When a new employee joins a business, there is usually a long list of things to organise.
There are contracts to sign, introductions to arrange and equipment to prepare. Somewhere in the middle of all this, someone also needs to make sure the new starter has a laptop, email account, Microsoft 365 access, Teams, business applications and everything else they need to do their job.
When someone leaves, the process is just as important — but for very different reasons.
Their accounts need to be disabled, access removed, company data protected and equipment recovered.
Without a clear process, both situations can create unnecessary administration and, more importantly, security risks.
A new starter may need far more than a laptop.
Depending on their role, they could require:
If these tasks are handled manually and inconsistently, it is easy for something to be missed.
A new employee might arrive on their first day without access to an important application, or a manager may spend time chasing different people to get accounts and equipment ready.
A structured onboarding process avoids much of this.
The aim of good IT onboarding is simple: give employees the technology they need before they need it.
Ideally, the laptop is prepared, accounts have been created, appropriate licences assigned and security controls configured before the employee arrives.
This means their first morning can be about meeting colleagues and getting started rather than waiting for IT access.
It also creates a more consistent experience.
Whether someone works from the office, remotely or across multiple locations, the same core security and setup process can be followed.
Every new account creates another potential route into your business systems.
That means onboarding is not simply an administrative task. It is also an opportunity to make sure security is configured correctly from the beginning.
This can include:
A consistent process reduces the chance of important security steps being forgotten.
Employee offboarding can be even more important from a security perspective.
When someone leaves, their access to company systems may need to be removed at an agreed time.
This can involve:
The exact process will depend on the organisation and the employee's role.
The important thing is that it should be planned rather than improvised.
One of the problems with an informal leaver process is that an account can easily be overlooked.
An employee may leave the business but still have access to an application, cloud service or shared system.
There may also be active sessions on devices that have not been recovered or access to services that IT was not aware the employee used.
This is why offboarding should cover the wider IT environment rather than simply disabling an email account.
Employee departures can also raise questions about business information.
Files, emails and other data may need to be retained or transferred depending on the circumstances.
For example, a manager may need access to important business emails or documents after an employee has left.
This needs to be handled carefully, with appropriate permissions and according to the company's internal policies.
The objective is to maintain business continuity while keeping company information under appropriate control.
Laptops, desktops, phones and other equipment can represent a significant investment.
A good offboarding process should include recovering company-owned equipment and updating asset records.
Depending on the circumstances, devices may then need to be reset, securely wiped, reconfigured or prepared for another employee.
This creates a clear chain between the employee leaving and the equipment being returned to the business.
Hybrid and remote working can make onboarding and offboarding more complicated.
Employees may not work from the main office, meaning equipment needs to be shipped or collected and access needs to be managed remotely.
They may also use a wider range of cloud services and business applications.
A consistent digital process makes it possible to manage these employees just as effectively as office-based staff.
One of the biggest improvements a business can make is connecting its HR and IT processes.
HR or management usually knows when someone is joining or leaving. IT needs that information to make the appropriate technical changes.
A simple process can establish:
Having these details agreed in advance makes the process much easier to manage.
Employee changes can also affect software licensing.
When someone joins, the appropriate Microsoft 365 licence needs to be assigned.
When someone leaves, their licence may no longer be required and can potentially be recovered for another user, depending on the organisation's requirements.
Regularly reviewing licences can therefore help businesses keep their Microsoft 365 costs aligned with their actual workforce.
New starter and leaver management does not need to be complicated.
The key is having a repeatable process that connects people, equipment, accounts, permissions and security.
For new starters, the objective is to have everything ready so they can work from day one.
For leavers, the objective is to remove access promptly, protect business information and recover company equipment.
At 39D, we help businesses manage the IT behind employee onboarding and offboarding, from Microsoft 365 accounts and laptops to permissions, security and device management.
Whether you have employees working in the office, remotely or across multiple locations, having a consistent process can make life easier for your managers while helping keep your IT environment secure.
Need a better process for managing employee IT? Talk to 39D about new starter and leaver IT management.
