Onboarding
Part of Employee onboarding software
Tracking equipment and access requests for a new hire
Track a new hire’s equipment and access from request and approval through delivery, usable access and exception resolution.
Track a new hire’s equipment and system access as separate requests tied to the person, role, start date and service owner. Record approval, fulfilment and whether the item or permission is usable. “Requested” and “ready” should not share one status.
Start with the work the role requires
Ask the manager what the employee needs to do on day one and in the first weeks. List the devices, physical items, software and information access needed for that work. Give each request an owner and a required-by date. Review the list if the starter’s role, location or date changes.
Field / What it helps establish
- Starter and required-by date
- Whose request it is and when it matters
- Item or system
- The specific resource needed
- Business reason and approver
- Why it was authorised and by whom
- Fulfilment owner
- Who must act next
- Status and date
- Whether it is awaiting approval, being fulfilled, ready or blocked
- Asset or account reference
- Where to trace delivery without storing credentials
- Exception and next update
- Who is resolving a delay or rejection
This is a proposed onboarding view. The asset register and identity system may hold the detailed records. The onboarding view needs a reliable reference and current handoff status.
Onboarding Request Checklist: Equipment and Access
- Starter and required-by dateClarify who the request is for and by when it must be ready.
- Item or system requiredSpecify exact device, software, or access need.
- Business reason and approverDocument why access is needed and who authorised it.
- Fulfilment ownerAssign responsibility for completing the task.
- Status and dateTrack if pending approval, in progress, ready, or blocked.
- Asset or account referenceRecord unique identifiers for traceability without storing credentials.
- Exception and next updateNote delays or issues and assign resolution ownership.
Approve access for the role
For each business account, request only the access needed for the employee’s duties. Use a standard account where administrator privileges are unnecessary. Review access after role changes and avoid shared employee accounts.
Ask the relevant owner to approve each required permission. Do not copy a predecessor’s access without checking it.
Keep approval separate from provisioning. IT may create an account while a business owner still has to approve access to a particular application or data set.
Record the grant in the system that manages it and make the onboarding status traceable to that record. Do not place passwords or recovery codes in a task description.
Access Approval vs. Provisioning Workflow
- Business owner approves accessApprove only what’s necessary for the role—avoid unnecessary admin rights.
- IT creates account (if applicable)IT may provision the account, but access remains ungranted until approved.
- Permissions assigned post-approvalOnly grant access to specific apps or data sets after formal approval.
- Record in central systemLog the access grant in the identity management system for audit and tracking.
- Do not store passwords in task descriptionsUse secure methods for credential delivery; never expose them in onboarding notes.
Follow delivery and exceptions
For equipment, distinguish approval, allocation or ordering, dispatch or collection, and receipt. For access, distinguish approval, account creation, permission assignment and a safe route for reporting failed sign-in. An item sent to the wrong site or an account created under the wrong identity remains an exception even if another step is complete.
Test the tracking process with a starter who changes from an office role to a field role while a required laptop is delayed. Check how the manager updates requirements, whether an obsolete access request is cancelled, what IT sees and who tells the employee what will be available on day one. Record what is complete, what needs configuration and what remains unverified.
Before commencement, review critical items with the manager and service owners. On the first day, give the employee one clear route to report something missing or unusable. Keep each exception open with an owner and next update.
Close a request when the responsible owner has confirmed delivery or usable access, including employee confirmation where practical. Keep any later fault or access change in its normal service process.
Key Onboarding Metrics for Equipment and Access Tracking
- Average time to deliver equipmentVaries by location; aim for < 3 business days for office roles in Australia.
- Incidents of shared employee accountsZero tolerance under Australian cyber security guidelines.
Further reading: HR Workflow Automation Review for UK HR Teams (sense.hr).
