A step-by-step internal onboarding checklist for real estate photography businesses hiring second shooters, editors, or admin staff — covering paperwork, equipment, access, and first-shoot pairing.
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The Employee Contractor Onboarding Checklist is a structured internal onboarding document designed for real estate photography businesses bringing on second shooters, photo editors, or administrative staff. It guides the hiring business through eight sequential sections — from capturing role classification and collecting required paperwork, to issuing equipment, provisioning system access, reviewing policies, completing a supervised first-shoot pairing, and documenting compensation terms — producing a single signed record that confirms every onboarding step was completed.
The Employee Contractor Onboarding Checklist is appropriate any time a real estate photography or 3D tour business adds a new team member in any capacity — including independent contractor (1099) second shooters, W-2 part-time editors, Matterport or iGUIDE scan technicians, drone operators, or admin staff. It is especially useful when multiple hires occur in a short period and the business needs a repeatable, documented process to ensure no paperwork, equipment item, or system credential is overlooked before a new hire's first assignment.
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Kick off every hire the right way. This checklist captures the new team member's legal name, role, start date, and employment classification — **Independent Contractor (1099), W-2, part-time, or seasonal** — so the right paperwork trail is opened from day one.
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No one touches a camera or logs into a portal until the paperwork stack is complete. The checklist walks you through:
Every item is tied to the supervisor responsible for verification, so nothing slips through the cracks.
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Document every piece of gear that leaves your hands. The form tracks camera bodies, lens kits, lighting, **Matterport Pro / iGUIDE scanners** (with serial numbers), drones, laptops, and carry cases — plus acknowledgment of the Equipment Use & Damage Policy.
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Provision accounts methodically before the start date:
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Before going solo, every new hire completes a **supervised pairing shoot**. The checklist covers the on-site walkthrough, camera settings review, 3D scanning protocol, drone pre-flight, post-processing demo, and a formal post-shoot debrief — with supervisor sign-off required to unlock independent assignments.
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Set clear expectations from the start: pay rate, pay basis (per hour, per shoot, per gallery), pay frequency, mileage reimbursement rate, and invoice / timesheet submission deadlines — all documented in one place.
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