Different paperwork for articles, advocates and consultants
Articles bring their institute registration details and exam records, and the firm completes the articleship paperwork with the institute; that step happens outside the HR system. Advocates bring their Bar Council enrolment certificate. Qualified CAs bring their membership details. Everyone brings identity, address, education and bank details and, for experienced hires, the relieving letter. The self-onboarding link collects all of this before day one, with a checklist that differs by role.
Confidentiality and independence before client work
Before anyone opens a client file, they sign a confidentiality undertaking, the firm's IT and data use policy and, for audit staff, an independence and conflict declaration listing any relationships with clients. Store the signed copies in the employee's documents. The appointment letter, which the OSH Code requires for every employee, should refer to these terms so they are part of the engagement from the start.
Induction built around the first engagement
A week of presentations is forgotten by the first deadline. Instead, give a two-day induction on the firm's methodology, software and quality rules, then put the new person on a live engagement with a named senior. After four weeks the senior signs off that the person can prepare working papers, draft a reply to a notice or run a client call, depending on the role, and flags any gaps for the next month.
Probation for qualified hires
Qualified hires usually serve three to six months of probation. Near the end, the engagement manager gives a probation rating on the 1 to 5 scale with a note on technical quality, client handling and reliability under deadlines. Confirmation follows with a letter. An extension with a reason suits someone who joined just before the season and had little supervised work to show, since a rushed decision helps neither side.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Create onboarding document checklists by role: institute registration for articles, Bar Council enrolment for advocates and membership details for qualified CAs.
- Share the self-onboarding link, or its QR code, once the offer is accepted, and send any unclear document back to the joiner for changes.
- After approving a joiner, set the employment type, department, designation and reporting manager, using a trainee type for articles.
- Store signed confidentiality, IT use and independence declarations in the employee's documents, each with an expiry date for yearly renewal.
- Set probation months by employment type in the work terms policy, with manager review required for qualified hires.
Read more about onboarding in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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What documents does a law firm need from a new associate?
Identity and address proof, education certificates, the Bar Council enrolment certificate, bank details, the relieving letter from any previous firm, and signed confidentiality and conflict declarations. Keep copies in the employee's file, and note expiry dates for declarations that are renewed every year.
Why do audit staff sign independence declarations?
Audit staff should not have relationships with audit clients that could affect their objectivity, such as financial interests or close family working there. A signed declaration on joining, and again every year, lets the firm spot conflicts before it assigns people to engagements.
How long is probation for a newly qualified CA?
Three to six months is common. The review should look at technical work on real engagements, client handling and reliability under deadlines. If the person joined just before the busy season and had little supervised work, an extension with a written reason is fairer than a rushed decision.