Definitions
The purpose of onboarding is to get new employees to higher levels of productivity, faster. It spans over the first 12 months.Ìý
- Activate: Performing set-up tasks to ensure payroll, benefits, logistics, schedule, and technology needs are met.
- Clarify: Orientation to unit and organization. Developing understanding of new job, competencies, expectations and how role fits into the university mission.
- Connect: Forming interpersonal relationships and organizational, work and knowledge networks.
- Excel: Applying full range of competencies and skills toÌýappropriate degrees of autonomy.
Activate
- Create an itinerary for the first week:
- Draft a welcome email to your new hire:
- Order computer and any technological tools as far in advance as possible
- Arrange for phone setup (can take up to two weeks)
- Explain what to expect the first day or week.
- Include a first week schedule or itinerary, if available.
- Include information on how to get to campus, where to park and where to arrive.
- Arrange for someone to meet the new hire on the first day.
- If your department participates in the QuickStart Center, they will receive checklists from New at CU. If you do not participate in the QuickStart Center, then we recommend sharing the New Employees webpage with your new hire.
- Introduce your new hire and share when they will be joining the unit.
- Send an email to your department and those who will regularly work with your new hire announcing the new hire's arrival, so everyone is aware and ready to welcome the newest team member. Recent updates to the Colorado Equal Work for Equal Pay Act require that you send this message within 30 days of your new hire’s start date (we recommend sending it earlier). The following information is required by the Act to be included in your communication (contact recruiting@colorado.edu if you have any questions about this requirement and the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act).
- The name of the person hired.
- The job title of the new hire.
- For employees who are transferring or being promoted into their new role, their prior job title at the University of Colorado.
- A reference to our promotions and transfers webpage outlining how employees may express interest in transfer and promotional opportunities
- Make sure arrangements are in place for the pick-up or delivery of university supplied technology.
- Schedule set-up time with IT support, if applicable.
- For those not on campus technology, ensure they know how to access:
Mandatory Discrimination and Sexual MisconductÌýTraining
- This training is offered by the CU Â鶹ӰԺ Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC). CU Â鶹ӰԺÌýrequires all employees (faculty, staff, and student staff) and affiliates to complete the required OIEC training on Discrimination and Sexual MisconductÌýevery three yearsÌýafter initial completion when new to the Â鶹ӰԺ campus. Some departmentsÌýrequire employees to complete the training more frequently.
- ±õ²Ô²õ³Ù°ù³Ü³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô²õ:ÌýSelect the Â鶹ӰԺ campus and after logging in, the course will automatically load in a separate window. The course title isÌý"Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct,ÌýCU Â鶹ӰԺ and System."ÌýAfter successfully passing the course, it takes approximately 3 business days for the score to be reflected in an employee’s training record.
Campus Security Authority Training: For those designated as a Campus Security Authority
- Ìýtraining is required for all campus security authorities, including CU faculty and staff members with significant responsibility for student and campus activities. It focuses on learning the crime-reporting requirements under the Clery Act. The Clery Act requires gathering crime data from a wide variety of campus security authorities (CSA) and publishing it to ensure students know about dangers on campus.
Access Based Training
- Check with your supervisor or department HR liaisonsÌýabout applications or systems access (e.g. CU-SIS, HCM, CU Finance, CU-Data, Marketplace) you need access to for your role. Visit the to understand training requirements to request access.
- Common Systems:
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- Student Integrated Systems (CU-SIS): FERPA training is mandatory for any system access and can be completed through Skillsoft
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- Greet and show new hire to their office space/meeting area
- Show them where to put personal items - coat, lunch, etc.
- Go over agenda for the day so they know what to expect
- Tour of office building, lab, shop, workplace
- Meet co-workers (official or unofficial welcome)
- Show location of break room, kitchen, restrooms, supply room, printer/copier, etc.
- Buff OneCard – new hires can send for their Buff OneCard in advance or pick it up on campus when they arrive. Check to see if they need a Buff OneCard still.
