New hire checklist: A step-by-step guide to onboarding employees in China [2024]

Before their first day

• Complete an employment background check, but be sure to remain compliant with data protection laws. Under the Labor Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China, employers have the right to obtain basic information about their employees as long as the data directly relates to their job. However, China has very strict laws protecting employee data under the Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC. In order to run a background check legally, you will need to obtain consent from your new hire. Your background check should only focus on verifying relevant information already supplied during the job hiring process rather than uncovering new, sensitive information. Hong Kong has similar data collection laws.
• Send an offer letter. Written labor contracts are mandatory in mainland China, and you should supply contracts that are fully translated into Standard Chinese (or whatever local language pertains to your employee) in addition to contracts written in English. Employment contracts (offer letters) should include employee information (including the new hire's position and contact info), their working hours, leave entitlements, compensation and benefits, your termination policy, and any other details relevant to your company.
• Do the necessary paperwork. Beyond the employment agreement, common forms include tax documents, legal agreements, and non-disclosure/non-use/non-circumvention agreements (NNN). (NNNs must be used to protect intellectual property because typical NDAs in China are usually not enforceable). Depending on your onboarding software, setting up these documents might involve multiple email chains with stakeholders and signatories across the organization.
• Enroll them in benefits. Mandatory employee benefits in China include social security insurance contributions (which include pension, unemployment insurance, medical insurance, and workplace injury insurance), housing fund contributions, public holidays, and paid time off (depending on their tenure).
• Add them to the payroll. You have to pay China-based employees in their local currency unless you’ve specifically obtained their written permission to pay them in a different currency. China’s currency is called either the Chinese yuan (CNY) or the people’s renminbi (RMB). China also has a digital yuan, known as e-CNY, and some Chinese government employees are paid in this currency.

• Order and configure their devices. Whether your new employee will be working on-site or remotely, they need the right tools for their job. Before their first day, order and configure any devices they need so your new hire can hit the ground running.

• Set up their app accounts. Is there anything more frustrating than trying to start work and realizing you still need access to a half-dozen apps? Help your new hires by setting up their app accounts ahead of their first day, so everything is ready for a smooth (and fast) sign-in when they reach their start date. Check to make sure your company’s apps of choice are allowed where your employee is based. The People's Republic of China (mainland China) blocks services from Google, WhatsApp, Messenger, Dropbox, and many other common apps and websites. However, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau do not have the same strict censorship.

• Prepare any resources they'll need. These can include:
• Their own copy of your onboarding checklist
• An employee handbook and copies of any other company policies they need to know—it’s considered good practice to have your Chinese employee sign the company handbook, as it’s considered a legal document.
• Your company's mission statement and a brief about your company culture and values
• A team directory
• An overview of their first day
• Their job description and top priorities
• Any other role-specific resources they may need
• Consider cultural training. If this is your first hire in China, there can be nuances for local norms, as well as language barriers. Consider bringing on language support, such as apps or tools, to help bridge the divide, especially if your new employee is not bilingual. Consultants can also provide cross-cultural training for your team to help create a more welcoming, productive environment. 

• Schedule their orientation (and a get-to-know-you event with the team!).
  Line up your new hire’s orientation events. This can include 1:1s with their manager, meetings with their team, or get-to-know-you events for their first day. This can be done in person or remotely. Send out invites now, so everyone who needs to attend can block their time.

• Assign them an onboarding buddy or mentor. Onboarding is much easier if your new hire has one point person who can guide them through the process, answer their questions, and make introductions. Assign that person before their first day so they have time to prepare to welcome the new employee.
• Send a welcome email. As your new hire's first day approaches, create a welcome email with all the details about what to expect on their first day. This can include a first-day agenda, notes on your office dress code, FAQs about office culture—whatever they may need to feel comfortable and excited about starting their new job. Remember that there can be cultural differences among teams working across countries, so be clear about expectations, but flexible about the ways your new employee may prefer to work.
  
  

During their first 90 days

• Schedule organizational and role-specific training. Your new hire's goal in their first months should be to learn about their new company and their purpose within it. Start them off with organizational training, where they're tasked with learning about the company, its goals, its purpose, and its values. Then, slowly pivot to role-specific training that will help them learn specific skills and information they'll need to succeed in their position.

• Assign work and help them set goals. A new hire can only do and learn so much—expect there to be a learning curve and be careful not to overload them with too much work in their first few months, especially as they adapt to your company’s culture. One great way to set goals, in the beginning, is using the SMART goals framework—setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. This will help give your employee clear targets to work toward so they don't get stuck in a trap of not knowing exactly what to do in their first weeks and months in their role.

• Schedule regular check-ins to help them stay on track. In China, the maximum probationary period for a non-fixed term contract is six months. In that time, it’s easier to terminate employees. However, that’s the worst-case scenario! You want your employee to succeed, so don’t let months go by without checking in with them about their progress. Schedule time to discuss progress on their goals and answer any new questions they may have. A check-in at 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days is a good place to start, but stay flexible in case they want to schedule more frequent meetings.
• Offer training and mentorship. Worried about the retention of top talent? The Chinese labor market is very competitive, but offering job-related training can help keep your full-time employees engaged and further develop their skills. In addition to mentorship from their team, consider offering webinars and other training that can be completed during their work hours.

• Offer regular feedback as they get settled in. Don't leave your new hire wondering about their performance during their first few months. Give them regular feedback so they know when they're on track—and when they need to redirect so they can better meet their goals. And be sure to let them know once they’ve passed their probation period.

• Seek their feedback on how you can improve the onboarding experience. Keep in mind that feedback goes both ways. Seek feedback from all new employees about their onboarding experience and how it can be improved for future hires, especially if you plan to hire more employees based in China.

Make onboarding a breeze with Rippling

If you're going to hire employees, contractors, or remote workers in China, you need more than just a new hire checklist: you need Rippling. 

Rippling makes it easy to onboard and manage employees and contractors around the world—in one system that helps keep you compliant with local employment laws and regulations.

And with Rippling, onboarding new employees is a breeze. Complete and verify background checks, send offer letters, and store digital documents—all from one centralized location.

Rippling and its affiliates do not provide tax, accounting, or legal advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for tax, legal, or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal, and accounting advisors before engaging in any related activities or transactions.