Showing New Employees the Ropes

An employee's first weeks on the job are a critical time to begin building a successful working relationship. This is your opportunity to set goals and expectations, train new employees on job-specific tasks, and introduce them to others who will play a role in their professional development. In addition, everyone wants to feel like they are contributing at work; a good on-boarding process can help new employees feel comfortable and ready to work much sooner than if there's no formal or well-planned process.

Are You Making These Common--and Costly--Mistakes?

• Are you trying to cram 20 hours of information into a few mind-numbing meetings?
• Are you running a slipshod--fly by the seat of your pants--process, believing that doing so has no negative impact?
• Do you use the "sink or swim" approach to on-boarding?
• Do you use the "no news is good news" and "out of sight, out of mind" approach to following up?

The Cost of Such Mistakes

• Increased turnover.
• Diminished productivity.
• Reduced engagement.
• Reduced respect for management and the organization as a whole.
• Reduced pride in the organization, department, unit and job.

What is On-Boarding?

• It's getting your newly hired talent up to speed with the policies, processes, culture, expectations, and day-to-day responsibilities of your department/unit.
• It's making them feel welcome and excited, confirming why they joined your department/unit and the University of Washington.

Why is On-Boarding Important?

• It builds UW's and your department/unit's REPUTATION for being a thoughtful employer, with great training, clear leadership, and a strong organization.
• It helps to RETAIN your staff members.
• It REDUCES high turnover costs.
• It gets new staff members to efficient PRODUCTIVITY levels quickly.
• It builds a COHESIVE TEAM, therefore raising EVERYONE'S productivity.

The On-Boarding Toolkit provides you with useful tools and tips to help ensure your new employee's success.

Considerations for Designing an On-Boarding Process that Meets Your Needs

• The scope and scale of the formal process should begin with the acceptance of the job through the first year of hire (first formal performance evaluation).
• Outline the on-boarding process from the perspective of new hires.
• Provide several opportunities for informal and formal check-ins and feedback. After feedback has been provided, a game plan must be developed to appropriately address the issues raised.
• New hires should identify and integrate with their peer groups.
• The on-boarding process should be considered a partnership between you, a new hire, an HR professional and an experienced colleague (buddy).
• Provide multiple and varied opportunities for new hires to meet key staff from other departments/units.

Several departments have established "on-boarding" programs to help new employees quickly learn what they need to know to be successful. Here are some examples:

UW Financial Management has a "New Employee Orientation Plan" on its website that covers UW basics and introduces new staff to the culture of Financial Management.

UW Libraries offers extensive training for staff, including an orientation program for new employees that covers topics such as "Policies and Procedures for Hiring Student Employees" and "Ethics for Librarians."

UW Human Resources provides the online New Employee Orientation that's required for most UW employees.

UW Office of Diversity's website contains information aimed at making the University welcoming for minority and under-represented employees.

• uwhr@u.washington.edu |
• HR Contacts

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