- Keys/Building Access – ensure new hire has building access. Work your with department’s Key Liaison for key or card access. If the new hire must pick up key from Access Services, it’s helpful to have another team member go with the new hire to get the key
- QuickStart Center: The Virtual QuickStart Center is held on *most Mondays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (MST/MDT) via Zoom. The purpose of the QuickStart Center is to provide you with tools and resources to complete set-up tasks such as portal actions, benefits enrollment, direct deposit, required training and more.ÌýÌýDepartments that are opted in are part of an automatic invitation process. If your department is not opted in, contact newatcu@colorado.edu for information.
- New Employee Welcome Experience: This course connects new hiresÌýand shares the story of how CU Â鶹ӰԺ became the institution it is today.
- CU Discover Webinar Series: Held monthly, these 1-hour webinars present an opportunity to learn more about working in Higher Education and at CU Â鶹ӰԺ.
Clarify
- Establish expectations:
- Work hours or schedule.
- Requesting time off.
- Ideal means of communication.
- Workplace norms and behavior.
- In-person vs. virtual meetings.
- Requesting space on campus/ conference rooms.
- Performance
- Review position and responsibilities.
- Create performance plan in the first 30 days.
- Meet with new hire to go over the plan.
- Competencies, Goals, and Imperatives:
- Discuss University Staff Competencies, if applicable.
- Share how work aligns with goals of unit.
- Align goals to campus strategic imperatives, if applicable.
- Give your new hire an orientation on the college, school, institute, division, or department in which they work. Include:
- History
- An introduction to upline leadership
- Mission, Vision, Values, Strategic Plan
- Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives
- Information about your constituents
- An overview of how your unit/team supports the overall organization
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- Travel policies and procedures
- University credit card policies
- University travel services
- Expense report procedures
- Purchasing policies/procedures
- The Campus PoliciesÌýwebsite communicates how University business is conducted at CU Â鶹ӰԺ. We recommend employees familiarize themselves with all policies.
- College, School, Institute or Department policies
Connect
- Schedule a first day meeting with your new hire.
- Schedule a series of 1:1 meetings with your new hire regularly.
- Go over process for if new hire needs additional time scheduled with you.
- Explain whom the new hire may go to with questions/concerns to when supervisor is not present (informally arrange this with a co-worker of the new hire)
- Work Networks coordinate and cooperate through knowledge and trustÌýto accomplish work and build strong working relationships.
- Set-up meetings or give new hire a list of colleagues in the unit/department to meet with in the first few weeks. Meeting goals should include:
- Becoming familiar with colleagues they will be working with.
- Creating and understanding of the different roles in unit.
- Set-up meetings or give new hire a list of colleagues in the unit/department to meet with in the first few weeks. Meeting goals should include:
- A knowledge networks is comprised of individuals and teams who come togetherÌýacross organizational and disciplinary boundariesÌýto share a body of knowledge. ÌýIt captures, transfers, and creates knowledge for the purpose of creating value.Ìý
- Set-up meetings or give new hire a list of colleagues from other areas of campus that would be of value connecting with.
- Forward Institute/ Division/ Department meetings, project teams or working groups you want the new hire involved in.
- Ensure your new hire is aware of the CU Â鶹ӰԺ Today.
- This daily campus newsletter includes important leadership messages,Ìýactivities,Ìýprofessional development, campus news and achievements.
- Ensure new hire is connected to your college, school, institute, division, or department communications.
- Encourage your new hire to connect with additional campus communications of interested.
- Diversity & Inclusion
- IDEA Council : The IDEA Council is a representative body comprised of student, staff and faculty charged with prioritizing the recommendations in the IDEA Plan.
- Diversity & Inclusion SummitÌý: The goalÌýis to provide a foundation to help us build community resilience, foster mutual respect, and promote empowerment, visibility, validation and unity among students, faculty, and staff.
