Manager tools and templates for effective onboarding
With every new hire, the onboarding process--focused on their first 90 days--is a critical point in the employee life cycle and one that managers are expected to closely oversee. Now, there are standardized tools and templates available for managers to set a fantastic foundational experience and support higher levels of engagement, productivity and retention. With over 2,400 new employees each year, the need to pay attention to onboarding is a compelling one.
Tools and templates
A cross-functional committee has partnered with the Talent Management & Workforce Strategy department within University HR to research best practices and develop the tools to support managers in executing an effective new hire experience. Danielle Hilmes, Director of Talent Acquisition in University HR, shared her viewpoint that, “With the tight labor market in the Bay Area, there is even greater emphasis on the effectiveness and impact of comprehensive onboarding. We want to usher in new hires with thoughtfulness, with efficiency, and with a high degree of inclusion as they are welcomed into our community. These tools can support managers in having a successful onboarding process for their new team members.”
Hiring managers or their designee are able to use any of the tools in the Manager Toolkit website. You’ll find:
- Email templates (to reach out to the new hire prior to their first day; to announce the new hire’s arrival to the work group)
- Checklists (4): Pre-Start, Day 2 [first day on the job], 30 days and 90 days)
- Sample announcements with bios
- Suggested work group “ice breaker” activities to facilitate introductions
- Top websites to bookmark
- Typical acronyms
A microsite has been created, called “Starting the Stanford Journey,” that contains information about the onboarding process as well as the tools and templates. As feedback from managers and human resources managers is received, tools may be revised and/or new tools added to the microsite.
It takes a village
Managers may not be the only person helping to onboard new hires effectively and efficiently; many others in the work group may have a significant role, and the tools may be useful for them as well.
In addition, human resources managers are typically involved in recruiting, hiring and onboarding as they guide managers and facilitate the processes, and have been equipped with new, customizable email templates to send periodic reminders to hiring managers throughout the new hire’s first 90 days. Some schools and units have existing tools focused on local practices and procedures, and those tools can easily be integrated with the new tools in the Manager Toolkit.
Additional onboarding services planned
Future onboarding project phases are being considered, and may include a university-wide buddy program, expanding resources to new hires during the onboarding process, implementation of a 90-day survey and exploration of the best ways to use technology to facilitate onboarding. In addition, a program to facilitate the effective onboarding of managers, whether they are newly hired to Stanford or newly promoted into a managerial position is currently being designed. The program, called the Manager Welcome Center, is targeted to launch in 2020.
Questions or suggestions are welcome
Hiring managers have local resources with your school/unit HR manager or you may contact careers@stanford.edu with questions or suggestions related to the onboarding tools.
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