Staff Onboarding

1 May 2026 Ace Strategies Reviewed by Editorial Team 4 min read How-To Guide Beginner Updated 1 May 2026
onboarding new-starter how-to

Welcome to Ace Strategies. This guide walks you through your first two weeks. Work through it in order — each section assumes the previous one is done.

Staff-Only Guide

This onboarding is for Ace Strategies staff. Invest Australia Alliance (IAA) members are onboarded separately through the IAA member portal at /alliance/members/. The two organisations are operationally distinct and share no member data.

Day One

Your first day is administrative. The goal is access, not output.

  • Identity & access — the office manager will provision your Google Workspace, Slack, 1Password, and GitHub accounts. Confirm each one works before you leave for the day.
  • Devices — collect your laptop, enrol it in MDM, install 1Password and Slack, and bookmark the staff portal at /staff/.
  • Paperwork — sign the contract, tax forms, and the confidentiality deed. You cannot access client files until the deed is countersigned.
  • Buddy — you will be paired with a staff buddy for your first two weeks. Ask them anything; that's the point.

Week One: Orient

By the end of week one, you should be able to describe — in your own words — what Ace Strategies does and how it operates.

Read, in this order:

  1. Quick Start Guide — the top-level map of the staff knowledge base.
  2. Style Guide — the house voice. Every piece of written work is expected to match it.
  3. Glossary — terms you will hear in meetings in the first week.
  4. The current service pages — /services/public-affairs/, /services/polling/, /services/strategic-communications/, and the rest. Know what we sell.
  5. Case studies under /cases/ — a sample of the last twelve months of work.

Shadow at least three meetings this week. Observe, take notes, do not speak unless asked.

Week Two: Practise

By the end of week two, you should have produced — under supervision — at least one real internal deliverable.

  • Write a sample briefing note on a topic of your choice using the Briefing Note Playbook. Your buddy will review it.
  • Walk the CMS. Read Using the CMS and Write Your First Article. Draft an internal-only article as practice.
  • Attend the Monday account review. Bring questions.
  • One-to-one with the partner. Book a 30-minute slot before the end of week two. Prepare three questions about the firm, three about your role.

House Rules

Five things that will save you grief:

  1. Client confidentiality is absolute. Nothing about an engagement leaves the firm — not to family, not to friends, not to previous employers. If in doubt, do not share.
  2. Ace and IAA are separate. You may hold information relevant to both. Treat them as independent organisations. Never move material across the boundary without explicit partner sign-off.
  3. Log everything that touches media. See the Media Enquiry Protocol. A call you don't log is a call we cannot defend.
  4. Nothing goes out unreviewed. Every client-facing document — note, email, draft statement — needs at least one other set of eyes before it leaves the building.
  5. Ask early. A five-minute clarification beats a two-day rework. Your buddy expects questions.

People to Meet

In your first two weeks, book 20-minute coffees with:

  • The partner responsible for the client area you'll work in most
  • The editor — every written piece will pass through them
  • The office manager — for anything billing, travel, or facilities
  • Two senior staff outside your immediate area — pick based on interest

Keep the meetings short. The point is a face and a number, not a briefing.

Systems Checklist

Confirm you have each of these working before day ten:

  • [ ] Google Workspace (Mail, Drive, Calendar) with your @ace-strategies address
  • [ ] Slack, with #general, #media-desk, and your project channels
  • [ ] 1Password vault access for shared client credentials you need
  • [ ] GitHub access to the aces-prime repo (if your role includes content publishing)
  • [ ] VPN profile installed and tested
  • [ ] Staff portal /staff/ bookmarked and your KB access confirmed

If any item is still blocked at day ten, escalate to the office manager the same day.

What Comes Next

After week two, you will be assigned to an account. Your buddy handover ends at day thirty. From then on, your reviewer on written work is the editor; your reviewer on client strategy is the account lead.

Keep this guide bookmarked — you will want to revisit the House Rules within your first three months.