How to Create Employee Onboarding Guides with Screenshots

A new hire's first week is mostly small tasks in unfamiliar tools: sign in, request access, set up a profile, file a first expense. Screenshot guides let them finish those tasks without waiting for a colleague to be free.

This post covers how to plan a role-based onboarding set, record it on a Mac with Temposhot, and keep it accurate.

Separate onboarding from the training library

Onboarding answers "what do I do this week". A training library answers "how does this tool work" for anyone at any time. Mixing the two produces a long manual that a new hire cannot finish.

Keep onboarding guides short, ordered and tied to dates. Link to training material for depth. A guide titled "Submit your first expense" belongs in onboarding. "Expense policy and categories" belongs in the library.

Map the first day, first week, and role ramp

Start with a table, not with recordings. List each task, the system it happens in, and when it must be done.

When	Task	System	Applies to
Day 1	Sign in and set up two-factor authentication	Identity provider	Everyone
Day 1	Complete your profile and photo	Chat app	Everyone
Day 2	Request access to project folders	Ticket portal	Everyone
Week 1	Book time off	HR system	Everyone
Week 1	Submit an expense with a receipt	Finance tool	Everyone
Weeks 2 to 4	Run your first weekly report	Analytics tool	Sales roles

Each row becomes one guide. The "Applies to" column lets you assemble a set per role instead of handing everyone every guide.

Assign owners before capturing screens

Every system has someone who knows it and will notice when it changes. Name that person as the owner of the guide before you record. The owner checks the steps, approves the export, and updates the guide when the system changes.

Without an owner, onboarding guides drift. A new hire then finds a button that no longer exists on their first day.

Capture software tasks with a test account

Existing staff accounts show history and permissions a new hire will not have. Ask IT for a test account with default new-hire permissions.

1. Configure titles and markers

   On the Action Capture page, open Configure. Turn on Parse clicked elements and keep the template Click "[[element-name]]". Under Visual Annotations, turn on Show cursor on click captures and Mark clicked area.

2. Start Action Capture

   Press Command+3, select Start Action Capture, and choose Active Window if the task moves between apps or Specific Window if it stays in one.

3. Walk through the task

   Click at a steady pace. Each accepted click saves the screen just before the click, so the page shows what the new hire should look for.

4. Capture screens without a click

   Use Capture now in the floating toolbar, or Shift+Command+2, for screens such as a confirmation message.

5. Pause for private screens

   Select Pause capture before opening anything personal, then Resume capture. Select Finish capture at the end.

The Document opens in the editor with one page per step. Rewrite parsed titles as tasks, such as "Open Settings", and expand every acronym once in the description. The Action Capture runtime guide explains the toolbar.

Add checks and support routes

End each guide with the result the new hire should see: "Your profile photo appears next to your name." Then add one line on where to get help if it does not match, such as the IT channel or a named buddy.

Remove anything tied to one person before export: names in chat sidebars, calendar entries, salary or banking fields, colleagues' photos. Blur (B) is a Pro tool. Retaking a step with a clean account leaves no trace at all.

Use this role-based onboarding checklist

• Task table complete, with an owner per system.
• One guide per task, each starting with a verb.
• Scope line at the top: role and access level the guide assumes.
• Result check and help route on the last page.
• Personal data removed or blurred.
• Export PDF with cover page, step numbers and page numbers (Pro customization), or PNG pages for the intranet.
• File names that sort by day, such as day1-02-two-factor.pdf.
• Review date on the cover.

The export guide lists every format.

Test the path with a fresh employee

The next new hire is the best test reader. Ask them to follow the guides alone and note each step that did not match their screen or needed a question. Fix those pages before the following start date.

Repeat the test after any major system change. A guide that worked in spring may fail after a vendor redesign.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an onboarding guide be?

One task per guide. Most first-week tasks fit in 5 to 12 steps. Longer tasks usually split into a setup guide and a usage guide.

Can several people edit the same onboarding Document?

Not directly. Temposhot stores Documents locally on one Mac. Share the exported PDF or images, and let each guide's owner keep the source.

Should onboarding guides use real employee accounts?

Use a test account with new-hire permissions. Real accounts show history, colleagues' names and permissions a new hire will not have.

Turn your clicks into a clear step-by-step guide

Action Capture records each onboarding task in one pass and opens it as an editable guide. Download Temposhot and record the day 1 tasks first.