Team and Resources · tool 5 of 5
Onboarding to a Project
Onboarding to a Project: gets a new team member useful in days rather than weeks.
Best for: Anyone joining mid-project · Time: 1 hour to set up
Domain: Resources · Focus area: Executing
How it works
Late joiners cost time from everyone else. A prepared page covering purpose, people, tools and first tasks makes it far cheaper.
- Keep one “start here” page.
- Give them a small real task early.
- Name a buddy.
How to apply it
- Write the start page once.
- Prepare access beforehand.
- Pick a safe first task.
- Check in after week one.
In practice
Day one: the start page, tool access, a buddy, and a small bug to fix.
Pro tip
Ask each new joiner to fix what confused them in the start page.
Use it
- Playbook: A key person is leaving
Quick check
What’s the best first task for a new joiner?
Sources
- PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition, and The Standard for Project Management (PMI, 2025)
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 against the PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition · Practitioner review pending · How this guide is made