Your First 90 Days - New Doister Onboarding Guide

Hey there! 👋

Overview

Starting at Doist means juggling two adventures at once:

1. Learning your actual role — the work you were hired to do

2. Adapting to async life — where meetings are rare, documentation is everything, and nobody expects instant replies

We’ve designed onboarding to support both sides of this experience. Over your first 90 days, you’ll gradually shift from learning the ropes to owning your work — all at a pace that makes sense for you. Some folks hit the ground running. Others need more ramp-up time. Both approaches are completely valid here, because this isn’t a race.

During your onboarding, we focus on:

• Helping you understand Doist’s mission, values, and how we make async work actually work

• Setting clear milestones so you know what “good progress” looks like at each stage

• Connecting you with the right people at the right times — your mentor, manager, and People team

• Giving you room to explore, ask questions (especially the “obvious” ones), and find your own way of contributing

Where everything lives

Your onboarding runs through Todoist – all your learning materials, work tasks, and milestone check-ins live there. Think of it as your single source of truth for what to do and when.

Bob is our HR system where you'll maintain your employee profile and basic information. For everything else – benefits, time off, payroll, and compliance – you'll use either Deel, Gusto, or PeopleKeep, depending on your location and employment type.

Don't worry about juggling between systems – your Todoist onboarding project includes reminders for when you need to hop over to these other platforms. Everything's connected, even if it lives in different places.

Meeting Frequency

During onboarding, you’ll have regular check-ins with a few key people. We keep this light weight but consistent, with enough structure to support you without adding meeting fatigue to your first weeks.

Your main support system

Additional support

The People Team check in monthly with everyone involved — you, your mentor, and your head. These conversations help us spot patterns, address any early concerns, and make sure the onboarding process is working for everyone.

Remember: these are starting points. If you need more support early on, speak up. If you’re flying solo and need less structure after a few weeks, that’s fine too. The point is finding what works for you.

Here’s a sample 1:1 agenda if you want ideas for structuring these conversations.

Onboarding Timeline

First 30 days: Learning, observing, and starting to contribute with heavy support
Days 31–60: Building confidence, delivering real work with regular guidance
Days 61–90: Working independently, owning projects, contributing as a full team member

Key checkpoints & short surveys:

• Day 1: Welcome meetings with People Team, Mentor, and Head

• Week 1: Onboarding Check-In

• Week 2: Onboarding Pulse

• Day 30: Foundations Review

• Day 90: Onboarding Retrospective

This timeline shows the gradual progression from supported learning to independent contribution, with clear milestones that match the tasks and meetings we've outlined in the main document.

Onboarding Milestones

Your onboarding balances structure with flexibility. You’ll have clear milestones to hit, but plenty of room to explore, ask questions, and figure out your own way of working.

Regular feedback throughout the process reinforces positive behavior and helps redirect anything that might slow success. Each milestone builds on the last, moving from learning and guided support to independent contribution.

Pro tip for mentors and heads: Keep notes from your 1:1s. When you look back at the end of 90 days, you’ll have a clear picture of the journey and be ready to celebrate how far your newcomer has come.

⚙️ Basics & Routines

Onboarding at Doist

A brief guide on all things onboarding at Doist. Always a work in progress, but a great place to get an overview of how we think about onboarding and what that experience looks like.

Start Date:

Leader:

Onboarding Mentor:

End of Onboarding:

Week 1 : Getting to know Doist

Making you feel welcome, getting you connected with your team, and making sure you can actually log into everything you need.

Understanding what makes Doist tick – our mission, how we work async, and getting all your tools set up.

Meetings:

• People Team: Welcome call and early questions

• Mentor: Welcome, review the Mentoring Agreement, and set goals & expectations Head: Welcome and introduction to team dynamics and goals

Todoist Tasks:

Week 2: Getting to know your team & squads

Learning how your team and how squads operates, understanding objectives, and building relationships with your immediate working group.

Meetings:

• Mentor: Share observations from Week 1 and discuss your role in squad objectives

• Head: Check in on team priorities and any early contributions

Todoist Tasks:

First Month (Week 3–4): Shadowing & first contributions

Shadowing team members, shipping your first scoped work with support, and shaping goals for the rest of onboarding.

Meetings

• Mentor: Weekly plus as-needed support

• Head: Weekly check-ins, plus end-of-month 1:1 to review progress

Todoist Tasks

• * Priorities [Text box]

  • Description: List of priorities for 1st month, set with mentor + head

  • Learning

    • Expected deliverables

  • Output

    • Expected learnings

Second Month: Build & deliver (role-specific)

Rolling up your sleeves and creating real work. You're still learning, but now you're also shipping things that matter.

Meetings

• Mentor: Weekly plus as-needed support

• Head: Weekly check-ins, plus end-of-month review

Todoist Tasks (CSV-exact)

• * Priorities

  • Description: List of priorities for 2nd month

• Learning

  • Expected learnings

• Output

  • Expected deliverables

Third Month: Own & optimize (role-specific)

This is it – you're working like a full-fledged Doister. By now, you're owning projects, contributing ideas, and probably teaching us a thing or two.

Meetings

• Mentor: Weekly plus as-needed support

• Head: End-of-month recap with head, mentor, and newcomer to review the full onboarding period and next steps

  • Review the entire 90-day journey

  • Head announces completion of onboarding in # Doist Lounge

Todoist Tasks

• * Priorities

  • Description: List of priorities for 3rd month

• Learning

  • Expected learnings

• Output

  • Expected deliverables

Onboarding mini-challenges

What these are: Optional, bite-sized ways to practice async habits and get to know the team. Think of them as side quests – fun if you're into them, completely skippable if you're not.

