Things to discuss with your MSP when adding a new employee

 

A new employee usually means new equipment too. A managed serviced provider (MSP) is often tasked with helping set up new employees in their workspace.

 

It’s important to factor your IT into the onboarding of a new employee so enough consideration can be given to the required systems and services needed.

 

The more information you can provide your MSP the better. We’ve listed out some of the items that need to be considered as you bring in a new employee and created a checklist you can use for your next employee.

 

Equipment required

 

Equipment needs will vary depending on job responsibilities. A design engineer is not going to use the same model machine as an executive assistant. Depending on the specific requirements procurement may also take longer than normal. A very high-end workstation will take significantly longer to source and install than a standard desktop.

 

Laptop vs. Desktop

 

Does your new employee need a laptop or a desktop? Depending on the job duties, a desktop is more stable, cost-efficient and reliable than a laptop. A workstation replacement laptop will also cost almost twice as much as an equivalently powered desktop. If an employee is not going to be mobile, a desktop is always the right choice.

 

Phone

Are you supplying a desk phone (hardware and licensing), cell phone or do you expect your employee to use their own device? Remember that relying on the employee to use their own device can have unintended security consequences.

 

Peripherals

 

Will they need one, two, three or four screens? Do you need mounting hardware for screens? What about a specific mouse type? Or a personal printer? Or a wireless/wired keyboard, laptop docking station, or battery backups?

 

New or existing equipment

 

Remember that preparing an existing machine for a new employee can take much longer than preparing a new machine. Depending on what exactly is required, you will usually need to migrate old user information off an existing machine prior to it being made ready for a new user.

 

Old user data

 

If the employee is replacing an existing employee remember, that the old employee had data, emails, subscriptions, and licenses which would need to be addressed.

 

Permissions

 

Which files and folders must be to the new employee?

 

Workspace

 

Network and power outlets

 

Consider a user with a personal printer, four screens, and a non-POE desk phone. The single network and power outlet is not going to work. As a rule of thumb, always remember that wired connectivity preferable to wireless. “Making it work” by adding a small switch at their desks is not a good solution and just priming the pump for issues down the line. Make sure the power circuits will be able to handle the load.

Software licensing

 

Determine which systems the new employee will need access to and remember the correct licensing. This is specifically important for OS licensing as well. The new user will need client access licenses as well as a specific line of business system licenses. This is often overlooked and due to the fact that the OS licensing has no enforcement protocol, very easy to get wrong

 

Subscriptions

 

Does the new user need new subscriptions? Do they need Office 365? If so, which version? What about Dual factor authentication? Or Remote file system access?

Remote Access

 

Will this user need to access the system remotely after hours? How will this be achieved? Will they be using their own equipment to do so? How does this impact the security system?

 

Timing

 

Always remember that the sooner your managed service provider knows that a new employee is joining the easier and smoother the implementation is going to be for everyone. Check out our full list below.

Here is our full checklist:

• Equipment
  • Used or New equipment specification
  • Desktop or Laptop
  • Deskphone
  • Cellphone
  • Peripherals
    • Screens and mounting options
    • UPS
    • Printers
    • Cables
    • Mouse/keyboard
    • Docking station
  • Old data (if replacement employee) – what needs to happen to:
    • Files
    • Email
    • Permissions
    • Licensing
    • Subscriptions (office 365, MFA etc)
  • Workspace
    • Data outlets and requirements
    • Network outlets
    • Cabling required
  • Software and licensing
    • Line of businesss licensing
    • Client access licensing (SQL, Server, Exchange etc)
  • Subscriptions
    • Office 365 versions
    • MFA
    • Remote File Access
  • Timing – the sooner the better

Have questions? Give us a call at 770-518-7087.