Questions · New hire onboarding
Onboarding questions for new hires, day one to day thirty
Questions for a manager or onboarding buddy to ask on a new hire’s first day, at the end of the first week and at the 30-day mark, plus a few about what they bring with them.
- 17 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
How do you usually unwind after a long day?
Paano ka usually nagpapahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang araw?
Everyone has a different way of landing after a full day. It can be quiet, active, social, or very simple.
Iba-iba tayo ng paraan mag-settle after a long day. Puwedeng tahimik, active, may kasama, o simple lang.
The questions
17 onboarding questions for new hires
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Day one
5 questions
How they like to work, so you can shape their first weeks.
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Which part of the day usually feels easiest for you?
Anong part ng araw usually pinaka-madali para sa'yo?
Back of the card
Some people come alive in the morning, some at night, and some during one quiet pocket in between.
May taong buhay na buhay sa umaga, may gabi ang favorite, at may isang tahimik na part lang sa gitna na hinihintay.
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Which kind of task makes you lose track of time?
Anong klaseng task yung nakakalimutan mong oras kapag ginagawa mo?
Back of the card
The tasks that make time move fast can reveal what absorbs you, energizes you, or quietly fits how your mind works.
Yung tasks na nagpapabilis ng oras pwedeng clue kung ano ang kumukuha ng focus mo, nagpapagana sa'yo, o bagay sa utak mo.
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Describe a tiny routine you do even if nobody notices.
I-describe yung tiny routine mo kahit walang nakakapansin.
Back of the card
Tiny routines can be private proof that you have your own way of moving through the day.
Yung tiny routines, private proof minsan na may sarili kang way gumalaw sa araw, sa sarili mong style.
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How do you usually unwind after a long day?
Paano ka usually nagpapahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang araw?
Back of the card
Everyone has a different way of landing after a full day. It can be quiet, active, social, or very simple.
Iba-iba tayo ng paraan mag-settle after a long day. Puwedeng tahimik, active, may kasama, o simple lang.
-
If you were too tired to think, what would you order?
Kapag pagod ka nang mag-isip, ano yung o-orderin mo?
Back of the card
The no-thinking order is its own kind of comfort. It is the choice that carries you when your brain is done.
May comfort din sa order na hindi mo na kailangang isipin. Siya yung choice kapag ubos na utak mo.
End of week one
4 questions
First impressions, while they’re still fresh.
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When you enter a new place, what’s one small thing you notice right away?
Kapag nasa bagong lugar ka, ano yung isang maliit na bagay na una mong napapansin?
Back of the card
What you notice first can hint at what makes a place feel interesting, calm, or welcoming to you.
Minsan clue yung una mong napapansin kung ano ang nakaka-curious, nakakapagpakalma, o nagpapagaan ng pakiramdam mo.
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Name something you are nervous about that still feels worth trying.
Magsabi ng isang bagay na kinakabahan ka pero parang worth it pa ring subukan.
Back of the card
Nerves and courage often show up together. The fear does not automatically mean the step is wrong.
Madalas magkasama ang kaba at courage. Hindi porket may takot, mali na agad ang step.
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Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.
Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.
Back of the card
Would you try it again, or was once enough?
Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?
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Who taught you a useful skill or habit you still use in daily life?
Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng useful skill o habit na gamit mo pa rin sa daily life?
Back of the card
Practical lessons are easy to overlook, but they stay close. They show up in the small ways you move through a day.
Madaling ma-overlook ang practical lessons, pero dala-dala mo pala. Lumalabas sila sa maliliit mong galaw araw-araw.
Thirty days in
5 questions
The honest conversation, now that they’ve seen how things really work.
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What have you been putting off that might bring relief once you start?
Ano yung matagal mo nang pinapabukas na baka gumaan kapag nasimulan mo na?
Back of the card
Starting can be the hardest part because it makes the thing real. Relief may come before everything is finished.
Minsan pinakamahirap magsimula kasi nagiging real na yung bagay. Pero minsan nauunang dumating ang relief bago matapos lahat.
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When did you last change your mind after hearing a good reason?
Kailan ka huling nagbago ng isip dahil may narinig kang magandang reason?
Back of the card
Try an optional before-and-after: "I thought..., but now..."
