Getting started: your onboarding checklist

Applies to: US and Canadian workers onboarding through the Ascen portal — W-2 employees, T4 employees, and independent contractors. Not every step below applies to every worker type; each step says who it is for. If you work outside the US and Canada, your onboarding is handled by your in-country HR partner and your checklist will differ.

When you accept a new position through Ascen, you will be guided through an onboarding checklist before you can submit timesheets or receive pay. This article explains what to expect, how to pick up where you left off, and what each step is for.

How onboarding works

After your Staffing Partner invites you to the Ascen Platform, you will receive an email with a link to create your account and begin onboarding. Click the link in that email to set your password and log in. Once your account exists, you can log in any time at app.ascen.com.

The onboarding checklist opens automatically when you log in while onboarding is still in progress. Your steps are shown in order, with completed steps marked and your next required step highlighted, so you can always see how far along you are and what is left.

You can stop and return at any time — your progress is saved as you go. To pick up where you left off, just log back in: the checklist reopens to your next incomplete step. You do not need to redo steps you have already finished.

Note: The exact steps in your checklist depend on your employer's settings and your job type (W-2 or Independent Contractor (1099)). Not every worker will see every step listed below. Steps are presented in order, and some steps must be completed before others become available.

Going forward, "Independent Contractor" refers to the Independent Contractor (1099) classification.

Typical onboarding steps

1. Review your position details

You will be asked to confirm the details of your assignment — such as your job title, start date, and pay information. Read through carefully and acknowledge that the information is correct before moving on.

2. Verify your identity

You will complete an identity verification step using a government-issued ID. You will be prompted to take a photo of your ID document and, in most cases, a selfie for matching. The ID you provide must be the original, unmodified version. This step is required for all workers.

If your verification does not pass on the first attempt, you can try again. If you are unable to complete it after multiple attempts, contact Ascen at support@ascen.com for assistance.

3. Enter your personal information

Provide your Social Security Number (for W-2 workers), home address, and emergency contact. Your address is used for tax purposes, so make sure it is current and correct.

4. Review and sign agreements

You will be presented with employment-related documents to review and sign electronically — these may include a handbook, a timekeeping policy, a confidentiality agreement, or other agreements specific to your employer. Read each document before signing. You can download a copy for your records after signing.

5. Background check and drug screening (if required)

If your assignment requires a background check and/or drug screening, this step will appear in your checklist. You will receive instructions on how to complete the screening. The time to complete this step varies; you can check the status in the portal and will typically be notified when results are ready.

Portions of this step may be optional based on your employer's settings and thus may not appear in your checklist.

6. Form I-9 (W-2 workers only)

W-2 workers are required by federal law to complete Form I-9 to verify their identity and work authorization before their first day of work for pay. Official reference: Form I-9 (USCIS) | E-Verify

What you do:

• Complete Section 1 in the portal by confirming your citizenship or work-authorization status and selecting the identity documents you will present.

What happens next:

• After you submit Section 1, you will name an Authorized Representative — a trusted person who will physically examine your original documents in person or by video call and complete Section 2 on your employer's behalf. This person does not need to be your coworker or employer.

• Your Authorized Representative receives an email with instructions and a secure link to complete their part.

• After both sections are completed, Ascen will automatically conduct an electronic employment eligibility verification through E-Verify using the information you entered on your Form I-9. This process runs in the background, and typically no further action is required from you. If any discrepancies arise, your employer will inform you of the necessary steps to resolve them with the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, or both.

Important: You will not be able to submit timesheets until Form I-9 is fully complete (both Section 1 and Section 2). If your timesheet access is blocked, check whether your Authorized Representative has finished Section 2 and contact your Staffing Partner directly.

Independent Contractor (1099) workers are not required to complete Form I-9, as they are not employees.

7. Benefits enrollment (W-2 workers, if offered)

During onboarding, you will be prompted to select your benefit elections. The available plans depend on your eligibility. Please note that Independent Contractors are not eligible to participate in the Ascen Benefit Program, so this step will be omitted for them.

8. Tax withholding forms

W-2 workers complete federal and state tax withholding forms (similar to a W-4) so the right amount of tax is withheld from each paycheck. You can update these after onboarding from your profile settings. Official reference: Form W-4 (IRS)

Independent Contractors complete a W-9 form instead.

9. Required training (if required)

In certain states, employees must complete mandatory training—such as harassment prevention, workplace violence prevention, safety training, or other required courses—before starting work. These trainings appear as a separate step and must be completed before onboarding can be finalized. Any optional courses available may be skipped.

Some compliance trainings have to be retaken on a schedule rather than just once. If one of yours is coming up for renewal you will see a notice in the portal — see My required training is expiring or has expired — how do I renew it?

10. Direct deposit setup

Link your bank account so you can receive your pay by direct deposit. You will connect your bank through the Ascen portal and confirm your account with a verification code sent to your email. Until your bank account is verified, your deposit cannot be processed.

Independent Contractors complete this step as part of their payment method setup.

11. Documents (if required)

Near the end of your checklist, your employer may ask you to review or upload additional documents specific to your job or workplace — for example, a certification, license, or an acknowledgement form. If this step appears, follow the on-screen prompts to view each document and upload anything requested. This step comes after direct deposit and any required training, just before the final step. In some cases, your submitted documents may be rejected if they do not meet the established document requirements or standards. Please contact credentialing@ascen.com if you have questions regarding a rejected document.

If a document isn't required for your position, this step won't appear.

12. Final acknowledgement

The last step asks you to review and confirm that you have completed onboarding. Once you submit this step, your onboarding checklist is complete and you are ready to submit timesheets.

How to resume and find your place in the checklist

1. Log in at app.ascen.com. If this is your first time, use the link in your invitation email to set your password.

2. If onboarding is still in progress, the checklist opens automatically to your next incomplete step. Completed steps are marked, and your next required step is highlighted.

3. Because some steps unlock others, a later step may stay locked until you finish an earlier one. Work through the highlighted step to move forward.

4. If you need to revisit a completed step (for example, to download a signed agreement or update your tax forms), navigate to the relevant section from your account menu after onboarding is done.

Common questions

Can I skip a step?
Required steps cannot be skipped. Optional steps may have a skip option if allowed.

What if a step is stuck or I am waiting on someone else?
Some steps involve other parties. For example, Form I-9 Section 2 requires your Authorized Representative to act before you can proceed. If you are waiting, check whether they received their invitation email (ask them to check their spam folder). You can send a reminder from the I-9 section of your portal.

What if I need to restart onboarding for a new assignment?
If you start a new assignment with the same employer, some of your information may carry over. If you are invited to a new assignment through a different agency or Staffing Partner, you will typically complete a new onboarding checklist.

I finished onboarding but still cannot submit timesheets.
The most common reason is that Form I-9 Section 2 has not been completed yet by your Authorized Representative. Check the I-9 section of your portal for status.

What if I haven't received your onboarding invitation email?
If you haven't received your onboarding invitation, your assignment may not have been submitted to Ascen yet. Ascen receives assignments directly from your staffing company or staffing app and cannot create assignments independently. Contact your staffing company or use their app to confirm your assignment has been submitted to Ascen. Once your staffing company submits your assignment, Ascen will automatically send you an invite to onboard.

Need help?

If you get stuck on a step or have questions about your specific checklist, reach out to your Staffing Partner or directly to Ascen at support@ascen.com. For technical issues with the platform, you can also contact Ascen support.