Documents before the first day
Salesmen and drivers fill the self-onboarding form on their own phones, in English, Hindi or Gujarati, over an evening before joining: their own details, home address, family, bank, schooling and work history, plus uploads of identity and address proof, PAN and bank proof. For salesmen who ride their own two-wheeler on duty, add the driving licence, registration and insurance; for delivery drivers, the licence for the vehicle class. Once HR approves, the employee record exists. Day one also brings the appointment letter that the OSH Code makes compulsory for every employee.
The beat or route handover
A salesman learns a beat by walking it. For the first week, pair him with the supervisor or the salesman who held the beat, day by day through the beat plan: which retailers buy what, who pays on time, who needs a reminder, and which outlets matter for the principal company's must-sell products. A new driver rides along with an experienced one on the route before driving it alone. The distributor management software login is set up outside ZeniaHR, alongside the joiner's employee code.
Cash and collection rules
Explain cash rules on day one and have the joiner sign them as an acknowledgement, saved to the employee's documents. Many shortages come from unclear rules rather than dishonesty, and a signed rule sheet makes any later inquiry fair to both sides.
- How to issue receipts and record each collection
- Which cheque details to check before accepting one
- Settlement with the cashier every evening
- What to do about a disputed bill or a returned product
- Never carry company cash home overnight
Probation that includes a month-end
Three months suits salesmen and drivers: long enough to see a full month-end push and how they handle collections. The probation length follows the employment type in ZeniaHR. As the date nears, HR and the supervisor get a reminder each day, and the supervisor gives the joiner a 1 to 5 probation rating with a comment. If collections were patchy but improving, extend by a month with the reason noted; confirming too early is the costlier mistake with cash roles.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Build the onboarding document checklist with driving licence, vehicle registration and insurance for field roles, on top of ID, address, PAN and bank proof.
- Send the self-onboarding QR code to each joiner a few days before joining, and approve the submission to create the employee.
- Save the signed cash rules acknowledgement and the appointment letter to the employee's documents.
- Enrol new salesmen in product and scheme programs in Learning, and new drivers in road safety.
- Match probation months to each employment type under work terms, making the supervisor's review a condition of confirmation.
Read more about onboarding in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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What documents does a distributor need from a new salesman?
Proof of who he is and where he lives, PAN, bank account details and a photo, plus, if he rides his own two-wheeler on duty, his driving licence, the vehicle registration and insurance. Record the licence expiry date. Hand over the appointment letter, which the OSH Code makes compulsory, on day one along with a signed copy of the cash rules.
How do you hand over a beat to a new salesman?
Walk it together. For a week, the supervisor or the previous salesman takes the new joiner through the beat plan day by day, introducing retailers, showing who pays on time and which outlets matter most for the principal company's priorities. Hand over the outstanding list, so collections continue without a gap.
How long is probation for distributor salesmen?
Three months is common, so the review covers at least one full month-end cycle and shows how the salesman handles targets and collections. Rate probation on orders, coverage, collection discipline and cash accuracy, and extend with a reason if the picture is not yet clear.