Onboarding

What do you remember the most about the first day of your current job? How nervous were you? Were you met by a welcoming, smiling person? What impression did you get of your department and the University? Was your workspace ready for you?

Effective onboarding of new staff (also known as induction) is a crucial part of making new starters feel welcomed and valued in their new role.

What is onboarding?

Onboarding is more than just an orientation event, it is a structured programme that takes place over a period of three to six months. It begins from the moment a new employee accepts their new role, and continues for up to three months after they have started in their job.

The onboarding programme equips the new staff member with the knowledge and skills they need to get up and running in their new job.

Effective onboarding makes a new staff member feel like a valued team member from their first day. It encourages a sense of belonging in their new workplace or department, making them more productive in a shorter space of time.

University of Otago onboarding programme

Our onboarding programme provides the new employee, and their manager/supervisor, with a set of tailored tasks to complete. These tasks are based on induction checklists and ensure that all pertinent information is supplied to the appropriate people, as well as to the employee.

These tasks are delivered through the New Staff welcome site and need to be completed by specific dates.

The system enables:

• A framework and set of tasks for every onboarding process
• A flow of information to other critical areas (e.g. Payroll)
• Easy monitoring of the onboarding process and clarity on who is responsible for what and when
• Consistent welcoming information for new employees

Human Resources support

The HR team will:

• provide oversight of the University Onboarding Programme
• maintain the Onboarding system and website information/videos