W-05: New Joiner Onboarding Framework¶
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Document | W-05 |
| Title | New Joiner Onboarding Framework |
| Status | Draft |
| Owner | CDO |
| Created | 2026-04-05 |
| Review | Annually |
| Depends On | STD-GOV-137 (Department Mandates), W-02 (Communication Standards), W-03 (Tool Standards) |
Purpose¶
Define the onboarding experience for every new joiner at Simpaisa, from pre-arrival through to full productivity at the end of their first quarter. A structured onboarding programme reduces time-to-productivity, improves retention, and ensures every new hire understands how Simpaisa operates across five markets and four divisions.
Simpaisa processes over $1B in transactions annually with 180 staff across PK, BD, NP, IQ, EG, and AE (Dubai HQ). A new joiner who does not understand the company, its markets, and its operating model within their first month is a risk to both quality and compliance.
Onboarding Timeline¶
PRE-ARRIVAL DAY 1 WEEK 1 MONTH 1 QUARTER 1
───────────── ──────────────────── ──────────────── ──────────────── ────────────────
□ IT provision □ Welcome & intro □ Company context □ First sprint □ Fully productive
□ Access setup □ Tool setup □ Team deep-dive □ Cross-functional □ Initiative
□ Equipment □ Security briefing □ Mandatory □ Stakeholder ownership
□ Slack invite □ Buddy intro training meetings □ Performance
□ Pre-reading □ Division overview □ Maerifa orientation □ Buddy check-in baseline set
Pre-Arrival Checklist¶
To be completed before the new joiner's first day. The hiring manager owns this checklist and must confirm completion to HR 48 hours before the start date.
IT Provisioning¶
| Item | Owner | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop procured and configured | IT (CDO) | 5 business days before start |
| Email account created | IT (CDO) | 3 business days before start |
| Google Workspace / Microsoft 365 access | IT (CDO) | 3 business days before start |
| Slack account created | IT (CDO) | 3 business days before start |
| VPN credentials (if remote/hybrid) | IT (CDO) | 3 business days before start |
| Multi-factor authentication configured | IT (CDO) | Day 1 (with new joiner) |
Access Requests¶
| System | Access Level | Approver | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jira / project management | Per role | Hiring manager | 3 business days before start |
| Bitbucket (if engineering) | Per team repos | CTO / Tech Lead | 3 business days before start |
| Production systems | Read-only initially | CISO | Day 1 (after security briefing) |
| Payment gateway admin | Per role (least privilege) | CISO + Hiring manager | Week 1 (after training) |
| Financial systems | Per role | CFO | Week 1 (Finance division only) |
| CRM / sales tools | Per role | Commercial Head | Day 1 (Commercial division only) |
| Monitoring / observability dashboards | Per role | CTO | Day 1 (CDO division) |
Principle: Least privilege. New joiners receive minimum required access. Elevated access is granted only after the relevant training is completed and the hiring manager confirms the need.
Equipment¶
| Item | Office-based | Remote/Hybrid | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop (company standard) | Yes | Yes | IT |
| External monitor | Yes | Upon request | IT |
| Headset (for calls) | Yes | Yes | IT |
| Access card / building entry | Yes | N/A | Office admin |
| Desk assignment | Yes | Hot-desk or assigned | Office admin |
Slack Channels¶
Every new joiner is added to the following channels on Day 1:
| Channel | Purpose |
|---|---|
| #general | Company-wide announcements |
| #[division] | Division-level updates (e.g. #cdo, #operations, #finance, #commercial) |
| #[team] | Immediate team channel |
| #incidents | Production incident notifications |
| #wins | Company wins and celebrations |
| #[country] | Relevant country channel(s) |
Additional channels per role are added by the hiring manager.
Pre-Reading Pack¶
Sent to the new joiner 1 week before start date:
| Document | Why |
|---|---|
| Company overview (1-pager) | Understand what Simpaisa does, markets, scale |
| Organisation chart | Know who's who and reporting lines |
| Division mandate (from STD-GOV-137) | Understand where their team fits |
| W-01: Company Operating Rhythm | Understand the meeting cadence they will join |
| W-02: Communication Standards | Know which channel for what |
| Role description | Refresh on what they were hired to do |
Day 1 Agenda¶
The hiring manager is responsible for the new joiner's entire first day. No new joiner should be left to "figure things out."
