Try to meet with your new employee each day for a week or two, to help them acclimate and cover different topics. Make sure you’re starting with the basics, and not deep diving right into a project or plan that might make little sense to them. You can shift your daily 1:1s to weekly 1:1 (or whatever your normal cadence) once you feel they have gotten the hang of things.
Questions you may consider asking:
- How are things going in general?
- Is there anything you don’t understand or need clarification on for you position?
- Are there any challenges you have encountered that we can work through together?
- Are you feeling connected with your team?
Give your new employee time to attend UNL's New Employee Orientation
NEO is held the second Wednesday of each month.
- Employees who attend a well-structured onboarding orientation program, are 69% more likely to still be with that organization 2-3 years later.
- New Employee Orientation introduces employees to the vibrant community and inclusive culture at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and provides useful information as they transition to work life at the university. After the orientation, they'll be treated to a free lunch courtesy of University Dining Services.
Establish Performance Goals
In addition, you create a to-do list for your employee that sets expectations as well as provides some reassurance that they are on track. You include any projects that you feel they can immediately begin contributing to. By the end of the first month, aim to have established key objectives (OKRs, KPIs, or whatever you want to call them).
Performance
- Review position and responsibilities.
- Create performance plan in the first 30 days.
- Meet with new hire to go over the plan.
Competencies, Goals, and Imperatives:
- Discuss University Staff Competencies, if applicable.
- Share how work aligns with goals of unit.
- Align goals to campus strategic plans, if applicable.
Create understanding of where they work
Give your new hire an orientation on the college, school, institute, division, or department in which they work. Include:
- History
- An introduction to upline leadership
- Mission, Vision, Values, Strategic Plan
- Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives
- Information about your constituents
- An overview of how your unit/team supports the overall organization
Review applicable campus and department policy/ processes
Information Technology Services - Handles technology, data services, technology policies, data security and IT support across all NU campuses.
Includes: Administrative Systems, Infrastructure, Security, Server, Web Applications & Development
Procurement - Manages suppliers and sourcing, helps with purchasing and contracts for outside vendors; runs electronic purchasing system (eSHOP); manages inventory and surplus; assists with University purchases.
Includes: Asset Management, eSHOP, IT Procurement, Inventory, Strategic Sourcing, Surplus
University Travel - Supports the university-wide travel process, shares travel news and training opportunities, and provides assistance with Concur documentation for University travelers.
Includes: Travel Policy & Process, Travel Resources, Concur Assistance
All employees should become familiar with personnel policies. The Employee Policies and Practices document does not cover every policy or procedure but rather it simply summarizes some of the key points each employee should understand.
Help build their networks
- Set-up meetings or give new hire a list of colleagues in the unit/department to meet with in the first few weeks. Meeting goals should include:
- Becoming familiar with colleagues they will be working with.
- Creating and understanding of the different roles in unit.
- Set-up meetings or give new hire a list of colleagues from other areas of campus that would be of value connecting with.
- Forward Institute/ Division/ Department meetings, project teams or working groups you want the new hire involved in.