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How to Use Preboarding Packages

Preboarding packages let you collect essential information from new employees before their first day. Instead of chasing paperwork after someone starts, you send them a single link that walks them through everything they need to provide — personal details, compliance documents, contract signing, payment and tax information, and policy acknowledgements.


What is a Preboarding Package?

A preboarding package is a guided, step-by-step wizard sent to a new hire via email. The employee opens the link from any device, fills in the requested information at their own pace, and submits it when they are done. Their responses flow straight back into Timecloud — no manual data entry needed.

How It Works (Admin Side)

  1. Navigate to HR > Employee Lifecycle.
  2. Open the employee's lifecycle view and click Send Package.
  3. Timecloud sends the employee an email containing a welcome letter and a secure preboarding link.
  4. You can track completion from the employee's lifecycle dashboard — each step shows whether it has been finished.

Uploading an Employment Contract (Admin)

If the employee's preboarding package includes a contract step, the admin can upload the employment contract before or after sending the package.

From the Bulk Add Users table

  • When adding multiple employees at once, a contract upload slot appears automatically for each role that requires one.
  • Attach the contract file before clicking Add Users — Timecloud uploads it and links it to the employee on creation.
  • If the contract is required, the Add Users button stays disabled until all contract slots are filled.

From an employee's Lifecycle tab

  • Open the employee's profile and go to the Lifecycle tab.
  • When the preboarding package requires a contract, an Upload Contract button appears in the header.
  • Click Upload Contract, choose a file, and click Upload.
  • Once uploaded, the button label changes to Update Contract — click it again to replace the file at any time.
  • The uploaded contract is what the employee will see when they reach the contract step in their preboarding wizard.

Tracking Package Progress

Once a package has been sent, you can monitor per-step progress directly from the employee's Lifecycle tab:

  • A fraction indicator (e.g. 1/2, 3/5) appears next to the package row, showing how many steps the employee has completed out of the total.
  • Click the expand arrow beside the fraction to reveal the full step list.
  • Each step displays a green tick (done) or an open circle (pending).

This lets you see exactly where a new hire is in their preboarding process without waiting for the full package to be submitted.

How It Works (Employee Side)

The employee receives an email with a personalised welcome message and a button to open their preboarding package. Clicking the link opens a step-by-step wizard. Depending on what the company has configured, the wizard can include any combination of the steps below.

Step 1 — Welcome

  • Displays the company's welcome letter (customised by the admin).
  • Click Start Preboarding to begin.

Step 2 — Employment Contract

  • Download your employment contract using the Download Contract button.
  • Sign the contract offline (print, sign, scan — or use a PDF signing tool).
  • Upload the signed copy by clicking Upload Signed Contract.
  • Accepted file types: PDF, PNG, JPG, JPEG. Max size: 10 MB.

Step 3 — Basic Details

  • Fill in the personal information fields your employer requires (e.g. address, emergency contact, date of birth).
  • Required fields are marked — you cannot proceed until they are completed.

Step 4 — Compliance Upload

  • Upload copies of any required compliance documents (e.g. licences, certifications, right-to-work documents).
  • Each item shows whether it is Required or Optional.
  • Click Add files to attach documents. You can upload multiple files per item.

Step 5 — Payment & Tax Details

Provide your bank account, tax, and superannuation or KiwiSaver details. The fields displayed depend on your employment country.

New Zealand employees will see:

  • Bank Account — Account name and account number (15–16 digits). The account number field auto-formats as XX-XXXX-XXXXXXX-XX while you type, so you can enter or paste digits and the hyphens are added for you.
  • KiwiSaver — KiwiSaver status (Active, Opted out, or On savings suspension), effective date, and contribution rates (employee, employer, and ESCT). Contribution rate fields only appear when KiwiSaver status is Active.
  • Tax — IRD number, tax code, IR330 received status, and optional fields for tailored tax rate, student loan deduction, and child support deduction.

Australian employees will see:

  • Bank Account — Account name, BSB, and account number. The BSB field auto-formats as XXX-XXX while you type, so you can enter or paste digits and the hyphen is added for you.
  • Superannuation — Fund type (APRA regulated fund or SMSF), fund name, member number, and either a USI (for APRA funds) or Fund ABN and SMSF account name (for SMSFs).
  • Tax — Tax file number (TFN), employment basis, residency for tax purposes, tax-free threshold claim, and optional offsets and loan flags.

Sensitive fields (such as bank account numbers, IRD/TFN, and member numbers) are masked after you save them. If you need to change a previously saved value, click the Re-enter button next to the masked field.

Step 6 — Acknowledgements

  • Read each company policy displayed on the page.
  • If a policy has an attached document, click the Download button to view the full policy file before acknowledging.
  • Tick the Acknowledged checkbox for every policy.
  • All policies must be acknowledged before you can submit.

Saving & Submitting

  • Save as Draft — saves your progress so you can come back later. Your link stays active for a limited time.
  • Next — saves the current step and moves to the next one.
  • Complete (on the final step) — submits your entire package. A verification challenge appears before submission to confirm you are a real person.

Once submitted, a confirmation screen appears: "Preboarding Complete — Thank you for completing your preboarding package. Your employer has been notified."

Good to Know

  • Links expire. If your link has expired, contact your employer to resend the package.
  • One submission only. After you complete the package, the link cannot be reused.
  • Mobile-friendly. The wizard works on phones and tablets — a progress bar at the top shows how far along you are.
  • Save often. Use Save as Draft if you need to step away. When you return, the wizard picks up where you left off.