Onboarding

Preboarding is the time period between when a candidate accepts their job offer and their first day of employment. Connecting with your new hire during this time can help jumpstart your relationship and allow the employee to feel informed and engaged before starting work.   

Commence

• Email new hire announcement to position stakeholders. 
  
• Email employee information regarding their first day

Order technology and arrange for set up.   

• Contact your local IT representative to book a time to set up equipment. If you do not have an assigned representative, email askit@udel.edu for coordination.

Connect

Pre-schedule 1:1 meetings throughout the employee’s first month of employment for the employee to meet with colleagues.

• Schedule meetings with unit leaders for formal introductions and the opportunity to explain the function of their unit and how the employee interacts with them.
• Schedule meetings with the employee’s direct peer group for informal introductions/get-to-know-you conversations.
• Use a meeting calendar template to track scheduled meetings and provide them to an employee on their first day.
  • Ensure that New Employee Orientation, which takes place the second Wednesday of each month on Zoom, is on the schedule to avoid conflicts. 
  • Consider that your employee’s onboarding appointment may be on their first day of employment. Confirm these details with HR as you work to finalize the schedule. 

Culture

Set up system access and schedule training.   

• Examples: Concur, Procurement, WebEx, UDSIS, Tableau, Slack, Teams, scheduling conference rooms, etc.  

Commit

Pre-schedule 1:1 meetings with your new employee. 

• Set up a recurring calendar invitation to formalize the meetings. 

• Establish expectations for your meetings. Consider the following:  

  • What topics will be covered?  

  • How/should these meetings be memorialized? 

  • Does the employee need to prepare anything ahead of time?  

  • Is your meeting long enough to allow ample time for both parties to provide updates?   

Before the first day, downloadable PDF check list

The first 30 days are when the employee should focus on learning about their job responsibilities, the team structure, their co-workers, and the organization.    

Consider the following activities with your new hire on their first day:

• Provide a tour of the office and/or building in which the employee works,  pointing out the closest restroom, refrigerator, water station, microwave, etc. 
• Point out the nearest parking options and campus shuttle stops
• Introduce your employee to any colleagues who are in the office that day
• Arrange a first-day lunch with a few teams to welcome your new employee to the community 

Commence

• Provide the employee with their job description and meet with them to discuss their responsibilities.  

• Set expectations with the employee. Suggested topics are:

  • Productivity/Deadlines 

  • Behavior 

  • Communication 

  • Team Collaboration 

  • If applicable, ask the employee to complete a Telework form Set expectations regarding work hours, days in the office and remote work. 

• Discuss time off procedures: 

• Coverage needed, call-out procedures, vacation request preference, etc. 
• UD Workforce
  • How to submit time-off
  • Non-exempt employees: how to submit timesheets 

• Show employee how to set up email signature

• For employees new to higher education: Encourage employee to take CUPA’s Understanding Higher Education Training.

Connect

• Explain the University’s structure, leadership, mission and values.  

• Review your department’s Org Chart. 

  • Discuss your team’s purpose with your new employee. What is your main objective? How does your team’s mission and vision fit into UD’s strategic mission and goals?  

  • Review your unit’s organizational chart and provide a high-level explanation of each department and/or role. Explain how your unit fits within the organizational structure of the entire University.   

• Have the employee reach out to a list of additional contacts you provide for them to meet with.   

• Give the employee tour of the office, main street, food options and other key areas. Ask a colleague to conduct the tour, if possible, so the employee can connect with another individual.

• Share Campus Map   

• Inform your employee of communication avenues.  

  • Provide a list of centralized email addresses to your employee and explain the appropriate use of each.   

  • Add your employee to all applicable list servs.  

  • Forward your employee all calendar invites for any reoccurring team meetings.  

• Inform your employee of any professional affiliations or memberships available. 

Culture

• Provide the employee with employee engagement information. 

• Encourage the employee to take the UD Business Acumen training in Connecting U. 

