Every time we bring on a new subcontractor, we end up in this problem: thorough onboarding takes like a month. We need to get them up to speed on brand voice, campaign structures, quality standards, communication preferences, etc. But most of the time, we need them now, not in a month.
So we’ve tried cutting onboarding down. Bare minimum brief, direct to execution. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it’s a disaster and we’re doing full rewrites because they fundamentally misunderstood what we were asking for.
I keep trying to find that sweet spot where we can get someone productive in two weeks without setting them up to fail. We’ve created templates, we’ve standardized our briefs, we’ve built checklists. But I’m still not confident we’ve nailed it.
My sense is that the actual minimum is probably smaller than what we think—like, maybe 70% of what we do is nice-to-have, not need-to-have. But I genuinely don’t know what the critical 30% is.
What’s your actual onboarding checklist? What do you refuse to skip, and what do you cut when you’re in a rush?
The critical path is shorter than you think. For a new subcontractor, here’s the non-negotiable stuff: (1) One example brief of work you want, plus one example of work you don’t want. That’s it. Two examples teach them more than ten slides of process.
(2) A conversation (not email, actual conversation) about quality standards and how you give feedback. This takes 20 minutes but prevents so much rework.
(3) One small project on a short timeline where you’re explicitly in revision mode. Like, “This first thing is going to involve feedback; that’s normal.”
Everything else—process docs, communication preferences, brand guidelines—that’s good to have but doesn’t need to be done before project one. You learn those things during project one.
We cut our onboarding from a month to two weeks by shifting from “preparation” to “learn by doing.”
The key is that first project acts as your onboarding. You’re not trying to be perfect; you’re trying to understand each other. So set realistic expectations upfront: “This first thing will probably need revisions. That’s the point.”
Also, assign one person as their point of contact. Don’t make them figure out communication channels and who to ask what. That one point of contact is their north star for the first month.
The minimum viable onboarding is: (1) What success looks like, (2) How feedback works, (3) What to do when you’re confused.
That’s it. If someone knows what good looks like, knows how you’ll tell them if they missed, and knows how to ask for clarity, they can figure out the rest through execution.
Everything else—brand guidelines, process docs, historical context—is stuff they’ll internalize while working. Trying to teach it upfront wastes time.
For us, a standardized two-question brief usually works: “What are we selling?” and “What do we want the audience to do?” Everything else is noise.
One thing that helps: test their communication style in the onboarding. How quickly do they ask for clarification? Do they attempt something and then ask for feedback, or do they ask a hundred questions upfront? You’re learning their operating style, which is often more important than their portfolio.
From a creator’s perspective, the best onboarding I’ve experienced is literally just someone saying: “Here’s what we want. Here’s an example of good work. Here’s what didn’t work last time. Go.” Everything else, I figure out as we go.
The worst is when someone sends you 50 pages of guidelines and then gets mad when you didn’t follow some weird preference buried in page 47. Just tell me what matters.
So if you’re onboarding creators quickly, focus on: clarity on deliverables, one good example of what you like, and one honest conversation about their concerns. That’s it.
I think the relationship part is most important for fast onboarding. If you actually connect with someone as a human in the first 20 minutes—ask about their work, their interests, what they’re excited about—the rest of the process goes way smoother. They’re more willing to ask questions, more forgiving of unclear briefs, more invested in doing good work.
So before you brief them on the project, just have a human conversation. Five minutes. That’s the best onboarding investment you can make.
Also, be transparent about what you’re looking for. “We need this in two weeks. I know that’s fast. Here’s what I think is realistic. What do you think?” Partners respond better when they’re part of the problem-solving, not just receiving demands.
One thing that’s helped: pair new subcontractors with existing ones on their first project. Not for handholding, but for peer learning. Someone who’s already done your process can answer questions way faster than you can, and the new person trusts their peer more than a manager.
We also measure onboarding ROI. How much time does it take to get someone to “first delivery quality work”? For us, extensive docs = longer, because people aren’t learning effectively. Quick call + do work = faster learning.
Our playbook: 30 minutes of onboarding, max. Here’s how it breaks down: (1) 10 minutes: intro call, get to know them, understand their communication style. (2) 10 minutes: brief them on the specific project, show examples. (3) 10 minutes: answer questions.
Everything else is asynchronous. Written process docs, brand guidelines, etc. They read that while you’re out. By the time their first deliverable comes back, they’ve had time to absorb it.
Key thing: their first deliverable isn’t the real thing. It’s a test. You’re both learning how to work together. So set expectations appropriately.
Real talk: if someone’s a professional, they’ll figure out most of what they need to know through a clear brief and example work. The people who struggle are people who need hand-holding, and usually those take a while to onboard no matter what you do.
One more practical thing: create a “partner playbook” as you work with more people. After you’ve worked with five subcontractors, document the patterns. “Most people asked X. Most needed clarification on Y.” Build that into your onboarding for person six. You’re aggregating learnings across partnerships.