How do I set new hires up to succeed, not just do paperwork?

You can get the forms signed. What stumps you is the real work, actually setting a new person up so they thrive. That gap is common, because paperwork is visible and clear, while setting someone up to succeed is quiet and hard to define. The fact that you see the difference means you are already ahead of most. Success for a new hire usually comes down to three things: knowing what is expected, knowing who to ask, and feeling like they belong. Paperwork covers none of that. But you can, with a few simple moves that have nothing to do with forms. For your next new person, do one thing beyond the paperwork: introduce them, by name, to the one colleague they will rely on most, and tell them plainly what a good first month looks like. That single act does more than a stack of documents. Build from there.