DAY 1 SCHEDULE (adjust for local time zone)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
09:00 - 09:30 Welcome & introductions
Hiring manager + immediate team
- Welcome, team introductions
- Office tour (if office-based)
- Desk/workspace setup
09:30 - 10:30 IT & tool setup
IT support + new joiner
- Laptop configuration verification
- MFA setup
- Email, Slack, calendar confirmation
- VPN test (if remote)
- Password manager setup
10:30 - 11:00 Break / settle in
11:00 - 11:45 Security briefing
CISO team (or recorded session)
- Information security policy overview
- Acceptable use policy
- Phishing awareness
- Incident reporting: how and when
- Sign acceptable use agreement
11:45 - 12:30 Company overview
Hiring manager (or senior leader)
- What Simpaisa does (payment gateway, corridors)
- Markets: PK, BD, NP, IQ, AE
- Scale: $1B+ transactions, 180 staff
- Four divisions: CDO, COO, CFO, Commercial
- Company values and culture
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch with buddy
Buddy + new joiner
- Informal, no agenda
- Buddy explains "how things really work"
13:30 - 14:30 Division overview
Division head or delegate
- Division mandate (per STD-GOV-137)
- Team structure
- Current priorities and active initiatives
- How the division works with others
14:30 - 15:00 Buddy introduction & expectations
Buddy + hiring manager + new joiner
- Buddy role explained
- Communication preferences
- First buddy check-in scheduled (Day 3)
15:00 - 15:30 Week 1 goals walkthrough
Hiring manager + new joiner
- Review Week 1 goals (see below)
- Identify any blockers
- Schedule Day 2 check-in
15:30 - 16:00 Free time / explore tools
Self-directed
- Explore Slack channels
- Read through pre-reading pack
- Set up personal preferences
Week 1 Goals¶
By end of Week 1, every new joiner should be able to answer:
- What does Simpaisa do? — Payment gateway, markets, corridors, scale.
- What does my team do? — Team mandate, current priorities, how we measure success.
- Who do I work with? — Immediate team, key cross-functional contacts, manager, buddy.
- What tools do we use? — Per W-03, all tools relevant to their role are set up and working.
- What are the rules? — Mandatory training completed (see below).
Week 1 Tasks¶
| Task | Owner | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Complete all mandatory training modules | New joiner | End of Day 4 |
| Attend first team standup/meeting | New joiner + team | Day 2 or 3 |
| 1:1 with hiring manager (30 min) | Hiring manager | Day 2 |
| Meet division head (15 min informal) | Division head | By Day 5 |
| Maerifa orientation session (see below) | Hiring manager or buddy | Day 3 or 4 |
| Read team's active initiative briefs | New joiner | By Day 5 |
| Buddy check-in (informal) | Buddy | Day 3 and Day 5 |
| Set up local development environment (Engineering only) | New joiner + tech lead | By Day 3 |
Month 1 Goals¶
By end of Month 1, every new joiner should:
- Contribute to their first sprint or project cycle. Not as an observer — actively contributing work, however small.
- Understand cross-functional stakeholders. Know who the key contacts are in the other divisions relevant to their role.
- Navigate the knowledge base. Be able to find information in Maerifa without hand-holding.
- Understand the operating rhythm. Know which meetings they attend and why (per W-01).
Month 1 Tasks¶
| Task | Owner | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Complete first meaningful contribution (PR, report, merchant call, etc.) | New joiner | End of Week 2 |
| Meet 3+ cross-functional stakeholders (15 min each) | New joiner | By end of Week 3 |
| Attend a Leadership Forum as observer (if appropriate to role) | Hiring manager to arrange | By Week 4 |
| 30-day check-in with manager (formal) | Hiring manager | Day 30 |
| Buddy relationship review | Buddy + new joiner | Day 30 |
| Provide onboarding feedback | New joiner → HR | Day 30 |
Cross-Functional Stakeholder Meetings¶
The hiring manager should arrange introductions with relevant counterparts in other divisions:
| New Joiner's Division | Meet With |
|---|---|
| CDO (Engineering) | COO ops lead, Commercial account manager, CFO settlement lead |
| CDO (Security) | COO incident lead, CFO compliance lead |
| CDO (Product) | Commercial head, COO ops lead, key merchant contact |
| COO | CDO tech lead, Commercial account manager, CFO settlement lead |
| CFO | CDO data lead, COO settlement ops, Commercial revenue lead |
| Commercial | CDO product manager, COO ops lead, CFO pricing lead |
Quarter 1 Goals¶
By end of Quarter 1 (approximately 90 days), every new joiner should be:
- Fully productive. Performing at the level expected for their role, with normal supervision (not hand-holding).
- Initiative ownership. Owning at least one piece of work end-to-end (scaled to role seniority).
