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UM System

Onboarding

Congratulations on hiring a new employee! Below are tips to welcome your new team member. Periodically, we will email onboarding information to help new employees become a part the UM System community and share tips for you, as a manager, to set them up for success. You can always visit our Onboarding Series website to access the same tips and information.

Virtual Onboarding

  • Make a good first impression
    • Remember that you are serving as a representative of the university and should behave in a way that aligns with the university’s values.
    • Start the day off right -- have someone greet the new employee when they arrive on their first day and give him or her an introduction to the university. This may include a tour of their building and introductions to those whom with they will be working.
    • Provide an opportunity for yourself and the new employee’s coworkers to get to know each other, such as planning a lunch together during their first week.
  • Stay in contact
    • Continue to communicate if there is an extended period between the job offer and the new employee’s first day. This will show the new employee that you haven’t forgotten about them and that you are ready for he or she to come work for you.
    • Send a welcome package in the days leading up to the new employee’s first day. Include materials that will inform the individual of the mission and history of the University. They will feel welcomed into the institution before they arrive and it will also show that you are excited for them to join your department.
  • Introduce the new employee to the job
    • Outline the university’s mission statement, goals, values and policies.
    • Introduce the new employee to the culture of the workplace.
    • Give him or her something to do -- having small tasks for the new employee to do during the first day and week will allow him or her to ease into the position while also demonstrating his or her value to the university.
  • Introduce the new employee to their coworkers
    • Send out an introductory email to your employees, welcoming the individual to the university.
    • Consider a mentoring/coaching program -- many organizations match their new employee up with an experienced coworker during the first week that can serve as a resource to answer questions and provide assistance.
    • Arrange a person to eat lunch with them -- this will allow them to meet more of their coworkers while also providing a welcoming atmosphere.
    • Immerse him or her in the workplace community by introducing the next employee to their coworkers. You may want to provide the new employee with a contact list for their coworkers and help him or her to feel connected.
  • Be available to the new employees
    • Be patient with questions from new employees by serving as a resource.
    • Check in with your employee before the day is over to ask them how his or her first day was. It is a friendly way to receive feedback about your department’s onboarding process while also creating a warm and inclusive work environment.
  • Remember that onboarding does not stop after the first day
    • Continue to communicate with new employees. It not only improves retention and satisfaction, but also makes sure that he or she is continually getting more immersed in the culture and work of the university.

More Resources on Onboarding

References

Staffing Research: Getting to Know the Candidate: Conducting Reference Checks (PDF), by Mary Elizabeth Burke and Jennifer Schramm for the Society for Human Resource Management

Recruitment and Selection: Hiring the Right Person: A two-part learning module for undergraduate students (PDF), by Myrna L. Gusdorf for the Society for Human Resource Management

Reviewed 2020-03-02