- Office of Diversity, Equity & Community Engagement: ThisÌýoffice fosters CU Â鶹ӰԺ's vision for a diverse campus climate and works with students, faculty, and staff to implement the campus diversity plan.Ìý
- Diversity Learning & DevelopmentÌý- Department of Human Resources courses and resources for faculty & staff. All free of charge to CU Â鶹ӰԺ employees.Ìý
- Center for Inclusion & Social Change: At the Center for Inclusion and Social Change (Center), our goal is to support all students in the exploration of their identities and create a welcoming and inclusive space on campus that provides academic and personal growth.
- Campus Governance
- Staff Council: CU Â鶹ӰԺ's Staff Council is a team of elected members from across the campus. We representÌýthe interests of our campus' staff by advocating on a variety of issues, proposing policies, serving in an advisory role to administration, and facilitating a variety of events to bring collaborative opportunities to the campus.Ìý
- Â鶹ӰԺ Faculty Assembly: The Â鶹ӰԺ Faculty Assembly is the representative body of the faculty in the shared governance of the CU Â鶹ӰԺ campus. AÌýguiding principle of thatÌýshared governance, recognized by the Board of Â鶹ӰԺ, isÌýthat the faculty and the administration shall collaborate in major decisions affecting the welfare of the University.
- Campus EventsÌýworth mentioningÌý
Excel
- Have quick check in with your new hire. Questions you may consider asking:
- How are things going in general?
- Is there anything you don’t understand or need clarification on for you position?
- Are there any challenges you have encountered that we can work through together?
- Are you feeling connected with your team?
- Performance plan progress.
- Realign any expectations, if applicable.
- Considering asking:
- Are there skills/competencies you want to develop or improve?
- What would you like to accomplish in the next 6 months?
- Are there any challenges you have encountered that we can work through together?
- Are you feeling connected with your team?
- Recommend professional development opportunities that align with goals.
QuickStart Dates
2024 QuickStart Dates, 9:00-10:30am MST
January
- Tuesday, 1/2 (Holiday)
- Monday, 1/8
- Tuesday, 1/16Ìý(canceled)
- Monday, 1/22
- Monday, 1/29 No QuickStart
February
- Thursday, 2/1
- Monday, 2/5
- Monday, 2/12
- Monday, 2/19
- Monday 2/26 No QuickStart
March
- Friday, 3/1
- Monday, 3/4
- Monday, 3/11
- Monday, 3/18
- Monday, 3/25
April
- Monday, 4/1
- Monday, 4/8
- Monday, 4/15
- Monday, 4/22
- Monday, 4/29 No QuickStart
May
- Wednesday, 5/1
- Monday, 5/6
- Monday, 5/13
- Monday, 5/20
- Tuesday, 5/28 (Holiday)
June
- Monday, 6/3Ìý
- Monday, 6/10
- Monday, 6/17
- Monday, 6/24
July
- Monday, 7/1
- Monday, 7/8
- Monday, 7/15
- Monday, 7/22
- Monday, 7/29 No QuickStart
August
- Thursday, 8/1
- Monday, 8/5
- Monday, 8/12
- Monday, 8/19
- Monday, 8/26
September
- Tuesday,Ìý9/3 (Holiday)
- Monday, 9/9
- Monday, 9/16
- Monday, 9/23
- Monday, 9/30 No QuickStart
October
- Tuesday, 10/1
- Monday, 10/7
- Monday, 10/14
- Monday, 10/21
- Monday, 10/28 No QuickStart
November
- Friday, 11/1
- Monday, 11/4
- Monday, 11/11
- Monday, 11/18
- Monday, 11/25
December
- Monday, 12/2
- Monday, 12/9
- Monday, 12/16
- Monday, 12/23 No QuickStart
Tools & Templates
For managers, supervisors and liaisons
- Ìý Onboarding Remote Workers Checklist
- Onboarding On Campus Workers Checklist
- Reboarding: Remote to Campus Checklist
- Welcome Email Template - On Campus Workers
- ÌýWelcome Email Template - Remote Workers
- ​ÌýFirst Week Itinerary Template - On Campus
- ÌýFirst Week Itinerary Template -Remote Worker
- Temporary Employee Checklist