3: Reliable partner
   1: Net drag on the team

5. Growth — Trajectory and learning
   5: Demonstrably better than 6 months ago, learning fast
   3: Steady growth
   1: Plateaued or regressing

Overall rating: ___
Promotion readiness: [ ] yes  [ ] not yet  [ ] not on this track
Comp recommendation: ___
Rationale (3 sentences max): ___

Peer feedback for {{NAME}}

1. What is {{FIRST_NAME}} doing that the team should keep doing?
   One specific example.

2. What should {{FIRST_NAME}} stop or do less of?
   One specific example. Be honest. Anonymous to {{FIRST_NAME}}.

3. If {{FIRST_NAME}} were promoted to the next level, what's the
   one thing they'd need to do differently?

Optional: anything else their manager should know to give them
a fair review.

Calibration meeting — {{LEVEL}}, {{ORG}}
Facilitator: {{HR_PARTNER}} | 90 minutes | Camera on

Pre-read: ratings spreadsheet, distribution chart, promotion cases.
Send 48 hours before. Read it before the meeting.

Agenda:
0:00  HR partner: ground rules. No advocacy. Examples beat opinions.
      Cite behaviors, not labels. Push back if you don't see the case.
0:05  Distribution review. Where is each manager landing vs target.
0:15  Top performers (5s). Brief defense. 2 minutes each.
0:35  Bottom performers (1s and 2s). Brief defense. 2 minutes each.
0:55  Promotion candidates. 5 minutes each, with one challenger named
      in advance to push back.
1:20  Outliers and edge cases.
1:25  Final ratings locked. HR partner sends summary within 24 hours.

Ground rules:
- Manager owns the rating until calibration. Calibration owns it after.
- HR partner has final say on distribution if calibration is gridlocked.
- No litigation by Slack after the meeting.

Subject: {{CYCLE}} compensation update

Hi {{FIRST_NAME}},

Following our review conversation, here is your updated compensation,
effective {{EFFECTIVE_DATE}}.

Base salary
- Current: {{CURRENT_BASE}}
- New: {{NEW_BASE}}
- Change: {{PCT_CHANGE}}

{{IF_PROMOTION}}
Promotion: from {{OLD_LEVEL}} to {{NEW_LEVEL}}
{{END_IF}}

{{IF_BONUS}}
Performance bonus: {{BONUS_AMOUNT}}, paid {{PAY_DATE}}
{{END_IF}}

{{IF_EQUITY_REFRESH}}
Equity refresh: {{SHARES}} shares of {{TYPE}}, vesting over
{{VEST_PERIOD}} starting {{VEST_START}}. Grant agreement to follow
under separate cover.
{{END_IF}}

This reflects your performance rating of {{RATING}} and the
calibration discussion across the {{ORG}}. We're glad you're here.

Questions: reply directly to me or {{HR_PARTNER}}.

{{MANAGER_NAME}}

Performance Improvement Plan — {{NAME}}
Manager: {{MANAGER}} | HR partner: {{HR}} | Start: {{DATE}} | Duration: 60 days

Why we're here
Specific, behavioral. Cite examples from the last 90 days.
Reference prior conversations with dates.

What needs to change
Three to five outcomes. Each one observable. Each one
attached to a date by which it should be visible.

What I'll do to support you
Concrete: more 1:1 time, scoped projects, paired work,
a coach, training. Pick what's real.

How we'll measure progress
- Weekly 1:1 with written summary
- 30-day check-in with HR
- 60-day decision: meets expectations, extend, or separate

What happens if you don't meet expectations
Direct language. Termination is on the table. The point of the
plan is to either fix the situation or end it cleanly.

Signatures: employee, manager, HR
Note: signing acknowledges receipt, not agreement.

Subject: Got your note

Hi {{FIRST_NAME}},

Thank you for telling me directly. I'm sorry to see you go, and I
appreciate the way you handled this.

A few quick logistics:

- Last day confirmed: {{LAST_DAY}}
- I'll loop in {{HR_PARTNER}} to help with paperwork and benefits
- Let's grab 30 minutes today or tomorrow to talk through transition
- We'll coordinate on the team announcement; you'll see it before
  it goes out

I want this to be a clean, respectful exit. Tell me what would make
that easier on your end.

{{MANAGER_FIRST_NAME}}

Team,

Sharing news: {{NAME}} has decided to move on from {{COMPANY}}.
Their last day will be {{LAST_DAY}}.

{{NAME}} has been here {{TENURE}} and contributed
{{2_TO_3_HIGHLIGHTS}}. We're going to miss them.

