Contractor onboarding checklist for recruitment agencies

Agency onboarding connects a commercial agreement with a person starting work. The checklist should make that connection visible: the approved role, the applicable engagement arrangement, the checks required for the assignment and the practical information the worker needs.

Use one checklist per assignment, with references to verified records where appropriate. Reusing a worker's existing profile can save re-entry, but it should not imply that an old assignment's location, rate, requirements or payroll route still applies.

Confirm the assignment before collecting documents#

Record the hirer, role, location, expected dates, working pattern, rate basis and authorised contacts. Confirm which entity engages or employs the worker and which organisation handles payroll. Identify the required professional, suitability and other checks with the responsible compliance owner.

The government's Conduct Regulations guidance describes information duties for employment agencies and employment businesses in Great Britain. Requirements depend on the arrangement; a general operations checklist does not replace that assessment or the rules of another jurisdiction.

Use a readiness checklist with evidence#

• Assignment details confirmed by the authorised client contact.
• Engagement and payroll arrangement recorded, with responsible entities identified.
• Required checks assigned to named owners, with evidence references and any expiry dates.
• Required terms and worker information issued through the agreed process.
• Payroll inputs received and checked by the organisation that needs them.
• Timesheet submission, approval and query routes explained.
• First-day location, contact, access and practical instructions confirmed.
• Outstanding issues reviewed by the person authorised to decide readiness.

Use explicit states such as awaiting evidence, under review and complete. A document being uploaded is not the same as a check being approved. Record who reviewed it and the scope of that review.

Example: a familiar worker starts a different assignment#

Suppose a contractor already in the agency's system moves to a new client site. In this illustrative example, the team confirms the new role requirements, location, rate and approver rather than copying the old assignment unchanged. Existing evidence is reviewed for relevance and validity by the responsible owner.

If a required item is unresolved, escalate it with the facts and proposed next action. Do not conceal it by marking the overall checklist complete. A readiness decision should identify what has been checked and any condition that must be satisfied.

Make the handoff understandable to the worker#

Give the worker a concise explanation of whom to contact for assignment, timesheet and pay questions. Confirm how changes will be communicated and what to do if practical first-day instructions are missing. Avoid making the worker infer the responsible organisation from several unrelated welcome emails.

Keep personal records in the appropriate restricted system. The wider operations checklist normally needs a status and reference, not copies of every identity or payroll document.

Review after the first working cycle#

Check that the worker could access the site, submit time and use the query route. Confirm that the first payroll handoff reached the correct team. Record problems against their source so the next onboarding cycle benefits from the finding.

The payroll options guide helps clarify the payment arrangement. Use our back-office service to discuss how the agency coordinates the remaining operational steps and keeps ownership visible.