New hire checklist: A step-by-step guide to onboarding employees in the Czech Republic (Czechia) [2024]

Congratulations on hiring in the Czech Republic! Now you need to focus on the next critical step: onboarding. If this process goes smoothly, your employee will be off to a great start.

It’s important to get the onboarding process right, especially in a country where there’s a 20% rate of voluntary turnover. Turnover costs the Czech economy billions, and it can cost you, too.

Research shows that employers who set up new hires to succeed keep those new hires. According to a Gallup poll, only 12% of employees think that their employer does a good job of onboarding. Getting it wrong results in disengaged employees, potential non-compliance with Czech labor laws, and the high cost of re-hiring.

A successful onboarding experience goes well beyond an employee’s first day. Our 90-day checklist includes everything you need to know: paperwork, compliance, device setup, training, and more. This approach supports the long-term success of your new employees and your company. 

Before their first day

• Complete an employment background check. Background checks are legal in the Czech Republic as long as you get consent from job applicants first and collect only information that is relevant to the position to ensure a good fit. Some checks, like criminal record checks, are allowed only in certain cases. Want to know more? Read our full guide to employment background checks in the Czech Republic. 
• Send an offer letter. An offer letter, referred to in the Czech Republic as an employment contract, is a legal agreement between a new hire and their employer. Make sure it includes the right information to be compliant with Czech labor laws. The contract must contain a specific job title (position), job description, start date, employee and employer contact information, probationary period details, working hours, time off, compensation and benefits, vacation policy, termination and severance pay policy, and other relevant details. Check out our full guide on creating offer letters for employees in the Czech Republic.
• Include a Czech rights and obligations document. This document must be provided within a month of the employee’s start date, so you can save time by including it with the employment contract.
• Do the necessary paperwork. Beyond the contract of employment, common forms include income tax documents, legal agreements, and non-disclosure agreements. For work permits, an application form for an employee card (employee permit) must be filed at either a Czech Embassy or the Ministry of the Interior (if the worker is already in the country on a Schengen visa, Blue Card, long-term residence permit, or similar authorization). This applies to foreign nationals—those from outside the EU/EEA. A work visa application may also be required. The process of setting up employment documents can vary depending on your onboarding software and may require multiple email exchanges with different company departments.
• Enroll them in benefits. Pension, employment insurance, and sickness insurance are all mandatory benefits in the Czech Republic. Questions about benefits and employee eligibility? You’ll find the answers in our guide to employee benefits in the Czech Republic.
• Add them to payroll. You have to pay full-time and part-time Czech-based employees in Czech koruna (CZK) unless you’ve specifically obtained their written permission to pay them in a different currency. Under Czech law, you’ll also need to register for payroll tax, social security, mandatory coverage for occupational accidents, and with the employee’s health insurance provider, which can be the state-owned VZP. Check out our full guide to running payroll for employees in the Czech Republic.

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

• Set up their app accounts. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to start work and suddenly realizing you need access to email, Slack, Zoom, Figma, and all the other work apps. You can help your employees by setting up their app accounts before their first day. This ensures that everything is ready for a fast, easy sign-in when they start their job.

• Prepare any resources they'll need. These can include the following documents and support materials:
• Their own copy of your onboarding checklist
• An employee handbook and copies of any other important company policies
• The Czech rights and obligations document
• Your company's mission statement and an overview of your company culture and values
• A team directory
• A rundown of their first day
• Their job description and top priorities
• Any other role-specific support they may need

• Plan their orientation (and a get-to-know-you event with the team!). Schedule your new employee’s orientation events—like 1:1s with their manager, meetings with their team, or even getting-to-know-you events for their first day. Send out invites now, so everyone who needs to attend can block their time.

• Assign them an onboarding buddy or mentor. Onboarding will go more smoothly if your new hire has a point person who can guide them through the process, answer their questions, and make introductions. Assign that person before the new hire’s first day so they have time to prepare to welcome a new face to the team.

• Send a welcome email. As your new hire's first day approaches, create a welcome email with all the particulars about what to expect on their first day. This can include a first-day schedule, notes on your office dress code (you don’t want them showing up in the wrong attire), FAQ about their first day—whatever they may need to feel at ease and excited about starting their new job. Let them know if the working environment is casual or more professional and the importance of being on time—a big deal in Czech business culture.

During their first 90 days

• Schedule organizational and role-specific training. Keep in mind that 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 move 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 burden them with too much work in their first few months. Goal setting and guidance are expected in the Czech workplace. A great way to do this, in the beginning, is using a framework like SMART goals—setting goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. This will help give your new 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 and mentorship to help them stay on track. Schedule time with your new hire 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 than that. Remember that in Czech work culture, it is important not to offend, so communication may be indirect, despite the formal setting.

• 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. Older workers who were employed under the communist system may show a slower acceptance of change, whereas the new generation of Czech workers tends to display a greater willingness to adapt.

• Seek their feedback on how you can improve the onboarding experience. And finally, keep in mind that feedback goes both ways. Obtain feedback from all new employees about their onboarding experience and how it can be improved for future hires.

Make onboarding a breeze with Rippling

If you're hiring remote contractors in the Czech Republic, you need more than just a new hire checklist: you need Rippling. With Rippling, you can complete and verify background checks, send offer letters, and store digital documents—all from one centralized system.

Rippling makes it easy to onboard and manage your global workforce and keeps you compliant with local employment laws and regulations.

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.