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A new starter or a leaver: the IT handover a small business should plan
A practical employee IT checklist covering access approval, device handover, Microsoft 365 data and account closure.
A person joining or leaving affects devices, accounts and shared information. Treating the change as a single mailbox request leaves gaps. A short handover checklist helps the manager, employee and IT contact agree what is needed, when it should happen and who confirms completion.
Before a new colleague starts
Ask the manager to describe the role, required applications and shared resources. Identify the device, subscriptions and access approvals needed for the first day. Use a comparable role as a reference, but review each permission rather than copying everything. Agree a contact who can answer questions when the employee first signs in.
Make the first sign-in part of the handover
Check the device, account sign-in, required security registration and access to everyday resources with the employee. Confirm that email, shared files and any business application needed for the role work as intended. Record the device assignment and the support route. A prepared account is not the same as a completed first-day handover.
Separate access removal from data decisions
For a departure, agree the effective time and authorised instructions. Microsoft’s offboarding guidance treats blocking access and preserving or transferring business data as separate steps. Signing a user out can depend on the application and session. Decide how mailbox and file ownership will continue before removing licences or deleting accounts. Have an administrator check the applicable Microsoft options for the environment.
Remember access beyond Microsoft 365
Review VPN accounts, business applications, shared credentials, physical access and devices. Assign an owner to each item and ask for completion evidence, not just a message saying the user has left. Changes of role need a smaller version of the same review: remove access no longer needed as well as adding the new permissions.
Take this checklist to your next IT review
- A manager approves the role and access list.
- Device ownership and return arrangements are recorded.
- Mailbox and business-file handover decisions are documented.
- Access changes have an effective time and completion owner.
How DGNEXA can help
DGNEXA can turn joiner, role-change and leaver requests into a repeatable support workflow. Start with one agreed checklist, then adjust it as your applications and team change.
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