# New Starter and Leaver IT Set-up

Source: https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/new-starter-it-setup/
Updated: 2026-10-10

> dijitul support gets new starters working on day one: Microsoft 365 account and licence, laptop set up through Autopilot or by hand, MFA, shared mailboxes, Teams, SharePoint access, printers and email signature. We also offboard leavers safely. Each new starter or leaver is £45 an hour + VAT, or part of a monthly plan's included hours.

## Common symptoms

- A new starter arrives and their laptop is still in its box
- Nobody remembers which groups or shared mailboxes the last person had
- A leaver still has access to email weeks after leaving
- You keep paying for licences for people who left
- Files from a former employee's OneDrive have disappeared
- New starters share someone else's login 'just for the first week'

## Key facts

- A new starter typically needs an account, a licence, MFA, group memberships and a ready laptop
- Windows Autopilot can set up a new laptop from the box once it is registered to your tenant
- Shared mailboxes under 50GB do not need their own Microsoft 365 licence
- Leavers should have sign-in blocked and sessions revoked on their last day
- A deleted user's OneDrive is kept for 30 days by default, so act quickly
- £45 an hour + VAT, or covered by the hours in the Business and Complete plans

## Our new starter checklist

Ask us a few days before the start date and we work through a standard list, adjusted for your business:

- Create the Microsoft 365 user with the right licence (Business Basic, Standard or Premium).
- Add them to Microsoft 365 groups, security groups and distribution lists, so they get the right SharePoint sites, Teams and shared mailboxes automatically.
- Set up the email signature, including any legal footer your business needs.
- Prepare the laptop, either with Windows Autopilot and Intune or by hand, with Office, OneDrive, printers and your line-of-business apps installed.
- Set up MFA, ideally with Microsoft Authenticator or a passkey, on the first morning with the new starter. See password and MFA set-up.
- Add them to any third-party systems you tell us about, such as accounts or CRM software, where we have admin access.
- Spend ten minutes showing them where files live and how to ask for help.

## Laptops ready on day one

With Windows Autopilot, a laptop bought from a supplier that registers its hardware hash to your tenant can go straight to the new starter. They sign in with their work account, and Intune installs apps, applies settings, turns on BitLocker and enrols the device. No imaging, and no IT person needs to touch it first.

Without Autopilot, we set the laptop up remotely before it is handed over: remove pre-installed trial software, install updates, join it to Entra ID, install Microsoft 365 Apps and check that drivers and docking stations work. We do not sell hardware, but we can tell you what specification to order. Need help with an existing machine? See PC and laptop support.

## Leavers: the half everyone forgets

A leaver who still has a working account is a security risk and a licence cost. On the last day we:

- Block sign-in and revoke active sessions so phones and browsers are signed out.
- Reset the password and remove MFA methods.
- Convert the mailbox to a shared mailbox, or set up forwarding, so customers who email them still reach someone. Shared mailboxes under 50GB need no licence.
- Move OneDrive files to a manager or to SharePoint. When a user is deleted, their OneDrive is kept for 30 days by default and then removed.
- Wipe or reset their laptop and phone through Intune, and remove the device from the tenant.
- Change any shared passwords they knew, such as Wi-Fi, door codes or supplier portals, and remove them from external systems.
- Remove the licence so you stop paying for it.

## Keeping records

We note what each person had access to, so the next starter in the same role is quicker to set up and you have a record for your own audits. If you want a wider look at who has access to what across the business, see our IT audit.

For businesses that take on people regularly, we can turn your checklist into a simple form: you tell us the name, role, start date and manager, and we know from the role which licence, groups, mailboxes and apps they need. Role-based groups in Microsoft 365 make this much faster, because adding someone to 'Sales' gives them the sales Team, the sales SharePoint site and the sales shared mailbox in one step. The same groups make leavers safer, because removing them takes everything away at once.

### Temporary staff and contractors

Contractors and temps should not share a permanent employee's login. We can create accounts with an expiry date, give them only the sites they need, or invite them as guests in Teams and SharePoint so they use their own company account and you can remove access in one click.

## Cost

New starter and leaver work is £45 an hour + VAT, with a 30-minute minimum and then 15-minute blocks. Most straightforward starters take an hour or two, depending on the laptop and the number of systems. On the Business plan (£50 a month + VAT, 1 hour included) or Complete plan (£99 a month + VAT, 3 hours included plus helpdesk support), this work comes out of your included hours. See plans and pricing or get in touch with a start date.

## FAQs

### How much notice do you need for a new starter?

A few working days is ideal, so the account, licence and laptop are ready before they arrive. If the laptop has to be ordered, allow for delivery. dijitul can still help with short notice, but day-one readiness depends on having the hardware in hand.

### What is Windows Autopilot?

Autopilot is a Microsoft service that sets up a new Windows laptop straight from the box. The new starter signs in with their work account, and Intune installs apps and applies security settings automatically. dijitul can set up Autopilot and Intune for your business.

### What should happen to a leaver's email?

Usually the mailbox is converted to a shared mailbox and given to a manager, so messages from customers are not lost. Shared mailboxes under 50GB need no licence. dijitul blocks sign-in first, then converts the mailbox and removes the licence.

### What happens to a leaver's OneDrive files?

When a Microsoft 365 user is deleted, their OneDrive is kept for 30 days by default and then removed. dijitul moves important files to a manager or SharePoint site before the account is deleted, so nothing is lost.

### How much does a new starter set-up cost?

dijitul charges £45 an hour + VAT for new starter and leaver work, with a 30-minute minimum. Most straightforward set-ups take one to two hours. On the Business or Complete plans, the work comes out of your included monthly hours.

### Can you set up a laptop remotely?

Yes. With Autopilot the laptop sets itself up when the new starter signs in. Without it, dijitul connects remotely once the laptop is switched on and connected to the internet, installs software and applies settings before it is handed over.

## Pricing and contact

Support plans from £25 a month + VAT, or £45 an hour + VAT for one-off fixes. Plans: Essential £25/month + VAT (Website software updates (core, plugins, themes) applied and checked, Daily backups, Uptime monitoring, Security monitoring); Business £50/month + VAT (Everything in Essential, 1 hour of fixes or changes every month, Priority support); Complete £99/month + VAT (Everything in Business, 3 hours of fixes or changes every month, IT and Microsoft 365 helpdesk for your team). Ad-hoc support is £45 an hour + VAT. The first 30 minutes are the minimum charge, then we bill in 15-minute blocks. Contact: 01623 650333, support@dijitul.uk, https://dijitulsupport.co.uk/contact/