Small-business IT guide
New employee IT setup: the practical checklist.
A new starter should be able to turn on their computer, access the tools they need and work safely on day one. This checklist helps an office manager prepare without giving everyone unnecessary administrator access.
Ask Wayrest to prepare a workstation
01 / Before the start
Start with the role.
Build the setup around it.
A working laptop is one part of the job. The person also needs their own account, the right access and a clear way to get help.
The equipment
Laptop, displays and peripherals that work together.
Prepared for the jobThe identity
An individual work account, the right licence and MFA.
Belongs to this personThe access
Only the applications and information the role requires.
Approved by the businessConfirm what the job actually needs.
Ask the manager to approve the person's role, start date, laptop or desktop, monitors, headset, printers, business applications and access to shared drives.
Check equipment compatibility.
Confirm monitor ports, dock capacity, Wi-Fi, power supply, operating system and any specialist peripherals. Do not discover a missing adapter after the employee arrives.
Prepare the device.
Install approved software, operating-system and security updates; set screen lock, device encryption where appropriate, and any managed endpoint protections agreed by the business.
Create a unique user identity.
Set up an individual work account and appropriate email licence rather than sharing another employee's credentials. Give only the permissions the approved role requires.
Plan multifactor authentication.
Confirm how the employee will enrol and recover their approved second factor, then test it with them on day one. The Australian Cyber Security Centre recommends MFA, timely updates and backups as practical security basics for small businesses.
02 / Test together
Can they
do the work?
On day one, walk through the actual tasks and equipment the employee will use. An account-created notification is only the starting point.
Use the employee's own account.
Check the everyday tasks.
Six things to try with the employee
Sign in.
Confirm the employee's account and MFA work.
Open the work.
Try email, calendar, messaging and the shared folders actually required.
Use the desk.
Test display arrangement, resolution, docking station, webcam, microphone and headset.
Check the connections.
Verify approved printers, Wi-Fi and any VPN or remote-access requirements.
Save something.
Check files save and sync to the intended business location, not an unapproved personal account.
Know where to ask.
Show the employee how to report an IT issue and what to do if they suspect phishing.
Something does not work
Record the missing item and who will resolve it. Confirm the required access with the manager, fix the specific gap and test again.
The agreed tasks work
Record what was checked and hand over the setup. Review any remaining issues after the employee has used it.
03 / After the first week
Leave a useful
record behind.
Ask the employee and manager whether any tools were missed. Remove temporary excess permissions and record the setup, contact instructions and unresolved issues.
Keep confidential passwords out of ordinary email and helpdesk notes.
What stays with the business.
- Assigned equipment
- Device, accessories and asset record
- Accounts & applications
- Licences, critical software and approved access
- Getting help
- Support contact and reporting instructions
- Still to resolve
- Issue, owner and next step
Keep the lifecycle connected
Plan for employee departures too.
The reverse process matters: confirm the departure time and authority, block or revoke access promptly, recover devices and access tokens, and decide how approved business email and files should be retained.
Do not simply delete a Microsoft 365 user before reviewing data-retention and handover requirements. Microsoft's offboarding guidance describes these separate steps.
Work through the employee departure checklistCan our IT provider handle the entire setup?
Yes. An outsourced IT provider can coordinate equipment selection, purchasing, account creation, configuration, first-day testing and documentation. The scope should state whether hardware, travel and onsite labour are included in an ongoing plan or quoted separately.
Wayrest provides managed business IT support and new workplace equipment setup across Newcastle and the Hunter by arrangement.
Further reading
Australian Cyber Security Centre — Small business cyber security handbook
Want the new starter ready on day one?
Tell us how many employees and devices you have, what applications you use and where the new workstation will be located. We can agree the setup scope and a suitable next step.
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