You’ve hired a new employee. Day one arrives. What do they see? A thread of emails, a PDF checklist, and an awkward Zoom intro. Not a very strong first impression, right?
The problem is that most onboarding still happens over email, a process that is manual, untracked, and impersonal. HR loses time chasing updates, and new hires feel disconnected before they even begin.
That’s where employee onboarding software comes in. With a few clicks, you can build a branded onboarding checklist app that personalizes tasks, sets automated triggers, and scales across teams.
Get into action and learn how to build your own onboarding software using Microapp’s simple app builder – no coding required.
The result is a sleek onboarding experience that’s easy to ship, makes an impact, and can become the source of passive income for you as a developer.
Why Onboarding Still Happens Over Email (And Why That’s a Problem)
You’ve likely seen onboarding documents and tasks shared via batch emails and spreadsheets. That means:
- You lack interactivity, as new hires don’t receive context, personalization, or progress tracking.
- In turn, you have the HR overhead chasing tokens, signatures, and tasks that are done manually.
- Lastly, you lack a modular UI, which means there’s no way to trigger next task steps, incorporate reminders, or provide feedback.
So, what does this mean? By building employee onboarding software, you establish a robust onboarding process that enhances new hire retention by 52% and productivity by 60%, with long-term job satisfaction increasing by 53%.
What an Ideal Microapp Checklist Looks Like
Before you start building, let’s map out what makes an effective employee onboarding software app and what to include. At a glance, your checklist should:
- Guide new hires step-by-step
- Trigger follow-up tasks automatically
- Adapt based on role or department
- Reflect your brand’s look and tone
- Track progress transparently
- Integrate notifications or reminders
The problem is that most DIY employee onboarding software fails to personalize or implement logic triggers. But with Microapp, you can make it modular and dynamic from the start.
👉 Check out these performance review software.
Sample Onboarding Checklist Structure
| Step | Task Type | Trigger/Logic | Personalized For | Visibility |
| Welcome Message | Text + Video | Displayed on app open | All new hires | Everyone |
| Sign Employment Contract | File Upload + Sign | Unlocks “Team Introduction” task after submission | All new hires | Private to the user |
| Meet the Team | Embedded Video | Triggered after signing the contract | All new hires | Everyone |
| Set Up Email & Tools | Checklist | Marked done manually; unlocks “Department Setup” | All new hires | Private |
| Marketing Intro Packet | PDF Download + Quiz | Only shown if user role = “Marketing” | Marketing department hires | Private |
| Engineering Setup Guide | Interactive Walkthrough | If role = “Engineer”, launch API access + Git tutorial | Engineering hires | Private |
| Book Manager 1:1 | Calendar Integration | Prompt after 75% task completion | All new hires | Private |
| Feedback Form | Survey Form | Final step: submission completes onboarding | All new hires | Private |
| HR Completion Log | Status Badge + Report | Automatically generated for HR after the form is submitted | HR team | Admin only |
Developer Tip:
To dynamically show/hide tasks, you can use conditional logic, for example:
- If Department = Marketing → show marketing packet.
- If Department = Engineering → skip that and show dev setup flow.
- If “Book Manager 1:1” isn’t completed within 3 days → trigger a Slack reminder.
These dynamic flows make your app feel smart and human, something static email chains or off-the-shelf checklists can’t do.
Add-Ons You Could Include:
- Gamification (badges for completed steps)
- Auto-reminders for overdue tasks
- AI onboarding assistant (optional add-on)
- SSO Login Integration for HRIS sync
- Completion analytics (visible to managers)
How to Build It with Microapp’s Simple App Builder
- Sign up, and create a new microapp.
- Select a checklist template or create a blank canvas.
- Define database tables: user, task, and onboarding flow.
- Build UI screens: start form, task list, completion dashboard.
- Add logic to require specific fields and trigger email reminders.
- Map triggers, such as the task ‘watch training video’, mark progress and enable the next task.
- Preview and test with a dummy user.
You’ve just built an employee onboarding software‑style tool, fast, neat, and with no heavy code required.
Add Your Brand, Set Triggers, and Go Live
- Upload your logo, colors, and naming conventions.
- Configure triggers: new user signs up → checklist shows; when all tasks are completed → send confirmation.
- Manage roles: Admin can add new templates or assign flows to teams.
- Deploy: publish your microapp as a web app, embedding it in HR sites or sharing a link.
This aligns with how platforms serve niche microapps in an app store for web apps—fast access, no installations, plug‑and‑play.
👉 Check out what microapps work best for email marketing here.
Monetize It or Share It With Your Team
- Share internally with HR or managers for free adoption.
- Or charge per seat, per template—ideal if you want passive income for developers.
- Offer extended features, such as analytics, additional flows, or integrations.
- Position this as a Microapp tutorial or showcase on the Microapp platform to demonstrate your workflow builder chops.
There’s an opportunity to earn money from side projects by building and selling niche tools, such as this onboarding app.
Build your onboarding checklist app with Microapp fast, clean, and ready to go.
