Free onboarding checklist builder for retail teams

Give a new starter a clear first week. This retail onboarding checklist brings together practical preparation, a first-day welcome and a follow-up conversation, so the person joining your store knows what happens next and who can help. Edit the sample tasks, give each one an owner, tick them off as you go, and print or download a copy. You do not need an account, and nothing on the page is kept after you leave.

Use it as an onboarding checklist template for each new person. For background on what to include and why, read the full onboarding guide.

How to use the checklist builder

1. Enter the new starter's name, the store or location, and their start date at the top of the checklist.
2. Edit the sample tasks to match the role. Type a name in the Owner field beside each task, and remove any row that does not apply with its bin icon.
3. Add your own steps with the New task field. Choose the section the task belongs to, then select Add task. The checklist holds up to 40 tasks.
4. Tick each task when it is done. The progress line shows how many tasks are complete.
5. Choose Download text to save a plain-text copy with owners and completion marks, or choose Print / PDF to print the list or save it as a PDF from your browser's print dialog.

What the sample covers

The starter list has three sections.

• Before the first day. Confirm the start time, location and first-day contact. Prepare the role outline and training plan. Arrange approved equipment, uniform and access.
• On the first day. Welcome the new starter and introduce their buddy and team. Tour the store, staff areas and emergency exits. Explain how to ask for help, report a concern and find procedures. Demonstrate everyday tasks and equipment.
• During the first week. Practice opening, closing or handover tasks with a supervisor. Check that access works and review next training steps. Hold a check-in and record questions or support needed.

The store tour is a good moment to point out exits and escape routes. The U.S. Fire Administration advises employers to teach employees about exit locations, escape routes and fire protection equipment, and the Ready.gov page on employee training covers protective actions such as evacuation and shelter-in-place.

Adapt the list to the role

The sample is a starting point, not a policy. A cashier and a supervisor need different first weeks, so rewrite the tasks around the work the person will do. For a retail employee training checklist, add a row for each skill to practice, such as using the till or handling a return. Name the colleague who will demonstrate it.

Paperwork and pay steps vary by business and place. Add them as reminders if they help, and follow your own procedures and local law for what is required and when. Access needs the same care. CISA's Cyber Essentials recommends granting access and admin permissions based on need-to-know and least privilege, so list each system the role needs and the person who will set it up. Ticking a box here records only that someone marked it done.

Sections are fixed. To move a task, remove it and add it again under another section. Every task needs text before you can download or print.

Keep a copy of the completed list

Refreshing or leaving the page resets your draft, so download or print before you close the tab. The plain-text download lists the name, location, start date, a count of completed tasks, and every task with its completion mark and owner. When first week onboarding is complete, that file makes a simple record you can store according to your business's records policy.

The printed copy shows the checklist alone, without the rest of this page. Empty name, date and owner fields print as blank lines, so a fresh print works as a printable onboarding checklist to fill in by hand during the shift.

Frequently asked questions

Can I reuse it as a new employee checklist?

Yes. Download the completed copy, then choose Reset sample. After you confirm, the original tasks return and the name, location and date fields clear.

What does an onboarding buddy do on this checklist?

The sample introduces a buddy on the first day. Type that person's name as the owner of the welcome task, or add tasks they will lead. The name is a note in your draft; the tool does not contact or notify anyone.

Will this create accounts or assign work to my team?

No. Names and owners are notes in this draft. The tool does not create accounts, grant access, send invitations or assign saved tasks. Download or print a copy for your own process.

Does it work as a new starter checklist for each location?

Yes. Enter the store or location at the top and adjust the tasks to that site. Each copy covers one person.

How many onboarding tasks can I add?

Up to 40 across the three sections. At the limit, Add task is unavailable until you remove a task. When the person later moves on, the offboarding checklist builder covers handover, equipment and access review.