"Just ticking the boxes" is generally meant as an insult. It implies someone is going through the motions without thinking beyond the task.
Sometimes that is exactly what is required.
If everyone innovated every time they did something there would be no consistency. With consistency comes reliability. Some tasks need to be performed as designed the same way every time.
"Accommodating" tasks in onboarding are good examples of this. It's important to get new employees an employee number, set up in payroll, health benefits, an ID card, a computer, a phone, a place to work…Tick the boxes.
Screening interviews are another example. Initial interviews should be designed to weed out candidates that can not tick all the boxes of requirements. It's less important to go into depth about the quality of their strengths, motivation, and fit than it is to check all the basic requirements of a range of candidates.
Bottom line, don't denigrate ticking the boxes all the time. You won't have the opportunity to think about and implement grand innovations unless someone has ticked all the foundational boxes for you.
