New Employee Onboarding

 

Onboarding programs assist new faculty and staff in understanding PAFA’s values and culture, and as a result, encourage commitment to the institution. As a process, onboarding begins during recruitment and selection and continues as needed throughout the new hire’s first year. Effectively onboarding new hires to the PAFA and to their positions is critical in establishing successful, productive working relationships.

PAFA’s program has three phases with some activities occur on the new hire’s first-day ad some refer to their first months on the job. 

Phase One: New Employee Orientation

Human Resources’s New Employee Orientation (NEO) is three-hours (9 AM-noon) on or about the first workday of the new employee’s employment. This orientation familiarizes new employees with PAFA and its vision, mission, values, organizational structure and culture. The NEO incorporates:

  • Greeting and welcoming new employees from senior leadership.

  • Asking employees to complete the necessary documents needed by HR and Payroll ahead of time and paper-less through the Paychex sponsored portal.

  • Providing new employees with information about PAFA and its traditions.

  • Outlining PAFA benefits package and answering questions about coverage.

  • Highlighting PAFA’s commitment to Title IX and diversity and inclusion.

  • Linking job expectations to institutional priorities and the strategic plan.

  • Providing new employees with an ID card at the end of the session.

  • Offering an optional tour.

Phase Two : Department Orientation

The next part of the employee onboarding process is a departmental-level orientation providing new employees with an overview of departmental processes and procedures. 

Supervisors are advised to:

  • Assist the new hire in building a communication network (who to contact for what, who to report to, etc.)

  • Ease new employees into their new position by assigning simple but meaningful work from the start.

  • Arrange for our new employees to shadow colleagues during their work so they can get hands-on experience on how things work at PAFA.

  • Schedule lunch or coffees so our new employees can get to know their new colleagues.

  • Assign a buddy or mentor.

  • Gather important or relevant documents that the new employee should read and review.

Phase 3: 90-Day Review

The final phase includes a 90-day Probationary Review as outlined in the employee handbook for staff and administrative positions. This provides the supervisor an opportunity for structured conversation about performance, offers an occasion for positive feedback to reinforce good performance, and aids in identifying problems and needs for additional training. It provides the employee with an opportunity to review job requirements and supervisor expectations and creates an opportunity for conversation about continuing interest in the job. It is the expectation that a new supervisor meets with their employee throughout the 90-day orientation period.

The 90-Day Review is completed using Paychex Flex and is available to your employee following completion. Human Resources will connect with new employee’s supervisor to coordinate and begin the process. Human Resources will also ask new employees to complete an optional 90-day New Employee Survey.