Onboarding a new employee in India goes beyond a simple team welcome—it demands thorough documentation to meet legal requirements, set up correct payroll, and facilitate seamless integration into company processes. Here’s a summary of the nine key documents that every HR team should gather during onboarding.
Onboarding a new employee in India involves more than just welcoming them to the team — it requires careful documentation to ensure legal compliance, accurate payroll setup, and a smooth integration into your organisational processes. Below, we summarise the nine essential documents every HR team should collect during onboarding.
1. Offer Letter
The offer letter formally confirms your intention to hire the candidate. It outlines key employment terms such as the job role, compensation package, joining date, reporting structure, and probation period. This document acts as the first contractual communication between employer and employee, setting clear expectations before commencement.
2. Employee Personal Information Form
This form captures essential personal and contact details of the new joiner, including name, address, date of birth, emergency contact information, and bank account details. These details are vital for HR records, payroll processing, tax computations, and future communications.
3. Identity Proofs
Verifying identity and address is a statutory and compliance requirement. Commonly accepted proofs include PAN card, Aadhaar card, passport, voter ID, or driving licence. These documents support background checks and enable accurate KYC (Know Your Customer) processing.
4. Educational Certificates
To validate qualifications listed on a candidate’s resume, HR teams collect educational certificates and any relevant professional certifications. This ensures the candidate meets the role’s qualification criteria and maintains organisational standards.
5. Previous Employment Records
For experienced hires, collecting evidence of prior work history is crucial. This typically includes experience letters, relieving letters, the last few payslips, Form 16 and references. These records support verification and help inform compensation structuring.
6. Company Handbook Acknowledgement
The company handbook details your organisation’s policies, code of conduct, leave rules, benefits, and internal procedures. Having the employee acknowledge receipt demonstrates understanding and acceptance of your organisational policies.
7. Appointment Letter
An appointment letter formalises the employment relationship under relevant Indian statutory acts (e.g., Shops & Establishments Act). It typically expands on terms in the offer letter, clarifies roles and responsibilities, and serves as a legally binding employment agreement.
8. PF and ESI Enrollment Forms
Under Indian labour laws, enrolling eligible employees in the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) schemes is mandatory. HR should complete and file relevant forms, such as EPF Form 11 and ESI Form 1, to ensure statutory compliance and social security coverage.
9. Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) - If applicable
An NDA safeguards company-specific proprietary information and trade secrets. By signing this document, the employee legally agrees to maintain confidentiality, strengthening organisational security and protecting intellectual property.
Conclusion
Collecting the right documents at the time of onboarding is not just about compliance — it enhances the new hire experience, streamlines HR workflows, and protects your organisation legally and operationally. Pairing this structured documentation with a digital HR management system can further improve accuracy and turnaround time.