Onboarding employees can be done with a mixture of on-site and virtual experiences. This page is a comprehensive step-by-step guide to orienting employees, starting from before their first day through their first 90 days at the Harvard Library.
Virtual Course: Onboarding for Belonging and Retention (Library Staff)
Before the Employee's First Day
Allow adequate time between making the offer and the first day of work. From the time all required information is submitted to HR, it can take up to two weeks before the employee can be systems-ready.
Many arrangements have to be made to make sure that a new employee’s first day on the job is a happy and productive one. Consider:
- It may take time to secure and set up a workspace for the employee.
- You’ll want to thoughtfully plan their training schedule, which may involve scheduling meetings for them with busy people.
Designate a workspace for the new employee, and furnish it if necessary. If the employee will have a hybrid schedule, discuss flexwork office spaces and how to reserve a room.
Complete the HL/HCL Employee Onboarding Form to order computers, and secure a telephone line if needed.
Make arrangements for ID-card swipe access, and order any keys the employee will need to access work areas.
Make sure basic office supplies are already at the employee’s desk.
Order business cards if applicable.
Ensure that the person will have access to the systems and equipment they will need, including shared electronic file storage, financial tools, and collaboration systems.
Schedule meetings with key people who will help to orient the employee to their new position. Consider possible meet-and-greet meetings on site and/or virtually.
Consider asking for a peer mentor/buddy to act as a resource for the new employee. This would be someone who will be available at an informal level and will occasionally check in on the new employee. The volunteer could even take the new person on a tour. Creating a bond with someone on their new team can give the new employee a greater sense of belonging. Make sure to arrange with the volunteer in advance, and introduce them to the new employee on their first day.
Make sure the new hire knows where and when to report on their first day and whom they should check in with.
Encourage the new employee to register for a New Employee Welcome & Orientation session on HARVie.
On the Employee's First Day
Schedule an informal meet-and-greet to welcome the new employee.
Make sure the employee gets a tour of the building and campus, including locations of break rooms, restrooms, mailbox, recycling and trash, and an overview of security and emergency procedures. Show the employee where they can store personal belongings, and review any protocols related to food in the office.
A virtual tour of HL could be as simple as navigating through the HL Staff Portal and where they can find, for example:
Meet with the employee 1:1 in a confidential environment. Discuss your expectations of each other in the upcoming week, probe to ask if they have any questions or concerns, and let them know the best way to reach you if they have questions or need any assistance.
Connect the employee with an IT customer service rep for computer and email setup, and, if applicable, help them set up their voicemail.
During the Employee's First Week
Help your new employee understand their role by showing them how their job relates to the larger organizational structure of your department or business unit.
Ensure the employee understands time-reporting responsibilities and local procedures on reporting time and absences.
Review any local procedures on phone-answering, message-taking, handling calls from the press, etc.
Review the location, instructions on use, and where to find supplies for office equipment such as the printer, copier and fax.
Review department-specific websites, shared drives, listservs, journal subscriptions, library access, etc., as well as software programs — create a learning plan for any needed software skills.
During the Employee's First Month
Meet with your new employee to do some goal-setting. You will be reviewing your employee around the 90-day mark, so this is a good timeframe for goals that you set with them. It’s important to enlist the staff member in formulating and assessing the goals that you set together. These should include not only deliverables and project deadlines, but also learning goals that will help to build the capacity of your employee to offer more and more value over time.
One of the goals of your initial meetings with your staff member is to identify any technical or professional skills that your staff member will need in order to be successful in their new role, and create a learning plan with them if needed.
Before the Employee's 90-Day Mark
Schedule an orientation and review meeting with your employee to give them some feedback about their performance and complete the 90-Day Orientation and Review Form.
With the exception of union members who are transferring from other units within Harvard, the first 90 days are the orientation and review period. Read more about this period as it pertains to non-union employees and HUCTW employees (personnel manual, page 15).