- Network established. Known by name and role to relevant cross-functional counterparts.
- Operating independently. Able to find information, resolve routine issues, and escalate appropriately without constant guidance.
Quarter 1 Tasks¶
| Task | Owner | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 60-day check-in with manager | Hiring manager | Day 60 |
| 90-day check-in with manager (formal performance baseline) | Hiring manager | Day 90 |
| Own and deliver at least one initiative/workstream | New joiner | By Day 90 |
| Buddy programme concludes | Buddy + new joiner | Day 30 (formal end) |
| Probation review (if applicable per jurisdiction) | HR + Hiring manager | Per local employment law |
Per-Division Onboarding Additions¶
The core onboarding above applies to all new joiners. Each division adds the following role-specific elements.
CDO Division — Engineering¶
| Item | When | Owner | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codebase orientation | Day 2-3 | Tech Lead | Repository structure, key services, architecture overview. Walk through the main payment flow (pay-in, pay-out) in code. |
| Development environment setup | Day 2-3 | Tech Lead + DevOps | Local environment, Docker setup, database access, test credentials. Must be able to run the application locally by end of Day 3. |
| First pull request | Week 1-2 | Tech Lead | A small, well-scoped first PR. Ideally a bug fix or minor improvement. The goal is to exercise the full workflow: branch, code, test, PR, code review, merge. |
| CI/CD pipeline walkthrough | Week 1 | DevOps Lead | How code gets from PR to production. Branch strategy, environments, deployment process. |
| Architecture overview | Week 2 | CTO or CDO | System architecture, key ADRs, technology radar, technical debt register. |
| On-call orientation | Month 1 | Tech Lead | On-call expectations, runbooks, escalation procedures. Not on the rota until Month 2 at earliest. |
| Security development practices | Week 1 | CISO team | Secure coding standards, OWASP awareness, secrets management, code scanning. |
ENGINEERING NEW JOINER TIMELINE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Day 1 Day 2-3 Week 1 Week 2 Month 1
─────── ──────────── ──────────── ──────────── ────────────
Core Dev env First PR Architecture On-call
onboarding setup submitted deep-dive orientation
Codebase CI/CD Code review Full sprint
orientation walkthrough participation participation
First build Security dev ADR review First
runs locally practices initiative
CDO Division — Security¶
| Item | When | Owner | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threat landscape briefing | Day 2 | CISO | Current threat model, active risks, recent incidents. |
| Security tooling orientation | Week 1 | Security Lead | SIEM, vulnerability scanners, pen testing tools, monitoring dashboards. |
| Compliance framework overview | Week 1 | CISO | PCI-DSS, data protection per jurisdiction, regulatory obligations. |
| Incident response walkthrough | Week 1 | Security Lead | IR playbook, roles during incidents, communication protocols. |
| First vulnerability assessment | Week 2-3 | Security Lead | Participate in or lead a vulnerability assessment under supervision. |
CDO Division — Product¶
| Item | When | Owner | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product portfolio overview | Day 2 | CPO | All products, corridors, merchant segments, product strategy. |
| Merchant journey walkthrough | Week 1 | Product Lead | End-to-end merchant experience: onboarding through to daily operations. |
| Analytics and metrics orientation | Week 1 | Data Lead | Key product metrics, dashboards, how to query transaction data. |
| Competitive landscape | Week 2 | CPO | Competitors per market, differentiation, market positioning. |
COO Division — Operations¶
| Item | When | Owner | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| System walkthrough | Day 2-3 | Ops Lead | All operational systems: transaction monitoring, settlement, partner dashboards, reconciliation tools. |
| Shift shadowing | Week 1 | Ops Lead | Shadow an experienced operator for at least 2 full shifts. Observe transaction monitoring, incident handling, partner communication. |
| Partner overview | Week 1 | Ops Lead | All active partners per market: banks, telcos, PSPs. Relationship status, SLAs, escalation contacts. |
| Runbook orientation | Week 1 | Ops Lead | Operational runbooks for common scenarios: transaction failures, partner outages, settlement delays. |
| First supervised shift | Week 2 | Ops Lead | Handle operational duties under supervision. |
| Country operations overview | Month 1 | Country Heads | 15-minute briefings from each relevant country head on local operations. |
CFO Division — Finance¶
| Item | When | Owner | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chart of accounts overview | Day 2-3 | Finance Lead | Simpaisa's chart of accounts, entity structure, inter-company flows. |