Todoist Tasks

• 🤔 What are onboarding mini-challenges?

  • 📂 Create your own "Smile File"

  • 📱 Get social with us!

  • 🐧 Join a Doist social channel in Twist

  • 📣 Give someone a public shoutout in the Doister Thanks channel

  • 🔗 Share an interesting article, resource, or idea in the "Doist Inspiration" channel

  • 💡 Offer some feedback on something someone shares in Twist

  • ✍️ Suggest an edit in the company handbook

  • 🐛 Identify and report a Todoist bug

For mentors, heads, and People team admin

Quick reference for everyone supporting our newcomer, because great onboarding is a team sport.

Todoist Tasks

One last thing...

Onboarding can feel overwhelming. There's a lot to learn, people to meet, and systems to figure out. Some days you'll feel like you're getting it, other days you'll wonder what you've gotten yourself into. Both feelings are completely normal.

Remember: We hired you because we believe you'll add something special to Doist. Not because we expect you to be perfect from day one. Give yourself time to find your groove.

And hey – in a few months, you'll be the one helping the next newcomer feel at home. Circle of (Doist) life. 🌱

Frequently Asked Questions — New Hire Edition

Getting Started

What if I need more time to complete my onboarding tasks?

That's completely normal. Some folks cruise through everything in a few days, others take weeks. Your mentor is there to help you adjust timelines to match your reality. Just communicate openly about what you need.

Is it normal to feel overwhelmed in the first few weeks?

Absolutely. You're learning a new role, new tools, new people, and a new way of working all at once. Most people say it takes about a month to feel oriented and three months to feel truly settled. Be patient with yourself. It gets easier.

Is it okay to ask 'obvious' questions?

Yes. Always. That question that feels obvious to you? Someone else is probably wondering the same thing. Plus, fresh eyes often spot things we've gotten too used to. Your "obvious" question might spark an improvement nobody else noticed.

Support & Feedback

What if I'm not getting enough support? Or too much?

Speak up! Tell your mentor or head what's working and what isn't. Maybe you need more check-ins, or maybe you need more space to figure things out independently. We can't adjust if we don't know.

How do I know if I'm doing well?

Your mentor and head will give you regular feedback – both the "you're crushing it" kind and the "here's something to work on" kind. But also: Are you learning? Contributing? Feeling more comfortable each week? Those are good signs. If you're genuinely unsure, ask directly. We value transparency here, and that includes being transparent about performance.

What happens if this role isn't what I expected?

Sometimes roles evolve differently than we imagined – for both you and us. That's why we have regular check-ins. If something feels off, bring it up early. Often we can adjust responsibilities, find better-fit projects, or clarify expectations. The earlier we talk about it, the more options we have.

Communication & Working Async

How does communication work at Doist?

As a fully remote, distributed team. We've carefully shaped our communication culture. You can learn more about how we communicate in Communication.

How do I handle working across time zones?

Async is our superpower, but it takes getting used to. You'll rarely need immediate responses from anyone. Post your questions when you have them, and trust that answers will come. If something's truly urgent (rare!), we'll figure it out. Your mentor can help you learn when to use which communication channels.

Everyone seems to know each other already. How do I break in?

It might feel like everyone's best friends already, but remember: every single person here was new once. Jump into Twist conversations, share something in our social channels, or simply reach out to someone whose work interests you. Doisters are genuinely friendly – we promise nobody will think you're weird for saying hi.

How do meetings work at Doist?

At Doist, we keep meetings to a minimum. We're not against meetings, but we believe in being intentional about why we meet and making sure that, even when we do meet, we maintain our async-first culture. There's more learn more about Meetings at Doist.

Projects & Responsibilities

How do we prioritize and execute projects at Doist?

We've been long evolving our own system for this. You can learn more about our DO System.

How do I know who to talk to about a certain project or area?

Figuring out who does what can be tricky in any organization and even more so when everyone is remote. To help create clarity around ownership and responsibilities we've established what we call, Directly Responsible Doisters (DRDs).

A DRD is someone who takes ownership of a specific area or project, typically within their domain, but occasionally also outside. By designating DRDs it's also easier to identify who best to ask about certain things.

Technical & Administrative

What if I can't figure out a tool or keep hitting technical issues?

You're not alone – we all struggle with tech sometimes. Post in #Doister Welcome 👋 on Twist for help, or ask your mentor if it's something team-specific. Nobody expects you to figure out every tool on your own. Screenshots of error messages are your friend.

How do I make sure my work devices are secure?

The Doister Security Checklist includes guidelines to ensure that your devices are setup correctly to minimize the risk of data loss or leaks.

How do I report my monthly expenses?

You can learn all about reporting your monthly expenses by reading our Expense Reporting Guide.

Benefits & Growth

Where can I find a list of all the benefits/perks available to me?

Benefits and Perks includes everything currently available.

How do I plan for and take time off?

We have a variety of Paid Time Off policies to enable you to disconnect from work, recoup when you're not feeling well, and address those unexpected situations where working isn't feasible.

How flexible is flexible work really?

Very. As long as you're meeting your commitments and communicating with your team, you can work when and where works best for you. Doctor's appointment at 2pm? Kid's school play? Need to work from a different country for a few weeks? Just communicate with your team and make it work.

How does Doist approach compensation?

Our Total Compensation is an area that has evolved over the years.

How do I grow at Doist?

Our goal is to create a culture where everyone has the opportunity to grow and have that growth be supported, acknowledged, and rewarded over time. We've created a lot of resources to share how we think about growth and the systems and opportunities we've put in place to make that possible. Learn more at Grow at Doist.