• Allow the employee time to explore HR UD policies. 

• Share resources to escalate concerns. 

  • HR Partner

  • Employee & Labor Relations 

  • DSS 

  • Equity and Inclusion 

• Share the UD academic calendar.

Commit 

• Conduct 1:1 meetings

• Set up meeting dates for 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-day check ins 

• Conduct 30-day check in. Here are some questions you may want to ask: 

  • What do you like about the job and the organization so far?   

  • How have your interactions with the team been? 

  • Have you faced any surprises since joining us?   

  • Are you experiencing any challenges that I can assist you with?   

  • Are all your technological/access need needs being met? Are there other resources you may need? 

First 30 days, downloadable PDF check list

The second month of employment can be dedicated to planning. Invest in your employee’s professional growth and development from the very start. Though the entirety of the first year of employment is largely dedicated to training and fully understanding their new role, we want our new employees to know that we are invested in their growth with the organization early on.  

Commence 

Encourage the employee to schedule a headshot with OCM. 

Connect 

• Introduce the employee to UD’s strategic plan.   

• Help your employee set meaningful goals. 

  • Explore ways in which you can help your employee be successful in achieving these goals.  

  • Explain how the department and employee’s goals tie into the UD plan. 

• Introduce professional growth and development opportunities offered at UD. 

  • Connecting U  

  • LinkedIn Learning 

  • Academic Impressions  

Culture 

• Introduce UD’s performance appraisal process.

• Share activities available for the employee to attend (e.g. a play, sporting event, etc.).  

Commit 

• Conduct 1:1 meetings 

• Conduct 60-day check in. Here are some questions you may want to ask: 

  • How are things going?  

  • Are you connecting with your peers?    

  • How is your workload? Do you feel you have enough work to keep you busy?  

  • Are there any areas where you feel you could benefit from additional support or training, or any challenges I can assist with? 

Days 31-60, downloadable PDF check list

While the employee continues to understand his/her job responsibilities, the third month can be a good time to further expand the employee’s knowledge of the organization and opportunities to get involved.

Connect 

• Share committee opportunities with the employee and encourage them to get involved. 

• Encourage the employee to sign up for campus admissions tour. 

Culture 

• Share top UD acronyms with employee. 

• Share OCM Brand Guide with employee. 

Commit

• Conduct 1:1 meetings 

• Conduct 90-day check-in. Here are some questions you may want to ask: 

  • What areas/tasks/projects do you enjoy most in your position?     

  • Are there other areas/tasks/projects you enjoy or would like to be involved in?  

  • Do you feel you have the information, tools, and resources you need to do your job successfully?   

  • Are there any skills you would like the opportunity to develop more in the upcoming weeks and months?  

Days 61-90, downloadable PDF check list

By now, the employee is likely conducting some responsibilities independently.  Months three through six are a good time to focus on progress to date, preparation for their 180-day review, continuing to provide meaningful feedback, and conducting their 180-day review.  

Commit

• Conduct 1:1 meetings

• Prepare yourself and the employee for the 180-day review

Conduct 180-day review

• Manager and employee discuss manager’s feedback.  
• Manager shares what is going well and where there are areas of opportunity. 
• Employee shares feedback. 
• Manager and employee revisit/tweak goals. 

Days 91-180, downloadable PDF check list

Culture

Encourage your employee to do all the items on the Blue Hen HR Employee Bucket List

• Go to a Blue Hen sporting event game
• Get a picture with YouDee
• Join a committee 
• Visit UDairy for ice cream
  
• Check a book out of the Morris Library
• Visit the Art Gallery in Old College
• Visit the Magnolia Fountain on the South Green
• Eat at a Restaurant on Main Street
• Attend the Twilight Induction Ceremony on the Green
• Eat a meal at Vita Nova

• Purchase UD gear at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore on Main Street

Commit

• Conduct 1:1 meetings

• Acknowledge 1-year anniversary

Days 181-365, downloadable PDF check list