Onboarding and Offboarding Designers and Contractors

Architecture firms add and release people often. Interns arrive for a season, contract drafters join for a deadline, and staff move between firms. Good onboarding and offboarding gets people productive quickly and makes sure access ends when the work does.

Why staffing changes create IT risk

Every new person needs accounts, software, devices, and project access. When IT rushes setup, people share logins or borrow licenses to get started. That habit tends to stick.

Departures are riskier. If nobody disables an account, a former employee may still reach email, project files, or cloud tools. In addition, they may keep links to files on personal devices.

As a result, your design work and client information stay exposed long after someone leaves.

Start with a single request process

First, make one person or role responsible for starting every staffing change. Usually that is the office manager or HR lead. Then use a simple form that sends the same details to IT every time.

The form should capture the start or end date, role, supervisor, and projects. It should also list the design software, devices, and special access the person needs. That way, IT does not guess or chase answers on day one.

A day-one onboarding checklist

Aim to have everything ready before the person walks in. For example, a new designer should be able to open a project model on the first morning. Use a checklist like this one:

1. Create the user account and enroll MFA during setup.
2. Assign email, Teams, and the right security groups.
3. Assign design software licenses based on role.
4. Prepare a workstation or laptop with firm standards and templates.
5. Grant access only to the projects the person will work on.
6. Share the acceptable use and security policies for signature.
7. Schedule security awareness training in the first week.

Handle contractors and interns differently

Contractors and interns need access, but usually less of it. So give them role-based access that fits their assignment. Also, set an end date on the account when you create it.

If a contractor uses their own device, decide what they can reach from it. For instance, you might allow access through a remote desktop or web apps only. That approach keeps project files on managed systems instead of personal laptops.

In addition, think about what happens when an internship ends and the student returns next summer. Disable the account at the end of each term instead of leaving it open. Then reactivate it with fresh access when they come back.

Finally, avoid shared “intern” or “temp” accounts. Named accounts cost little, and they show exactly who did what.

Plan onboarding and offboarding around projects

Architecture firms organize work by project, so access should follow projects too. When permissions tie to project groups, adding or removing someone takes one step. Then a quick review at project closeout removes people who no longer need access.

In addition, keep guest access for outside consultants on the same schedule. A structural engineer from a finished job should not keep access to your current work.

A clean offboarding process

Offboarding should happen on the last day, not the next week. Therefore, schedule it in advance whenever you know the date. For sudden departures, act immediately.

• Disable the account and revoke active sessions and MFA devices.
• Reset any shared passwords the person knew.
• Transfer email and OneDrive files to a supervisor.
• Reclaim software licenses and remove project access.
• Collect laptops, keys, badges, and security tokens.
• Remove the person from vendor portals and consultant platforms.

Also, keep the mailbox available to a supervisor for a period, so client messages do not go unanswered. Then set an auto-reply that points senders to the right contact.

Document and review the process

Write both checklists down and store them where HR and IT can find them. After each change, confirm every step is done. Then review a sample of recent departures a few times a year to catch gaps.

Finally, ask new hires for feedback after their first month. They can tell you what was missing on day one. Over time, that feedback makes onboarding and offboarding smoother for everyone.

How WEBIT helps

WEBIT handles user setup and removal as part of our unlimited help desk support, and your named Client Success Manager can help refine the process. Our endpoint management keeps new devices consistent with firm standards.

We can also add a password vault and workflow automation to speed up routine steps. Learn more about our managed IT services or our AI and automation services.

Key takeaways

• Start every staffing change with one consistent request form.
• Have accounts, licenses, and devices ready before day one.
• Give contractors and interns limited, time-bound access.
• Tie permissions to project groups for easy changes.
• Offboard on the last day and reclaim every account and license.