Onboarding Toolkit for Supervisors

Due to the size and organizational structure of the university, at certain times, different parties may be involved in portions of the onboarding process; this is especially true in the initial onboarding stages, often referred to as “pre-onboarding”. Pre-onboarding refers to the time period between when a new hire accepts the job offer and their first day on the job. See below for details about “who does what”.

Human Resources

• Welcome letter sent to the employee by the Talent Acquisition team
• New hire works with Central HR to complete required hiring paperwork
• The new hire will receive information about New Employee Orientation

Department/Unit Level (Recommended Steps)

• Send e-mail to department announcing new hire
• Assign a Team Mentor
• Create a stakeholder map/list of need-to-know contacts within the scope of their role
• Set-up the following (if applicable):
  • Workspace (desk, phone, computer, nameplate, supplies)
  • E-mail
  • Key or card access
  • Department Mailbox
  • Order business cards
• Create a schedule for new hire’s first day/first week
• E-mail new hire welcome message with details about what to expect on first day. Consider including:
  • Start/end time for the day
  • Where and to whom to report (in person or virtual)
  • If on-campus, suggestions on where to park, provide a campus map
  • Consider providing a guest pass/parking validation for the first day?
  • Include notes on appropriate work dress/attire

The first day/first week for new hires is crucial. Oftentimes, new hires are still assessing whether they’ve made the right decision to join the organization. During this time, it is essential to celebrate your new team member’s arrival, provide detailed steps to take upfront, introduce them to the rest of the team, and familiarize them with their role and responsibilities.

Celebrate Their Arrival

• • Prep some Mason swag,
  • Take them to lunch and/or coffee,
  • Provide an office and campus tour of need to know spaces

Team Introductions

• • Whether in-person or hybrid, some best practices include:
    • Schedule 1:1s with team members
    • Have a group coffee chat to do intros
    • Create a virtual team welcome board in Microsoft teams
  • Have a 1:1 meeting with the new hire to review EWP or PD, and walk through need-to-know contacts
  • New hire completes New Employee Orientation
  • New hire begins State-Mandated Training in MasonLEAPs

After orientation, the onboarding journey should involve various role and job-specific training. Role training teaches a new hire about their day-to-day job duties and sets them up for long-term success. Once employees know what they need to do, they can carry out the key functions of their role with more confidence.

Role training often involves the following elements:

• Review Performance Expectations
• Technical and Process Training
• Job Shadowing
• Internal
  • Team on-the-job training
  • MasonLEAPs training opportunities
• External
  • LinkedIn Learning training
  • Other trainings, as needed

According to Gallup, “new employees typically take around 12 months to reach their full performance potential within a role.”

This final step is a continuous process that supports the employee through the transition of a new employee to full performance level. The items below are ways to ensure the employee is supported and communication is open as they continue to grow in their role.

Assign a “Team Mentor” to support the new employee to fully integrate into their role and on the team. The Team Mentor is an established colleague of the new employee who is knowledgeable about the department and job duties they will be asked to perform. The role of the Team Mentor is to serve as an informal point of contact for information about the new employee's position and department procedures and social norms. The Team Mentor supplements, not substitutes, regular interaction with the employee's supervisor. The affiliation with the Team Mentor helps the new employee to feel connected to the work team and to create a sense of inclusion while providing them with support as they learn their new job.

Schedule regular 1:1 check-in meetings (recommended weekly for the first 90 days) to find out how new hires are settling in and if they have the specific support, resources, and equipment they need to work efficiently and effectively. Can’t do weekly check-ins? Consider a bi-weekly schedule. Regardless, consistency is key to developing strong working relationships and a culture of trust and open communication.

Connect new hires with key collaborators and resources across the University to start building relationships and learning how they work together. Not sure where to start? The Mason Community has several Employee Resource and Support Groups for employees that offer opportunities for networking and support. Onboarding a Faculty member? Share more information about Faculty Affinity Groups around Mason.

Explore training and professional development opportunities. In additional to instructor-led trainings, such as Supervisor Boot Camp, employees can find additional learning opportunities through MasonLEAPS and LinkedIn Learning!

Celebrate their growth! Consider utilizing Mason’s Reward and Recognition options to show your new hire that you see their progress as they reach new milestones.