Onboarding Employees

Getting new employees off to a good start can make a big difference in their feeling welcomed and in their effectiveness on the job. Do all you can to make the "onboarding" process as smooth as possible for them.

Your new hires should have viewed the online NYU New Employee Orientation Program and Enrolled in Benefits within 31 days from their date of hire.

However, it is critical to officially welcome and orient your new employees to your part of the organization. (See Guidelines For Conducting an Orientation Program Within Your School or Division below.)

For additional tips and suggestions, use the Onboarding Tools at right to assist you in welcoming and orienting new employees. While intended for new administrators and staff employees, these tools may be helpful for new faculty members as well.

Guidelines For Conducting An Orientation Program Within Your School or Division

Your new hire should have viewed the online NYU New Employee Orientation Program, sponsored by the Human Resources Division, on his/her first day of work, which provided your new employee with a broad overview of the NYU organization, as well as the main services, privileges and resources that are available to him/her.

It is now time for you to "immerse" your new hire in your specific school/division! The onboarding process for a new employee doesn't happen in one day, one month, or even six months; it is an ongoing process. However, it is ideal to provide the new hire with a formal orientation to your part of the organization within his/her first week of work.

Below is suggested content for a local orientation program. It may also be helpful for you to sit in on the NYU New Hire Orientation Program so that you can assess whether your local program complements what is being covered in the general orientation program.

Officially Welcome Your New Employee

• Introduce new hires to the entire department
• Review department's mission and goals
• Provide historical overview
• Explain organizational structure
• Give tour of relevant offices
• Ask a peer to take new hires out to lunch
• Provide new hires with a first week agenda: office procedures, people they will meet, technology they will be learning, etc.

Review Job Responsibilities

• Provide a copy of the job description and review job functions, competencies, and expectations for working in the department

Explain Departmental/Unit-Wide Policies, Procedures and Available Resources

• See Pre-Arrival Checklist and First Day/First Week Checklist for key issues to cover

Review Significant University Policies

• Significant policies are discussed at the NYU New Hire Orientation Program, as well as on the University Policies & Guidelines page on the NYU website. Remind your new hires of these resources.

Review Security, Safety and Confidentiality Procedures For Your Unit

People To Meet/Contact

• Set up a meeting with HR Officer to introduce new hires to HR services and processes
• Provide a list of key contact people in the unit
• Consider assigning a mentor or buddy for new hires
• Set up a meeting with department head and any other administrators and staff members, if appropriate