You can hire a great engineer and still watch them struggle for months. Usually it’s not their skill. It’s that nobody planned their first 90 days. They spend week one waiting for logins, week two guessing how you document tickets, and week three wondering whether they’re doing well.
Good onboarding fixes that, and it matters even more when the engineer is remote.
What does good onboarding look like for a new MSP engineer?
Good onboarding means access is ready before day one, the engineer follows a written 90-day plan with clear milestones, they shadow before they solo, your standards are documented, and someone checks in every week. Done well, a new tech owns real work within the first month instead of drifting for a quarter.
Before day one
- Named accounts with MFA in your PSA, RMM, documentation, and chat tools
- A dedicated laptop, enrolled in your device management, shipped and set up
- A short list of the clients they’ll support first, with links to each client’s documentation
- A named buddy on your team for questions
- A first-week calendar: stand-ups, shadowing sessions, and introductions
A 90-day plan
| Period | Focus | You’ll know it’s working when |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1–5 | Tools, standards, team introductions | They can log, update, and close a ticket your way |
| Days 6–30 | Shadowing, then owning one ticket type | They resolve that ticket type without help, within your SLAs |
| Days 31–60 | Wider ticket range; meet key client contacts | Clients start asking for them by name |
| Days 61–90 | Full role at their level; escalations handled properly | They’re a normal, counted member of the team |
Review the plan together at day 30, 60, and 90. Write down what’s going well and what needs to change.
Extra steps for remote engineers
- Over-communicate early. Short daily check-ins in the first two weeks prevent small confusions from becoming habits.
- Put them on camera. Stand-ups and client introductions on video build trust faster than chat alone.
- Overlap their hours with your team. Working your business day, not a shifted schedule, means questions get answered.
- Invite them into the culture. Team channels, shout-outs, and celebrations matter as much to remote staff as to anyone.
The mistakes that slow new techs down
- Missing access on day one
- “Just watch the queue” with no defined first responsibility
- Standards that live only in someone’s head
- No feedback until something goes wrong
- Treating a remote engineer as a contractor instead of a member of the team
How Scaled approaches onboarding
Once an offer is accepted, we set up payroll, HR, and compliance, and provide your tech with a laptop dedicated to your MSP. Then we hold a kickoff meeting with you and your tech to build a 90-day success roadmap together.
After that, our Client Success and Employee Success teams check in regularly with both of you, and your tech takes up to two Udemy courses a quarter matched to your needs. Your part is the same as with any new hire: bring the laptop under your management, give access to your tools, and train them on your stack and processes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take a new MSP engineer to be fully productive? With a structured plan, most engineers own a defined set of tickets within the first month and work at their full level by around 90 days.
Should onboarding be different for remote engineers? The plan is the same. Remote engineers just need more frequent check-ins early, video for introductions, and working hours that overlap your team’s.
What should be ready before day one? Named accounts with MFA, a managed laptop, client documentation, a buddy, and a first-week calendar.
Who trains a Scaled engineer on our stack? You do, as with any new hire. We support the process with a kickoff meeting, a 90-day roadmap, and ongoing check-ins.