Employee Help Guide
Welcome to Careforth! This guide walks you through everything you need to know to complete your onboarding in Onboarding Buddy.
👋 Getting Started
Signing In
Open Onboarding Buddy in your browser and click Sign in with Careforth. Use the same email and password you use for Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and other Careforth apps.
If you are already signed in to another Careforth app in the same browser, you will be signed in automatically — no extra steps needed.
Security: Onboarding Buddy signs you out automatically after 15 minutes of inactivity. You will see a warning 2 minutes before this happens.
👤 Setting Up Your Profile
When you first open Onboarding Buddy, you will see a profile form. Your name, job title, department, and manager are filled in automatically from Careforth's employee directory.
What you need to provide
- Start Date — your first official day at Careforth
- Onboarding Buddy — start typing your buddy's name to search and select them
Steps to complete setup
- Review the pre-filled information and correct anything that looks wrong
- Enter your Start Date
- Search for and select your Onboarding Buddy
- Click Start My Onboarding
If your information did not fill in automatically, click the "fetch the information again" link in the subtitle text, or simply type your details directly into the fields.
📊 Your Dashboard
The Dashboard is your home base. It shows you where you stand and what to do next.
| Section | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Completed | Number of tasks finished — click to see the list |
| Remaining | Number of tasks still to do — click to see the list |
| Progress % | Your overall completion percentage with a progress bar |
| Quick Info | Your start date, department, manager, and buddy (with Teams chat links) |
| What to Do Next | Your next 3 upcoming tasks with navigation buttons |
When all tasks are complete, a 🎉 completion message appears on your dashboard.
✅ Your Onboarding Checklist
Your onboarding is organized into three phases. Navigate to each section from the left menu. Click any checkbox to mark a task complete — progress saves automatically.
Pre-Boarding
Laptop ordered and configured
Monitor, keyboard, and mouse arranged
Headset / phone provisioned
Workspace / desk assigned
Work account created (email, Teams, OneDrive)
Two-step login (MFA) set up on your phone
Added to team email groups and channels
Welcome email with login instructions received
Day 1 Setup
Power on your laptop and sign in
Set up the Microsoft Authenticator app on your phone
Open Microsoft Teams and Outlook
Connect to Wi-Fi (or VPN if working remotely)
Confirm files are backing up to OneDrive
1:1 meeting with your manager
Meet your Onboarding Buddy
HR orientation session
Meet the team
Systems & Access
Microsoft 365 suite (email, Teams, documents)
Company Portal app
Remedy (IT help system)
Careforth Application access
Role-specific tools (NICE CXone, Adobe Acrobat, Fax2Mail, VPN)
Security awareness training
HIPAA training
Acceptable Use Policy acknowledgment
📅 Your First Week
The First Week page is a day-by-day focus guide — not a checklist, just a roadmap for what to prioritize.
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Welcome and Setup |
| Day 2 | Tools and Training |
| Day 3 | Watch and Learn |
| Day 4 | Meet the Broader Team |
| Day 5 | Reflect and Plan Ahead |
🔗 Resources
Key Contacts
Find direct contact information for IT Leadership and Support Channels, including IT Service Desk, IT Help Teams Channel, and Human Resources.
FAQ
Answers to the most common new hire questions — password reset, VPN, IT help requests, file storage, phishing, software installation, your buddy's role, payroll, time off, and more.
Quick Links
- Quick Launch: Quest Intranet, Duo Security Launcher, IT Support Portal
- Policies and Reference: IT Policies, HITRUST Policies, New Hire Reference Guide
- Quest Department Pages: Compliance, People and Culture (HR), Information Technology
📝 My Notes
The My Notes page gives you three private note sections:
- Personal Notes — your own observations and reminders
- Questions for My Manager — things to bring up in your 1:1s
- Questions for My Buddy — questions to ask your Onboarding Buddy
Your notes are private — no one else can see them. Click Save Notes to preserve them.
💬 Cara — Your AI Assistant
Cara is Careforth's AI assistant, available via the chat button in the bottom-right corner of Onboarding Buddy. Cara can help you with:
- Questions about company policies and procedures
- Benefits and HR topics (Cara will direct you to HR for personal matters)
- How to get IT support
- Finding information from the Careforth intranet (Quest)
- Checking your schedule and who is available to meet
- Helping draft an IT support ticket and opening it in Outlook
- Looking up who belongs to a Microsoft 365 team or work group
- Checking if Microsoft 365 services (Teams, Outlook, SharePoint) are experiencing outages
- Finding out who a specific colleague frequently works with
- Weather for any city, or your current location
- Translating text to or from any language
Opening and closing Cara
- Open: Click the chat button in the bottom-right corner. Cara signs you in automatically — no separate login needed.
- Close: Click the ✕ button in the Cara panel, or press Escape on your keyboard.
What Cara cannot do
- Send messages or emails on your behalf
- Access HR or payroll systems directly
- Guarantee that all information is current — verify important policy details at the source
For urgent IT issues, always contact the IT Service Desk directly rather than relying on Cara.
⚙️ Preferences
Customize Onboarding Buddy on the Preferences page. Settings are saved in your browser.
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Theme | Light / Dark / Match my system setting |
| Font Size | Normal / Large / Larger |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
My name, title, or department didn't fill in automatically. What do I do?
Click the "fetch the information again" link in the subtitle text on the Welcome page. If it still doesn't fill in, type your information directly — the form always accepts manual input.
I accidentally unchecked a task. Can I re-check it?
Yes — just click the checkbox again. Your progress updates automatically.
Can my manager or buddy see my notes?
No. Your notes in the My Notes section are completely private to you.
My Onboarding Buddy isn't appearing in the search.
Try typing at least 2–3 letters of their name. If they still don't appear, ask your manager for their name and type it in manually — the field accepts free text.
I finished all my tasks but my progress shows less than 100%. Why?
Check all three sections — Pre-Boarding, Day 1 Setup, and Systems and Access. A task in an earlier section might still be unchecked.
I was signed out automatically. How do I get back in?
Navigate to the Onboarding Buddy URL and click Sign in with Careforth. The app signs you out after 15 minutes of inactivity for security.
Can I use Onboarding Buddy on my phone?
Yes — Onboarding Buddy works in any modern browser on any screen size, including mobile.
How do I reset my Careforth password?
Go to the IT Support Portal or contact the IT Service Desk at 844-838-4695. You can also use the Microsoft self-service password reset if it has been set up for your account.
Where should I save my work files?
Save personal work files to OneDrive — it backs up automatically. Save files shared with your team to SharePoint via Teams.
I received a suspicious email. What should I do?
Do not click any links or open attachments. Report it using the phishing report button in Outlook, or forward it to compliance@careforth.com. Contact the IT Help Teams Channel if you are unsure.
What does my Onboarding Buddy do?
Your Onboarding Buddy is a colleague (not HR or your manager) who helps you navigate your first weeks — answering informal questions, helping you find resources, and introducing you to the team culture. They are a friendly guide, not an evaluator.
How do I submit an IT help request?
Use the IT Support Portal (linked in Quick Links), contact the IT Help Teams Channel in Microsoft Teams, or call 844-838-4695. You can also ask Cara to help you put together a support ticket.
📞 Contact Quick Reference
IT Service Desk
IT Support Portal
📞 844-838-4695
IT Help Teams Channel
📞 844-838-4695
IT Help Teams Channel
Human Resources
Security & Compliance
Privacy Officer
Compliance Hotline
Anonymous reporting
📞 877-472-2110
📞 877-472-2110
Cara (AI Assistant)
Chat button — bottom-right corner of any Careforth app