New Employee Checklist
Starting a new job is a harrowing ordeal. Planning and preparation can make the event much less stressful for the new employee. This article consists of two checklists, the first contains steps to complete before the new employee's first day and the second recaps things to do once the employee is on the job. These lists are not meant to be the final word but more of a listing of general steps to complete. Feel free to add other steps and procedures that are needed in your specific area.
Before the new employee's first day
Much of a new employee's stress can be alleviated by getting some fairly simple things done before the employee reports for work on day one. Here are some things to address before that first day.
Making the new employee feel welcome
Sending a simple email can go a long way in making someone feel comfortable and welcome. Besides the standard "Welcome to WSU" message, here are a few things you might want to consider including:
- A map of the campus will help the new employee begin to acclimate. Including information like which building their office is in is also helpful. You can find campus maps at https://www.winona.edu/maps.asp
- Parking on the first day will also be a question. Here is information on parking in the street, a set of maps for on-campus parking, and information on purchasing a parking permit.
- A list of realtors or houses for sale is pretty easy to Google, but it is also a nice touch to include in the email. As an example, here is a listing of houses for sale from realtor.com.
Taking care of the paperwork
Paperwork must be completed before a new employee has access to many of the systems WSU uses on a daily basis.
- The contract must be signed and processed before the new employee has access to WSU systems. (For example, a new faculty member will not get Brightspace access until the contract has been fully processed.) There are times that a contract will temporarily rest on someone's desk and you may need to follow the trail to make sure it gets processed in a timely manner. If that is the case for your new employee, start with your department chair and ask where the contract went next, working your way through the chain.
- Faculty need to be assigned to their courses. Check with your department chair on the process to follow. If a Term Course Form is required, you can get instructions for completion in the Term course form article in the Knowledge Base.
- All new employees need to activate their StarID and create a password before they can access networks, email, and many of the software applications they will need on a daily basis. There are instructions on how to do this in the StarID article in the Knowledge Base.
Setting up an office
It seems like a common-sense thing, but your new workmate will need office space. Here are a couple things to think about.
- Make sure the furnishings are appropriate for the job and for the employee. Questions about things like standing desks need to be addressed before the employee is on campus. If there are furnishings that need to be purchased, gathering the new employee's input into the selection process gives them a feeling of power and ownership.
- Same goes for office supplies. Make sure the employee has some say in the way the desk drawers are stocked.
TLT and Tech Support
TLT
- Set up the necessary training for the new employee. This includes any software packages the new employee will be using.
- If the new employee is a member of the faculty, find out if there any special needs for projection, collaboration, or presentation in the classroom.
- If you want a sandbox course for sharing content with a new faculty member, supporting course development, or learning Brightspace without endangering real courses, send TLT an email with the name for the sandbox course and the names of everyone that should be enrolled.
TLT can help with any of these and can be reached by email (tlt@winona.edu), phone (ext 5240, opt. 3), in Maxwell 130, or in the TLT Zoom Room (https://minnstate.zoom.us/my/wsutlt).
Tech Support
- Order a laptop or other appropriate device. You will need to know off the new person wants a Mac or a PC.
- Find out if the new person needs any extra equipment like a docking station, printer, ... Work with Tech Support to secure these.
- Tech Support can set up things like installing a phone in the office, installing hardware in the office, checking network connectivity, and validating email access.
Tech Support can help with any of these and can be reached by email (techsupport@winona.edu), in Somsen 207 in Winona, CF 122 in Rochester, or by phone (ext 5240, opt. 1).
Additional information
You can get more information on these topics in the following Knowledge Base articles.
Other activities
- There will need to be meetings the first week with HR, the union rep, and others. Work with HR to set the schedule of events.
- Consider finding mentor for the new employee. Someone that can answer questions and give guidance regarding the workings of the university.
In the employee's first week on the job
Employee needs
By now, many of these things are taken care of, but it is best to verify everything is ready to go.
- The new person's StarID should be ready to go, but check in with the employee to make sure. Also, make sure they can get on the wireless network.
- The new employee will need an ID card. These are distributed in Maxwell Hall. There is more information available from the WSU website.
- Check with HR regarding the initial HR meeting, meeting with their union representative, and access to the self-service site and the ELM training system. The new employee will need to know what training is required through ELM and by when it needs to be completed.
Community
- Introduce the new person to the rest of the group and other individuals they will need to know.
- Introduce the new employee to their mentor if you chose to use one. Get them some time together to get to know each other.
TLT and Tech Support
TLT
Teaching, Learning, and Technology will be the new person's resource for training on software usage, course design, video creation, and classroom support.
- Maxwell 130 is the place to go for all training and assistance needed by employees. The Digital Learning Commons (DLC) is available for students training just past the coffee shop in the library.
- Talk about any required training. This may be face to face, through the WSU Technology Knowledge Base, or through LinkedIn Learning.
TLT can reached by email (tlt@winona.edu), phone (ext 5240, opt. 3), in Maxwell 130, or in the TLT Zoom Room (https://minnstate.zoom.us/my/wsutlt).
Tech Support
Tech Support can help with any hardware-related issues as well as things like network access, phone service, and special equipment.
- Take any hardware issues to walk-in support.
- Tech Support can instruct the new employee on what software is readily available, how to install it, and where to get other, let popular applications.
Tech Support can be reached by email (techsupport@winona.edu), in Somsen 207 in Winona, CF 122 in Rochester, or by phone (ext 5240, opt. 1).
Institutional Research
If this is a new member of faculty, introduce them to either Brett Ayers or Eri Fujieda so they understand how WSU handles data and research. They are both located in Maxwell 130 but can also be reached by phone or email.
You can bring them through TLT (also in Maxwell 130) to talk about Qualtrics and how it is used in institutional research.
More wiki articles
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