Training and Development has developed a “New Employee Orientation Employee/Supervisor Checklist,” to help department managers with their new employees orientation to UAB and their new department.

This checklist is available to all hiring supervisors/managers at www.uab.edu/humanresources/ in the All Printable Forms section. It gives managers/supervisors a starting outline of key topics to discuss with the new employee.

Smart managers realize that new employees need more if they are going to feel comfortable in their new jobs. Here are a few ideas:

• Send a welcome letter once the future employee accepts his or her job offer, letting the new employee know that if he/she has any questions before the official start date, it’s OK to call.  
• Be the one to accompany the new employee on the first tour around the department. Many managers delegate this responsibility, but it sends a much more powerful message if you give them the special attention.  
• Have frequent, brief chats/meetings the first month of employment to ensure the employee understands his/her roles and responsibilities and your expectations. Many performance problems begin with unclear first communications on these topics.
• Ensure that everything the new employee heard during the interview aligns with what they hear during your department orientation. Discrepancies invite suspicion.  
• Explain the department’s mission, goals and challenges and model the behavior you wish to see in your new employees. 

Orientation should not be an afterthought, but, rather, preplanned – and often lasting about the same length of time as it did to hire someone. It takes very little to make a new employee think that accepting the job was a mistake, so be careful not to abandon your new employee. What might appear to take a long time in the beginning will only speed productivity later. Effective communication is the glue that holds everything and everyone together and helps foster a positive working relationship with long-term successful results.