New hire checklist: A step-by-step guide to onboarding employees in Portugal [2024]
So you’re ready to expand operations into Portugal and hire your first Portuguese employee. Long before that employee’s first day, you will want to plan out the onboarding process to ensure a smooth transition into their new role, give your new hire a positive first impression, and maximize employee engagement.
While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to effective employee onboarding, if you have the right framework in place, your new employee will feel welcome and ready to start work. And, of course, you want to make sure you have everything you need to remain compliant with Portuguese labor laws throughout the process.
Onboarding can seem complicated, lasting for months after your employee’s first official day of work. However, this checklist should help. It covers everything you need to know, including paperwork, compliance, devices, access to apps, training, and a 90-day plan to ensure your new employees are successful well beyond their first day.
Before their first day
- Complete an employment background check. Tread carefully here—while employers can obtain public information about education and employment histories, they aren’t allowed to get personal information via criminal background checks, drug testing, credit checks, or medical tests unless the test is necessary to perform the job. Read our full guide to background checks in Portugal.
- Send an offer letter. While written offer letters aren’t legally required for employment in Portugal, this is a typical (and highly recommended) part of the hiring process. An offer letter should include the position, job title and description, start date, and any terms for trial periods (more on that below), as well as working hours, compensation and benefits, termination policies, and other key details. Read our guide to offer letters for employees in Portugal.
- Do the necessary paperwork. This may include legal agreements or tax forms. (While non-disclosure agreements are typically legal in Portugal, there are some exceptions. Read our guide to NDAs in Portugal to get the full scoop.) Depending on your employee onboarding software, setting up these documents might involve multiple email chains with stakeholders and signatories across the organization.
- Benefits enrollment. In Portugal, workers’ compensation insurance, pension, vacation, holidays, and employee training are mandatory benefits. You may include additional benefits to entice and retain top talent. Check out our full guide to employee benefits in Portugal for more information.
- Add them to the payroll. Unless they have agreed otherwise in writing, pay your Portuguese employees in euros (EUR). Use an employer of record (EOR) to run payroll unless you already have an entity in Portugal—an EOR can perform direct deposit for employee pay and help you stay compliant. Learn more about EORs and running payroll in Portugal in our guide.
- 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 they can hit the ground running.
- Set up their app accounts. Before your hires kick off their first day, make sure they have access to email, Slack, Zoom, and any other apps they need. You can even set up their app accounts ahead of their first day, so everything is ready for a smooth sign-in on their start date.
- 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
- 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
- Schedule their orientation (and a get-to-know-you event with the team!). Schedule your new hire's orientation events, which might include 1:1s with their manager, meetings with their team, or even getting-to-know-you events for their first day. Send out invites before that employee starts, so everyone who needs to attend can put a hold on their calendar.
- Assign them an onboarding buddy or mentor. It can be helpful for your new hire to have a designated point person who can guide them through the process, answer their questions, and make introductions. Assign that person before their first day so they can prepare to welcome the new face to the team.
- Send a welcome email. As the first day approaches, create a welcome email for your employee with all the details about what to expect on their first day. This can be waiting for them in their inbox and include a first-day agenda, notes on your office dress code, FAQs about their first day, and whatever they may need to feel comfortable and excited about starting their new job.
On Day 1
- Make sure their workspace is set up. If your Portuguese employee will work in person, make sure their workspace is set up for their first day. Include their devices and consider adding fun decorations as a surprise. A welcoming work environment can help your new hire feel appreciated and excited.
- Send a "welcome to the team" email. Early on the new hire’s first day, send out a message to the company introducing their new co-worker and encouraging them to extend a greeting. Learn how to craft the perfect "welcome to the team" email with our guide.
- Give them an agenda or plan to help them get started. If you already included this in the welcome email, skip it. Otherwise, make sure you have this ready for the new hire on their first day. Remember that Portuguese work culture has a major focus on work-life balance. Long lunches are considered the norm, as are coffee breaks.
- Schedule a 1:1 with their manager. In Portugal, business is all about relationships, which is why it’s helpful to introduce your new hire to their manager or supervisor in a 1:1 meeting. The manager can welcome them and answer any questions they may have. Face-to-face meetings are considered ideal in Portugal, but meetings can happen over video chat as needed.
- Schedule a 1:1 with their onboarding buddy or mentor. Having an onboarding contact or a workplace mentor can help put your new hire at ease. Schedule a 1:1 between them and your new hire to help build that rapport.
- Have a get-to-know-you event with their team or closest peers. Personal connections are crucial in Portuguese work culture. Schedule an introductory event with your new hire’s team to welcome them. A team lunch can be a great choice—Portugal’s specialties include fish (such as cod and sea bass) and meats (including suckling pig), but be sure to pick a restaurant with a variety of options for different dietary needs.
- Give an office tour. Will your new hire be working on site? If so, make sure to give them an office tour on their first day. Don't forget to mention where the bathrooms, break areas, and fire extinguishers are.
- Provide them with a list of contacts. Finally, provide your new hire with a "cheat sheet" of people on the team they can reach out to for help while they learn the ropes. It's also a great idea to note each team member's department, role, and contact information (phone number, email, Slack handle, and whatever else is relevant at your company), so the new hire can find the right person to answer specific questions. Be sure to add a contact for human resources, too.
- Remember not to bother them past working hours. In Portugal, it’s illegal for employers to contact their employees once the work day is done. That includes messages by phone, text, email, and chat. So, unless there’s an emergency, wait until the next working day to reach out.
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, pivot to role-specific training that will help them learn specific skills and information they'll need to succeed in their position.
- Allow time for cultural adjustment. In Portugal, it’s common for managers to avoid conflict with their staff and speak to them formally. Employees may also default to formality in the workplace, especially at first. If your company is more casual or laid back (and particularly if the employee’s manager or team is based in North America), set expectations with your new hire and allow for time to adjust.
- 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. One great way to set goals, 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 hire 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. Remember: Personal relationships are key. 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. It’s best to book these meetings at least two weeks in advance.
- 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.
- Keep the probation period in mind. In Portugal, trial periods (known as a período experimental) are common and typically range up to 90 days for normal full-time employees, up to 180 days for highly technical roles, and 240 days for managerial or directorial roles. Once they’ve passed that trial period, let them know!
- Seek their feedback on how you can improve the onboarding experience. Keep in mind that feedback goes both ways. Stay open to how the onboarding process may evolve. Seek 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 going to hire employees, contractors, or remote workers in Portugal, 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.
last edited: September 9, 2024
