When the candidate has agreed to a starting date, there is yet one final step remaining. Regardless of how experienced the individual might be, there will be some need to acclimate the new employee to the university, to prepare their work space, and to identify what their first day, week, month, or semester will be like.
During the very early stages of an employee’s entrance to a new organization, there are a number of experiences which can form an immediate opinion regarding their intent to stay. Some of the most basic impressions are formed (aside from the interaction in Step 9) as a result of things like whether they’re welcomed on their first day, whether they have a nice office space, telephone and computer resources being available, their interaction with others on campus who might help them navigate, etc.
It is a good idea to assign one person to be the contact person with the new hire. If the contact person is someone other than the person who made the offer, someone from the department who served on the selection committee is a next-best option. Choosing a mentor is another excellent way to assist the new hire get acclimated and provide resources and guidance throughout the first few weeks. All new employees and supervisors have access to onboarding tasks and best practices through PageUp.
These materials are a work in progress and continuously evolving based on your feedback and best practices. Please forward your constructive comments and improvement suggestions to Julane Cappo, Associate Director of Human Resources, at jcappo@nmu.edu.