Between now and {{LAST_DAY}} we'll be working through transition.
Project handoffs:
- {{PROJECT_A}} → {{NEW_OWNER_A}}
- {{PROJECT_B}} → {{NEW_OWNER_B}}

Please direct questions on those to the new owner starting now,
not on {{LAST_DAY}}.

Join me in thanking {{FIRST_NAME}} for what they built here.

{{MANAGER_NAME}}

{{NAME}} — Knowledge transfer doc
Last day: {{LAST_DAY}} | New owners listed inline

1. Active projects (one section per project)
   - Goal and current status
   - New owner: ___
   - Key stakeholders and how to reach them
   - Open decisions waiting on me
   - Deadlines in next 90 days
   - Where docs and code live

2. Recurring responsibilities
   - Meetings I run or attend (and whether they should continue)
   - Reports I produce (and whether they're still needed)
   - Approvals I'm in the path of (and who should replace me)

3. Tribal knowledge
   - 5 things I figured out the hard way that someone new should know
   - 3 people in this org who know things that aren't written down
   - 3 vendors or external contacts and what they're useful for

4. What's broken that I never got to fix
   Be honest. This is your gift to whoever follows you.

5. What you should not do (and why)
   The traps and dead ends I learned about.

Exit interview — {{NAME}}
HR: {{HR}} | Date: {{DATE}} | Tenure: {{TENURE}}

Opening (3 min)
Thank them. Confirm what's confidential vs reportable.

Why now (5 min)
1. What made you start looking?
2. What made you accept the new role?
3. Was there a moment you started checking out?

Day to day (10 min)
4. What did you love about the work here?
5. What got in the way of doing your best work?
6. How was your relationship with your manager? Specific.
7. How was the team dynamic?

Compensation and growth (5 min)
8. Was your comp competitive? Where did it fall short?
9. Did you see a path forward here? Why or why not?

Leadership (5 min)
10. What does leadership at {{COMPANY}} get right?
11. What do they miss?

Final (5 min)
12. What's one thing we could change that would have kept you?
13. Would you recommend {{COMPANY}} to a friend? Why or why not?
14. Anything else on the record before we close?

Close (2 min)
Thank them. Confirm rehire eligibility (or not, with reason).
Confirm next steps on benefits, equipment, final pay.

Access revocation runbook — {{NAME}}
Departure type: [ ] voluntary  [ ] involuntary  [ ] layoff
Last day: {{LAST_DAY}} | Effective time: {{TIME}}

Pre-revocation (T -3 days)
[ ] Identify owned shared docs, repos, dashboards
[ ] Transfer ownership to {{MANAGER}} or new owner
[ ] Identify shared service accounts; rotate credentials
[ ] Audit personal cloud usage if elevated access role

At T (last day, EOD)
[ ] Disable SSO / IdP account
[ ] Disable VPN
[ ] Disable email; set forward to {{FORWARD}} for 30 days
[ ] Revoke source control access; revoke PAT and SSH keys
[ ] Revoke production system access
[ ] Revoke customer system access
[ ] Remove from MDM enrollment (after device return)
[ ] Cancel company credit card
[ ] Revoke physical access (badge, office keys)

T +1
[ ] Send confirmation to HR: all access revoked, with timestamps
[ ] Audit log review

T +7
[ ] Wipe device after return, redeploy or archive

T +30
[ ] Disable email forward
[ ] Final access audit

T +90
[ ] Archive employee file per retention policy
[ ] Compliance report (if regulated environment)

Owner: {{IT_OWNER}} | Reviewer: {{SECURITY_OR_HR}}

Subject: Final pay and benefits — {{NAME}}

Hi {{FIRST_NAME}},

Following up on your departure {{LAST_DAY}}.

Final paycheck
- Base through last day: {{BASE}}
- PTO payout: {{PTO_HOURS}} hours at {{HOURLY}} = {{PTO_AMOUNT}}
  ({{STATE}} state law: {{PAYOUT_RULE}})
- Outstanding expenses: {{EXPENSES}}
- Total: {{TOTAL}}, paid {{PAY_DATE}} via direct deposit

Benefits
- Health coverage ends: {{COVERAGE_END}}
- COBRA election notice: arrives within 14 days from {{COBRA_ADMIN}}
- 401k: contact {{401K_ADMIN}}; you have {{ROLLOVER_WINDOW}}
- Equity: {{VESTED_SHARES}} vested. Exercise window: {{EXERCISE_WINDOW}}
  Contact {{EQUITY_ADMIN}} for paperwork.

Tax forms
- Final W-2 will be mailed by January 31 to your address on file:
  {{ADDRESS}}. Update if needed: reply here.

Wishing you the best.

{{HR_NAME}}