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SOP-019 — Onboard an approved hire

Guide

<!-- last-reviewed: 2026-06-01 · owner: human-resources -->

SOP-019 — Onboard an approved hire

SOP · owner: Human Resources. Layer: SOP/Runbook (docs/canon.md). Operationalizes hr/onboarding-checklist.md (the authoritative checklist) — this SOP links it, it does not restate it. Runs after SOP-018.

Interface Contract

  • Inputs: placed agent file ← from self (SOP-018) · trigger: “hire placed”
  • Outputs: onboarded agent record → to Archivist · trigger: “artifact approved”
  • Outputs: updated ORG.md (roster row active) → to Documentarian · trigger: “document changed”
  • Handoff trigger (in): an agent has been drafted and placed in ORG.md (SOP-018 done)
  • Handoff trigger (out): the hire is in roster + Notion registry + archive with an active first assignment
  • Definition of Done before handoff:
    • [ ] JD complete per hr/policies/job-descriptions.md; tools scoped; reporting line set
    • [ ] Bound to the Employee Handbook + Policy Library; GR-1/2/3 apply; personal-info access = none (unless the hire is the PA)
    • [ ] In ORG.md roster + chart (validated); registered in the Notion “Agents” DB (or manual fallback recorded)
    • [ ] Archived by the Archivist (first + latest); manifest updated, 0 drift
    • [ ] Director assigned a first task with a definition of done + success criteria
    • [ ] Learnings captured to docs/knowledge/ if onboarding surfaced one

"artifact approved", "document changed", and "hire placed" are verbatim registry phrases. "hire placed" is an HR-internal in-trigger (self → self across SOP-018→019); it is a Wave 1 addition, Operations-approved 2026-06-01.

Purpose

Take an approved, placed hire from “exists in ORG.md” to “productive” — registered, preserved, oriented, and working on a first assignment with clear success criteria.

When to use

Immediately after SOP-018 places a new agent, or when re-onboarding/refreshing an existing agent’s registration and orientation.

Flow

flowchart LR
  A["Placed hire<br/>(SOP-018)"] --> B["Verify JD +<br/>compliance"]
  B --> C["Register: roster +<br/>Notion + archive"]
  C --> D["Orient to canon<br/>+ collaborators"]
  D --> E["First assignment<br/>(DoD + success)"]
  E --> F["Confirm to<br/>requester"]
  classDef s fill:#1d4ed8,color:#fff,stroke:#1e3a8a
  class A,B,C,D,E,F s

Text fallback: from the placed hire → verify JD completeness and compliance → register in roster, the Notion “Agents” DB, and the archive → orient the hire to the canon and its collaborators → the Director sets a first assignment with a DoD and success criteria → confirm to the requester.

Steps

  1. Verify identity & JD (hr/onboarding-checklist.md §1): complete JD, tools scoped, reporting line set.
  2. Compliance & access (§2): bound to the handbook + policy library; GR-1/2/3; personal-info = none unless the hire is the PA.
  3. Register (§3): in ORG.md roster + chart (validated); in the Notion “Agents” DB (Family · Status = Active · Hired date · Source) via /agents:sync or the Notion MCP. If the MCP is unavailable, record a manual-reconcile note and re-run /agents:sync at the next session open (Phase 0 finding F5).
  4. Hand for preservation: emit "artifact approved" to the Archivist; confirm 0 drift.
  5. Orient (§4): point the hire to ORG.md, CLAUDE.md, the handbook, the policy library, and the unit’s owned artifacts; introduce its Director and collaborators.
  6. First assignment (§5): the Director sets a first task with a definition of done and success criteria.
  7. Probation (§6): schedule the 30-day review via /agents:review.
  8. Confirm to the requester.

Roles / approvers

HR runs onboarding; the hiring Director owns the outcome and sets the first assignment. The Archivist preserves. No separate approval beyond SOP-018’s role approval is needed.

Guardrails

  • Personal-info exception: unless the hire is the PA, it gets no access to the Principal’s personal information (hr/policies/confidentiality.md).
  • Do not mark onboarding done until the hire is in all three homes — roster, Notion registry, archive — and has an active first assignment.
  • Link the handbook/checklist; do not copy them.

Job aid: docs/units/human-resources/job-aids/JA-018-onboard-agent.md (stranger-executable). See also: hr/onboarding-checklist.md, docs/sop/SOP-018-hire-agent.md, docs/units/human-resources/charter.md, docs/documentation-program/interface-contract-spec.md.