New Hire Onboarding gives every new hire the same strong start before they move on to Role-Based Training. Build it as one Module, assign it automatically, and see who's falling behind.
Done well, it helps you:
Accelerate time-to-productivity for new hires
Improve satisfaction, engagement, and retention
Ensure compliance with your policies and procedures
Foster a positive impression of your culture and values
Standardize the onboarding experience across your business
✅ Before you start: Admins, and Managers whose Role has the Create Content permission, build Modules in the Opus dashboard.
To create Automations, you need the Update Automations permission. Admins have it by default.
Your team completes training in the Opus Training app.
Table of Contents:
What to Include
New Hire Onboarding covers what every new hire needs, whatever their Role. Most programs include:
Welcome to your business: your story, mission, and values, and who's who on the team.
First-shift basics: what's expected of every team member, like uniform, scheduling, and hospitality standards.
Brand and culture: how your brand looks, sounds, and treats guests.
HR policies: add your team handbook as a Resource they can come back to.
Compliance: the safety and conduct training every new hire must complete.
Early skill checks: Check-ins where a Manager watches a new hire do a task in person and signs off.
💡 See a real example: Read how Newk's Eatery sets up new hires for success, and browse more training examples on the Opus blog.
Build Your Onboarding Module
Put all of your onboarding in one Module, and use Sections to group it by topic or by day. You can reuse the same Courses, Check-ins, and Resources in other Modules later.
Then choose how new hires move through it:
Order: on the Module's Overview tab, set Order in the Settings card to Any order, One step at a time, or One section at a time.
Timed unlocks: on the Build tab, click Add a timed unlock between two Sections to release the next one a set number of days later.
Due date: set Due in the Settings card, for example a number of days after assignment.
⚠️ Pick an order or timed unlocks: Timed unlocks apply only when Order is Any order. If you switch to an ordered option, Opus asks you to confirm, then removes the delays between Sections.
➡️ Learn more:
How to Create and Manage Modules: setup, Sections, completion rules, and publishing.
How to Build Effective Training in Opus: how to plan a Module around one learning outcome.
Assign It Automatically
Set up an Automation so every new hire gets the Module as soon as they join, without anyone assigning it by hand.
Publish the Module.
On the Module's Overview tab, click Create automation in the Automations row.
Choose who gets it, by Role, Location, department, or days after hire.
Turn on Assign only to new users if team members who already work here shouldn't get it.
From then on, Opus assigns the Module to each new team member who matches.
➡️ Learn more:
How to Assign Courses and Modules in Opus: one-time assignments and Automations, step by step.
Track Progress
Open your onboarding Module and go to the Reporting tab:
Assigned: everyone who has the Module, and where each of them is.
Past due: new hires who missed the due date, so you can follow up.
Self-serve: team members who took it from their Library.
Content: Course accuracy, Rating, Avg time, Completion over time, and results for each step.
To compare new hires side by side, click Completion Grid on the Reporting tab. It opens the User Completion Grid filtered to this Module. You need the View Reporting permission.
➡️ Learn more:
Content Pages Overview: everything on a Module's Overview and Reporting tabs.
Completion Grids Overview: how to filter and export the grid.
Move New Hires into Role-Based Training
Use a Path to assign Role-Based Training once a new hire finishes onboarding. Go to Training > Paths, choose your onboarding Module as the Training completion trigger, then add Time delay and Assignment steps for the Modules that come next.
➡️ Learn more:
Paths Overview: how Paths work, the steps you can add, and how to publish one.
Getting Started: Role-Based Training: what to build after onboarding.
FAQ
How long should the New Hire Onboarding process take?
The duration can vary, but a comprehensive New Hire Onboarding program that also features Role-Based Training typically spans 7-10 days.
Should I use one Module or several for onboarding?
Start with one Module and use Sections and timed unlocks to release content over time. If onboarding runs for weeks or splits by Role, use several Modules in a Path, so each one is its own assignment you can track.
How do I see which new hires are behind?
Set a due date on the Module, then open its Reporting tab and click Past due.
How do trainers or mentors sign off on new hires?
Add Check-ins to the Module for the tasks a new hire should show in person. An Admin or Manager watches them do the task and signs off.