| Settlement process walkthrough | Week 1 | Settlement Lead | End-to-end settlement: transaction to merchant payout. Per-corridor specifics. |
| Treasury operations | Week 1 | Treasury Lead | Pre-funding, liquidity management, FX operations per corridor. |
| Regulatory reporting overview | Week 1 | Compliance Lead | Financial regulatory obligations per jurisdiction. Reporting cadence. |
| Reconciliation process | Week 1-2 | Settlement Lead | Daily reconciliation process, tools, common discrepancy types. |
| Month-end close process | Month 1 | Finance Lead | Participate in or observe first month-end close. |
Commercial Division¶
| Item | When | Owner | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merchant portfolio overview | Day 2-3 | Commercial Head | Key merchants, volume tiers, strategic accounts. Revenue per corridor. |
| Sales process walkthrough | Week 1 | Sales Lead | Lead-to-close process: prospecting, qualification, proposal, contract, onboarding handoff. |
| Pricing framework | Week 1 | Commercial Head | Pricing model, standard vs non-standard pricing, approval process (per STD-GOV-137: CFO approves). |
| CRM and sales tools | Day 2 | Sales Lead | CRM setup, pipeline management, reporting. |
| Merchant visit (shadow) | Week 2-3 | Senior sales rep | Shadow an experienced rep on a merchant meeting or call. |
| Competitive positioning | Week 2 | Commercial Head | Competitor landscape, value proposition per market. |
Knowledge Base Orientation (Maerifa)¶
Every new joiner receives a Maerifa orientation session by Day 4 of their first week.
What is Maerifa?¶
Maerifa is Simpaisa's institutional knowledge base. It stores decisions, standards, architecture records, operational procedures, and historical context.
Orientation Session Agenda (30 minutes)¶
| Topic | Duration | Details |
|---|---|---|
| What Maerifa contains | 5 min | Standards, ADRs, operational procedures, governance documents |
| How to search | 10 min | Search techniques, tagging, filtering by division/topic |
| How to contribute | 10 min | When to add knowledge, quality expectations, review process |
| Practice queries | 5 min | New joiner runs 2-3 searches relevant to their role |
Key Maerifa Resources for New Joiners¶
| Resource | Identifier | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Department mandates | STD-GOV-137 | Understand who owns what |
| Execution Framework | STD-GOV-135 | Understand how initiatives work |
| Operating Rhythm | W-01 | Understand meeting cadences |
| Communication Standards | W-02 | Know which channel for what |
| Tool Standards | W-03 | Know which tool for what |
| Cross-Functional Playbook | W-04 | Understand how divisions collaborate |
Mandatory Training¶
All new joiners must complete the following training within their first week, regardless of division or role.
| Training Module | Duration | Delivery | Deadline | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AML/KYC Basics | 60 min | Online (self-paced) | Day 4 | Quiz (80% pass) |
| Data Protection & Privacy | 45 min | Online (self-paced) | Day 4 | Quiz (80% pass) |
| Information Security Awareness | 45 min | Online (self-paced) | Day 4 | Quiz (80% pass) |
| Incident Reporting | 30 min | Online (self-paced) | Day 4 | Acknowledgement |
| Acceptable Use Policy | 15 min | Read + sign | Day 1 | Signature |
| Code of Conduct | 15 min | Read + sign | Day 1 | Signature |
AML/KYC Basics¶
Covers: - What is money laundering and terrorist financing - Simpaisa's obligations as a payment service provider - Red flags and suspicious transaction indicators - Reporting obligations: when and how to report - Per-jurisdiction requirements (PK: SBP, BD: BB, NP: NRB, IQ: CBI, AE: CBUAE)
Why everyone, not just compliance? Every employee at a payment company is a potential detection point. A developer might notice unusual data patterns. An ops person might spot abnormal transaction volumes. A sales person might encounter suspicious merchant behaviour. Everyone must know the basics.
Data Protection & Privacy¶
Covers: - Personal data: what it is, how Simpaisa handles it - Per-jurisdiction data protection requirements - Data classification: public, internal, confidential, restricted - Data handling: storage, transmission, access, disposal - Cross-border data transfers (relevant given six-country operations) - Breach reporting: when and how
Information Security Awareness¶
Covers: - Password hygiene and MFA - Phishing recognition and reporting - Device security (laptop, mobile) - Clean desk policy - Public Wi-Fi and travel security - Social engineering awareness - Secure communication (what not to put in Slack/email)
Incident Reporting¶
Covers: - What constitutes an incident (security, operational, compliance) - How to report: channel, format, urgency classification - What happens after you report - "See something, say something" culture — no blame for reporting
Buddy System¶
Every new joiner is assigned a buddy for their first 30 days. The buddy is not their manager.