Kung gusto mo: "Dati, akala ko..., pero ngayon..."
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What is something you can handle better now than before?
Ano yung mas kaya mo nang i-handle ngayon kaysa dati?
Back of the card
Growth is often noticed in comparison. What used to shake you may now take less from you.
Madalas napapansin ang growth kapag may comparison. Yung dati kang kinakabahan, baka ngayon mas kaya mo nang harapin.
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Name one thing you are learning about your limits with energy, time, emotions, or responsibilities.
Magbanggit ng isang natututuhan mo tungkol sa limits mo sa energy, time, emotions, o responsibilities.
Back of the card
Limits can feel frustrating, but they are also information. They show where care needs to become more practical.
Nakaka-frustrate minsan ang limits, pero may information din sila. Ipinapakita nila kung saan kailangang maging mas practical ang care.
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What have you done recently that you are pleased about?
Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?
Back of the card
If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?
Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?
What they bring from before
3 questions
Habits and strengths your team can learn from.
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When did you realize a habit you already had was helping you?
Kailan mo na-realize na nakakatulong pala yung habit na meron ka na?
Back of the card
Helpful habits are not always dramatic. Sometimes you only notice them when life feels a little easier because they are there.
Hindi laging dramatic ang helpful habits. Minsan mo lang sila napapansin kapag mas gumagaan ang life dahil nandiyan sila.
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From when you were younger, what habit or interest do you still carry now?
Mula nung bata ka, anong habit o hilig ang dala mo pa rin ngayon?
Back of the card
Some parts of us do not disappear; they just grow up with us. It can be nice to notice what stayed.
May parts tayo na hindi naman nawawala; lumalaki lang kasama natin. Nakakatuwang mapansin kung ano yung naiwan.
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Name one small, specific thing you enjoy more than people expect.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit at specific na bagay na mas enjoy mo kaysa ina-expect ng iba.
Back of the card
Specific joys can be tiny clues about a person. They do not need to make sense to everyone to be real.
Yung specific joys, maliit na clue tungkol sa tao. Hindi kailangan gets ng lahat para maging real.
How to use them
Before you ask
Onboarding questions should change as the new hire does. On day one they don’t know enough to answer “how’s it going?” By the end of week one they notice everything. At 30 days they finally know what’s confusing, and whether anyone wants to hear about it.
This set follows that arc. Day one is about them: which part of the day comes easiest, which tasks make them lose track of time, how they unwind after a long one. Use those answers to plan first assignments and meeting times. At the end of the week, ask what they noticed when they walked in; new people spot what everyone else stopped seeing. At 30 days, ask what they’ve been putting off and what they’re learning about their limits. That’s where you hear about the missing access, the fuzzy priority, the meeting that eats their mornings.
Unlike a welcome lunch, these are structured check-ins. Put them on the calendar before the start date so they actually happen.
Good for
Tips
- Schedule the week-one and 30-day check-ins before their first day.
- Give the buddy different questions than the manager, so it doesn’t feel like a repeat.
- Take what they noticed in week one seriously. It’s free feedback on your onboarding.
- Close every check-in by fixing one thing they mentioned, however small.
Decks for this
What to listen for at each check-in
The questions matter less than what you do with the answers.
| Check-in | Listen for | Do next |
|---|---|---|
| Day one | How they work best, when they focus | Plan first tasks and meeting times around it |
| End of week one | What surprised or confused them | Fix the doc, the access or the missing introduction |
| Thirty days | What they’re avoiding or overloaded by | Clear one blocker and agree on priorities for day 60 |
New hire onboarding
Frequently asked questions
What questions should you ask a new hire in their first week?
On day one, ask how they like to work: the part of the day that comes easiest and the tasks that make them lose track of time. At the end of week one, ask what they noticed first, what they tried that was new, and who taught them something useful.
What should you ask in a 30-day check-in?
Ask what they’ve been putting off, what they’re learning about their limits, and what they’re pleased about so far. Listen for blockers and unclear priorities, then fix one before the next check-in.
How is onboarding different from welcoming a new coworker?
Onboarding is a manager’s or buddy’s structured check-ins over the first month. Welcoming is what any teammate can do: lunch, introductions and friendly questions.
Bring a better question to the table.
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