Letters, documents and declarations
Issue the appointment letter on day one; every employee must receive one under the OSH Code, and for project staff it should state the fixed term, the project, the location and the extension clause. Collect identity and address proof, PAN, bank details, the PF UAN if any, education certificates and experience letters. Add signed code of conduct, safeguarding and conflict of interest declarations, and police verification for anyone working with children or vulnerable adults. Field staff who ride a two-wheeler for work should submit a valid driving licence.
- Fixed-term appointment letter naming the project
- Identity, address, PAN, bank and education proofs
- Safeguarding, conduct and conflict of interest declarations
- Police verification for work with children
- Driving licence for field travel
Induction on the organization and the project
Spend the first two days on the organization and the project: its mission, the donor, the log frame and indicators, the target villages, and how the new person's work feeds the numbers the donor will see. Cover the safeguarding policy with real examples, the POSH policy and the Internal Committee, data privacy and consent when collecting information from households, and the finance rules on travel claims, advances and receipts.
Field shadowing and probation
Pair each new field worker with an experienced colleague for the first two weeks, visiting villages together and running meetings side by side before working alone. Set probation at three to six months, with the field coordinator reviewing punctuality in the field, the quality of meetings and data, and relationships with the community. For fixed-term staff on short contracts, keep probation short, such as three months on a one-year post.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Use quick add or bulk import in Onboarding to set up a batch of new project hires, then send each one the self-onboarding link or QR code.
- Joiners fill personal, address, family, bank, education and experience details in English, Hindi or Gujarati and upload their documents.
- Set a document checklist that includes the safeguarding declaration, police verification for child-facing roles and a driving licence for field staff.
- HR approves, rejects or asks for changes; approval creates the employee record with project cost centre, location and reporting manager.
- In the work terms policy, set probation months by employment type, and set the default work model to field where it fits your field teams.
- Track probation in Probation & Confirmation, asking the field coordinator for a 1 to 5 review before the end date.
Read more about onboarding in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
See onboarding for ngos and trusts in a demo
We set up your locations, shifts and rules on a video call and show it running for your team. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What should NGO onboarding cover?
The fixed-term appointment letter, documents and declarations first, then an induction on the organization, the donor and the project's indicators, safeguarding with real examples, POSH, data privacy and consent, finance rules for travel and advances, and field safety. Field staff should shadow an experienced colleague for about two weeks before working alone.
Do NGO staff need police verification?
Staff who work with children, adolescents or vulnerable adults should have police verification and reference checks before they work with beneficiaries, and many NGOs ask it of all field staff. Check what your donors and state expect, and record the certificate on the employee's file with a renewal date.
How long is probation for NGO project staff?
Usually three to six months, reviewed by the field coordinator on field punctuality, the quality of meetings and data, and relationships with the community. Keep it short for short contracts, such as three months on a one-year post, and put the confirmation or extension on paper before the end date.