 Onboarding
defined
What is Onboarding?
Onboarding is the process of welcoming the newcomer as an integral
part of the organization and helping them understand the culture and
the operation of their workplace. Welcoming them the first day is
just one step in the months-long process of bringing them along.
 Make
them feel welcome
Your new employee will be nervous (whether they show it or not). There's an entirely new
environment to adjust to, new names to learn and new
departments to remember — not to mention the added pressure of making a good first impression.
So consider this: YOU should make a good first impression. By giving
your new employee your time and putting him or her at ease, you are
well-representing your department — and the entire college.
 Simple
steps to getting your new hire onboard
With a few simple steps, supervisors can make their new employee’s
first day at SPC as smooth and comfortable as possible, while
building a foundation for a successful and productive career.
Return to top of page
 Step
1: Prepare their desk or office
-
lMake sure your new
employee’s workspace is set up before the employee arrives.
-
lYou will help your
new employee feel they already have a place and prevent them
from feeling like a bother or inconvenience.
 Step
2: Greet them at the door
-
lDon't keep your
new hire waiting anxiously in the reception area.
-
If you are not able to greet your new hire in person, appoint
someone to serve as the “welcoming committee” to greet the new
person when he or she arrives.
 Step
3: Stick to the basics
What would you want to know on your first day on a job?
-
lFirst show them the bathroom, the break room, the
printer and where to get supplies. Focus on work after that.
-
Make your new employee aware of dress expectations.
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lGo over the employee's role but stick to the basics;
save the details for later.
-
lToday's goal is to make the new employee feel
welcome and a valuable member of SPC.
 Step
4: Help them connect
-
Make sure your new
hire knows how to access the
staff directory
and knows the names and extensions of the people who will be the
most helpful in their new position.
-
Show your new
employee how to
access Staff
Central.
-
New employees often
feel that asking questions to co-workers is burdensome, so team your
new employee with a co-worker who has similar job responsibilities.
 Step
5: Communicate with current employees
Don't let your new employee go unnoticed or be a
surprise. Prepare your current employees for their new team member and
encourage them to introduce themselves.
 Step
6: Do lunch
Do not let your new employee eat lunch alone,
especially on the first day. Sit with him or her, or make sure others
are sitting with the new hire.
 Step
7: Feedback is important
-
Check in on your new
employee throughout the day.
-
Ask questions, make
sure everything is going well and that he or she has everything they
need.
-
Model the type of
relationship you want to have with the employee from day one — open,
comfortable and constructive.
 First
Day Welcome
Look
to your colleagues for ideas
There is not one specific way to welcome a new employee. Throughout
the college, various departments and campuses put their stamp on the
process. Below are just a few of the approaches for welcoming new
employees to SPC.
 First-day
welcome: Allstate
- First, new
hires meet with the Executive Staff Assistant to the Campus
Executive Officer who provides a welcome packet, gives a
tour of the campus and helps get their ID badge.
- The Campus
Executive Officer meets with the new hire the first or second day,
in the new hire’s office, to make sure that they have everything
they need.
 First-day
welcome: Clearwater
-
New employees are given a
personalized training schedule.
-
The schedule lets them know where, when and who
they are to meet with and what the various trainings will cover.
 First-day
welcome: Downtown
- The CEO takes them on a site tour to welcome them to the team,
makes introductions, and pairs them up with a buddy/mentor.
- Because Downtown is a smaller site, the new employee is reminded
that they will be expected to perform on cross-functional teams, as
discussed during their interview.
- The CEO explains that there is an open-door policy and
encourages the new employee to ask about any questions or concerns
at any time.
 First-day
welcome: EpiCenter
- When a new employee joins Human Resources, an announcement is
sent to the team and the work station is prepared in advance, along
with a small basket of office supplies. A welcome sign is placed at
the work station signed by the HR team members, with their well
wishes.
- The employee is taken around the building and personally
introduced to the other departments and then is invited to join the
HR team for lunch, or goes out to lunch with another team member.
 First-day
welcome: Health Education Center
-
The new hire's home department provides a
tour of each HEC program, which includes introduction to other
staff and explanation of each academic discipline.
-
Also, an introduction to the advising staff
and to the admissions/advising process is provided within Student
Affairs.
-
The Provost’s Office invites new support
staff to in-service presentations on PSSA and PS Financials, along
with a review of general academic and accounting procedures.
-
A “welcome” message is posted on our
campus-wide video screens.
 First-day
welcome: Seminole
- New employees first head to the Provost’s office where
they get a personal tour of the campus.
- The Provost sends out a campus-wide email to let fellow
employees know there is a new face on campus.
First-day
welcome: St. Petersburg/Gibbs
-
New hires are welcomed in a variety of ways by
different departments.
-
Offices are decorated and welcome signs posted;
balloons, streamers and/or flowers are placed; “goody bags”
containing items such as office supplies, water bottles, cups, and
cafeteria lunch vouchers are given; introductions are made and
priority is given to assistance with procedures, badges, parking
decals, business cards and other such “first day” tasks.
 First-day
welcome: Tarpon Springs
- Provost’s office sends campus e-mail announcing new employee
info & start date.
- Supervisor takes the new person around on first day for
introductions and they spend time shadowing current employees
according to their job function/responsibility.
 SPC
Onboarding Guides
The Onboarding Guides
are a new tool for supervisors to help get their new employees the
information they need to learn about SPC’s policies and processes
relevant to their position. The Onboarding guides are:
-
Specific to employee classification: A&P, Adjunct,
Career, Faculty & OPS
-
Accessed through Staff Central and located on the
Supervisor Toolbox
-
Organized by topic
-
Hyperlinked to topic information
-
Incorporate a suggested timeline to keep your new hire on track for
the first 3 months
-
Completed checklists may be sent electronically to Mae
Whitted in Human Resources
 A&P
Onboarding Guide
Adjunct
Onboarding Guide
Career
Service Onboarding Guide
Faculty
Onboarding Guide
OPS
Onboarding Guide
Onboarding is a win-win
Giving your new employee your time and attention on his or her first day
makes all the difference b ut
onboarding is not limited to day one. Proper onboarding
also helps employees get up to speed much more quickly and reduces
the costs associated with learning on the job. Not only will your new hire
be grateful and feel appreciated for your
efforts, but also you will have a more confident and productive
worker. Thank you for
participating in this training! Please go to the
Onboarding Quiz to record your completion. Return to top of page
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