Plan a new joiner's first day at a small office

A first day is a sequence of small moments: arriving, being met, getting a login, finding lunch, knowing what tomorrow holds. You are planning that sequence so a nervous new person never has to wonder where to go or what to do next.

• What kind of small office is it, and what will the new person do in their role?
• What questions would you have at each hour of your own first day?
• What must be ready before they arrive: desk, laptop, login, a name card, a buddy?
• How will they meet the team without being put on the spot?
• What should they know about tomorrow before they leave?

A one-page timeline from arrival to going home, a checklist split into before, on and after the day, and a short warm welcome message that answers the practical questions first.

Filling the day with presentations and paperwork. A good first day has fewer sessions, more real people, and one small task the person can finish.

• Your own list of every question you would have on a first day, written hour by hour
• Memories from friends about their first day in a job, internship or college, kept anonymous
• A short description of your imaginary office: team size, role, building, lunch options

AI must not invent company policies, systems or people for your plan. Everything in the plan comes from the office you describe, and anything assumed is labelled as an assumption.

1. 3.1 Walk through the day as the new personCLAUDE CHAT

   Why this tool: Being questioned hour by hour helps you notice the small moments that go wrong.

   Describe the office and your rough timeline. Let Claude ask what the new person is wondering at each point, and add those answers to your plan.

   Prompt to copy · fill in the [brackets]Copy

   I am planning a first day for a new joiner at [describe the imaginary office and role]. Here is my rough timeline:
   [paste timeline]
   Go through it hour by hour as a nervous new joiner. At each point, ask me one question they would have. Do not rewrite the plan.

2. 3.2 Build the before, on and after checklistGOOGLE SHEETS

   Why this tool: A table with owner and deadline columns turns good intentions into jobs someone will do.

   List every preparation task in three groups: before the day, on the day, after the day. Give each one an owner and a deadline.

3. 3.3 Check what is still unansweredCLAUDE CHAT

   Why this tool: A last read from the new joiner's point of view catches anything the plan still leaves open.

   Write the welcome message yourself. Paste the full plan and message, ask what is still unclear, and fix only the gaps you agree are real.

   Prompt to copy · fill in the [brackets]Copy

   Here is my first-day plan and welcome message for a new joiner at [describe office]:
   [paste plan and message]
   Read it as the new joiner the evening before. List every question still unanswered. Put the most worrying one first.

• The welcome message answers where, when and who to ask for in its first lines
• Every checklist task has an owner and a deadline
• The timeline includes a break and a low-pressure way to meet the team
• The person leaves knowing what happens tomorrow
• Walk the map with someone who does the work
• Every step has an owner

AI often packs a first day with inductions, policy talks and system training back to back. Check that your day has breathing space and at least one real conversation.

• Hour-by-hour timeline from arrival to end of day
• Checklist split into before, on and after the day
• Owner and deadline for each task
• Warm welcome message with practical details first

One page: the timeline down the left, the checklist on the right, and the welcome message in a box at the bottom.

Explain one question from your own first-day memories that shaped the plan, and how your plan answers it.