HEADS UP: Our 90-Day Production Manager Onboarding Checklist is now available. Download a copy here, then read on to learn about why you need a standardized process for onboarding employees.
Hiring a production manager is a big step for any screen-printing shop. Order volume is picking up, your customer list is growing, and it’s time to hire someone who can take over this vital role so you can focus on growing the business and nurturing your customers.
That said, hiring for this position requires nailing the onboarding process so you’re set up for long-term success. You want to ensure you’re bringing someone on board interested in helping you grow the business, not just signing on for six months and moving on.
Breaking Old Patterns
Whether it’s production manager or other roles at the shop like screen room operator, shipping and receiving, or customer service, new hires are often set up to fail because shop owners get “stuck in their head.”
Your new employee might have the skills, but if the communication and planning aren’t laid out, you’re already creating a recipe for friction and turnover.
Without a strong plan to transfer that tribal knowledge, even a great hire can struggle.
Using Our Guide
Since a structured onboarding process is crucial to scaling and reducing daily bottlenecks, we’ve built our latest resource: the 90-Day Production Manager Onboarding Checklist to help you establish a process.
Grab a free copy of your 90-Day Production Manager Onboarding Checklist here, then read on about how to use it and why it’s important.
Why Onboarding Matters
A concise, clear onboarding plan helps in several areas:
- It sets clear expectations and outcomes for your new employee on a realistic timeline
- Helps your new hire integrate with your team, not just operationally, but with your shop culture, too
- Reduces employee dependencies on you so you can focus on growing the business instead of day-to-day production questions.
- Builds better systems that improve your shop’s efficiency and consistency
With proper onboarding, you can step back from daily firefighting, give your employees a better sense of ownership, and find new ways to grow your business.
The 90-Day Production Manager Onboarding Checklist
Our product manager onboarding checklist is built as a tool that shop owners can use to review every 30 days with the new production manager to ensure onboarding is on course and address any concerns before they spiral out.
Here’s a sneak peek at what’s included in the first 30 days:
Days 1–30: Foundation & Familiarization
- Team Integration: Have the production manager schedule team introductions, group lunches, and weekly check-ins to blend with the team gradually.
- Process Management: the production manager shadows the shop owner for the first week, documenting current workflows and drafting a production playbook.
- Training: Your new hire will learn the financial impacts of production, receive safety training, and be trained on all key equipment (if they aren’t already familiar with it).
- Maintenance: The production manager establishes maintenance routines, cleaning schedules, and inventory systems.
By the end of month one, your manager should understand current systems and suggest improvements.
Want to see the complete Production Manager Hiring Checklist? Download your free copy here!
Onboarding is about more than task checklists—it’s about creating a system that makes your business more resilient and scalable. A well-trained production manager frees you up to focus on growth, not daily chaos.
👋 What about you?
What’s worked well for you for onboarding production managers or other roles? We’d love to hear your feedback; drop us a line!
0 Comments