Buddy Selection Criteria¶
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Same division | Yes |
| Same team | Preferably not (broader perspective) |
| Seniority | Peer level or one level above |
| Tenure | Minimum 6 months at Simpaisa |
| Availability | Not on leave or overloaded during the new joiner's first month |
| Previous buddy experience | Preferred but not required |
Buddy Responsibilities¶
BUDDY ROLE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
WHAT A BUDDY DOES: WHAT A BUDDY DOES NOT DO:
───────────────── ────────────────────────
□ Answer "stupid" questions □ Manage performance
□ Explain unwritten norms □ Assign work
□ Make introductions □ Approve access/tools
□ Share practical tips □ Conduct formal reviews
□ Check in regularly □ Replace the manager
□ Be a safe sounding board □ Act as technical mentor
□ Help navigate the org □ Report to management
Buddy Schedule¶
| When | Activity | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Lunch together | Informal, in-person or virtual |
| Day 3 | Check-in (15 min) | "How are you finding things? Any confusion?" |
| Day 5 | Check-in (15 min) | "Did you complete training? Any blockers?" |
| Week 2 | Coffee chat (30 min) | Informal, broader conversation about the company |
| Week 3 | Check-in (15 min) | "How is the work going? Met everyone you need to?" |
| Day 30 | Buddy programme wrap-up | Informal review. Relationship continues naturally if both parties wish. |
Buddy Training¶
Buddies receive a 30-minute briefing (from HR or the hiring manager) covering: - Buddy role and boundaries - Common new joiner concerns - What to escalate to the hiring manager - Tips for being an effective buddy
30/60/90 Day Check-Ins¶
Formal check-ins between the new joiner and their hiring manager at three milestones.
30-Day Check-In¶
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Settling in | Do you have everything you need? Is anything blocking you? |
| Understanding | Can you explain what Simpaisa does in your own words? |
| Team | Do you understand your team's goals and your role within them? |
| Training | Is all mandatory training complete? |
| Buddy | Is the buddy relationship working? |
| Concerns | Anything you expected to be different? |
| Next steps | Goals for Month 2 |
60-Day Check-In¶
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Contribution | What have you delivered so far? |
| Cross-functional | Have you met stakeholders in other divisions? |
| Independence | Can you find information and resolve routine issues without help? |
| Culture | Do you understand how decisions are made here? |
| Development | Any skills or knowledge gaps you have identified? |
| Next steps | Goals for Month 3 |
90-Day Check-In¶
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Productivity | Are you performing at the level expected for your role? |
| Initiative | Have you owned and delivered a piece of work end-to-end? |
| Network | Are you known to your cross-functional counterparts? |
| Fit | Is this role what you expected? Is Simpaisa what you expected? |
| Performance baseline | Agree initial performance metrics (per STD-GOV-136) |
| Probation | Probation outcome (if applicable per jurisdiction) |
| Forward plan | Goals and development plan for the next quarter |
CHECK-IN CADENCE
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Day 1 Day 30 Day 60 Day 90
──── ─────────── ─────────── ───────────
Start Settling Contributing Fully
in? effectively? productive?
Training Cross-team Initiative
complete? connections? ownership?
Buddy Independence? Performance
working? Skills gaps? baseline
Documentation¶
All check-in outcomes are documented and shared with the new joiner within 48 hours. Check-in records are kept in the HR system. Any concerns raised at a check-in must have a resolution plan agreed before the next check-in.
Onboarding Metrics¶
The following metrics are tracked to assess onboarding effectiveness:
| Metric | Target | Measured By |
|---|---|---|
| Time to first contribution | ≤ 2 weeks | Hiring manager |
| Mandatory training completion | 100% by Day 4 | HR |
| 30-day check-in completed | 100% | HR |
| 60-day check-in completed | 100% | HR |
| 90-day check-in completed | 100% | HR |
| New joiner satisfaction score | ≥ 4/5 | HR (survey at Day 30) |
| Buddy satisfaction score | ≥ 4/5 | HR (survey at Day 30) |
| Voluntary attrition within 6 months | < 5% | HR |
Compliance¶
Every hiring manager is accountable for their new joiner's onboarding. HR tracks completion of mandatory training and check-ins. Incomplete onboarding (training not completed, check-ins missed) is flagged to the relevant department head.
This document is reviewed annually. Feedback from new joiners (collected at Day 30) is used to improve the onboarding process each quarter.