Swif helps IT teams deliver a consistent, secure, and audit-ready onboarding experience across macOS, Windows, Linux, and mobile devices.
This guide outlines the recommended end-to-end workflow for onboarding new employees using Swif.
🚀 Overview
A complete onboarding process typically includes:
Adding the user
Enrolling their device
Applying security policies
Deploying required software
Running onboarding checklists
Verifying compliance before handoff
Swif allows you to standardize and automate each step.
Step 1: Add the New User
Before device setup begins, ensure the new hire exists in your identity provider and in Swif.
You can:
Sync users via Google Workspace or Microsoft Entra (Azure AD)
Automatically provision users through identity integration
Manually add the user in Swif (if needed)
Best practice:
Assign users to the correct department or role-based group.
Use Smart Device Groups so policies apply automatically after enrollment.
👉 Learn more: How to add your first employee.
Step 2: Enroll the Device
Swif supports multiple enrollment methods depending on your hardware model and IT workflow.
Option A: Automatic Enrollment Email (Recommended)
Swif supports Automatic Device Enrollment Emails for new hires.
When enabled, Swif can:
Automatically send enrollment instructions to the employee
Provide platform-specific guidance (macOS, Windows, Linux)
Reduce manual IT coordination
Standardize remote onboarding
This is ideal for:
Remote-first organizations
BYOD environments
Distributed teams
High-volume hiring
Option B: Automated Enrollment (Company-Owned Devices)
For corporate-managed hardware:
macOS
Use Apple Automated Device Enrollment (DEP)
Device enrolls during Setup Assistant
👉 Learn more: Link Your Apple Business Manager (ABM) Account With Swif
Windows
Use Windows Autopilot
Device enrolls during initial sign-in
👉 Learn more: Microsoft Automated Device Enrollment (ADE/Autopilot)
This provides zero-touch onboarding and ensures devices are managed from first boot.
Option C: Manual Enrollment
If automated enrollment is not available:
Install the Swif agent manually
Use Linux package manager enrollment for enterprise Linux fleets
Follow platform-specific enrollment guides
Once enrolled:
Confirm the device appears in the dashboard
Verify it is assigned to the correct user
Ensure inventory data is reporting
👉 Learn more: Swif enrollment methods for all OSs
Optional: Read-Only Enrollment (BYOD)
For personally owned devices or limited-control environments, Swif supports Read-Only enrollment.
Read-Only devices:
Provide visibility and inventory
Do not enforce policies
Do not execute remote commands
This is suitable for:
Contractors
Temporary workers
BYOD users
👉 Learn more: Enroll a Linux device as Read-only (BYOD)
Step 3: Apply Security & Compliance Policies
After enrollment, confirm that the required policies are active.
Common onboarding policies include:
Disk encryption (FileVault / BitLocker)
Password and login requirements
Platform SSO (if used)
OS update enforcement
Security configurations
Application restrictions
If Smart Device Groups are configured, policies will apply automatically based on:
OS type
Device specs
Extension attributes
Team or department
Verify device compliance status before proceeding.
👉 Learn more: Assigning policies to devices or groups
Step 4: Deploy Required Software
Install all required applications using Swif’s software deployment tools.
Examples:
Browsers
Collaboration tools (Slack, Teams, Zoom)
Development tools
Security agents
Department-specific applications
You can also use pre- and post-install scripts for advanced configuration.
Confirm all required applications are installed before issuing the device.
Step 5: Use Structured Onboarding Workflows
Swif provides structured checklists to standardize onboarding across teams.
✅ Team Onboarding Checklists (Recommended)
Team Onboarding Checklists allow you to create role-based or department-based onboarding workflows.
Best for:
Engineering
Sales
Finance
HR
Executive teams
You can:
Define required setup tasks
Assign responsibilities
Track completion
Maintain documentation for audits
👉 Learn more: Team Onboarding Checklists
🧾 Manual Account Provisioning Checklist
For organizations managing SaaS access manually, Swif provides a Manual Account Provisioning & Deprovisioning Checklist.
Use this to track:
SaaS account creation
CRM access
GitHub / GitLab access
Internal tool provisioning
Documentation for audits
This is especially helpful for:
Smaller teams
Hybrid environments
Compliance-driven organizations
Step 6: Final Verification Before Handoff
Before delivering the device to the new hire, confirm:
✔ Device is enrolled
✔ User is correctly assigned
✔ Encryption is enabled
✔ Security policies are active
✔ Required software is installed
✔ Compliance status is green
✔ Onboarding checklist is complete
Optional final checks:
Test login and SSO
Confirm remote support works
Verify OS update policies
Best Practices
Use Smart Device Groups to automate policy assignments.
Use Extension Attributes to classify devices by role or department.
Enable automatic enrollment emails to reduce IT workload.
Combine Team Checklists and Manual Account Checklists for full coverage.
Regularly review onboarding workflows to improve efficiency.
Summary
Swif transforms onboarding from a manual, fragmented process into a repeatable, automated workflow.
By combining:
Automated device enrollment
Security policy enforcement
Software deployment
Structured onboarding checklists
You can ensure every new hire starts secure, compliant, and fully equipped from day one.