My international office was without a director for about seven months. I’m so glad that we have a fully staffed office now! One of the reasons I wasn’t terribly stressed about the idea of onboarding a new person was because I had been preparing for it for a while. Actually, when our previous director left, we hired a temporary assistant, and that’s when I learned all the things that go into hiring someone on my campus. Rather than just having it be lost to the past and having to figure everything out again, I did what I do best: made a checklist!
I knew I could use this checklist again with some tweaks when we hired the new director. It’s also super helpful because in such a small office with very little turnover, we don’t hire much, so I feel confident that if one of us wins the lottery and quits tomorrow, the office will be okay!
The list is pretty comprehensive. Obviously, there are different times that some of these things can be done–don’t stress if you haven’t ordered the new person’s business cards! Just move the tasks that you don’t get to later in the timeline or come back to it. There are tips/considerations for some of the tasks, so I’ll add superscript numbers to them with notes after the list. I was adding them next to the items, but the list started to look overwhelming! Here is my checklist for onboarding a new staff member.
New Staff Onboarding Checklist
Prior to first day
- Request this info from the staff member before their first day
- T-shirt/polo size
- Preferred name on their name tag, door, business cards, etc.
- Professional headshot for website, newsletter announcement, etc.
- Photo for campus ID if this is offered
- Copy of passport to request DSO in SEVIS1
- Draft first day schedule
- Schedule internal orientation2
- Buy/prep welcome packet
- University T-shirt/polo
- University branded water bottle/mug
- Branded pen
- Name tag
- Order
- Business cards
- Name badges
- Office door name plates
- Purchasing card
- Update & send first day arrival email
- Where to park
- What time to arrive3
- Where to go first4
- Where/how to enter building/office
- Point person phone number5
- Lunch plan6
- Confirm working hours7
- Schedule headshot for website8
- Notify colleagues via email in suite/hallway/building of new staff member
- Contact appropriate departments for access
- Building entry codes/keys
- Space reservation software
- Maintenance request software
- Contact IT Services for
- Laptop/docking station order and pickup
- Phone number set up
- Virtual meeting platform set up
- Ask IT to give access to / your office give access to
- Office email
- Student information system
- Websites that are adjacent to the university site9
- Shared drive
- Survey/registration/form/assessment platforms
On the first day
- Office orientation10
- Pick up computer
- Pick up campus ID
- Sign up for New Employee Orientation
- International office give access to
- Internal shared drive
- Add to office online platforms11
- Coworkers’ calendars
- Additional calendars12
- Add to
- Office newsletter
- They should share their calendar
- Communication platform channels13
- Off-campus memberships14
- Divisional listserv/newsletter
- Institution listserv/newsletters
- Regional international advisors listserv/newsletters
On or after first day
- Send calendar invites to upcoming events they should have on their calendar
- Add birthday to office bday list
- Add to website
- Add appointment scheduling link to website
- Update building directory
- Sign up for driver certification training15
- Share organizational charts for the division
Resource Review/Familiarization
- Review website
- Review shared drive layout
- Review office handbook/guides
- Review online platforms
Formal Introductions
Schedule short introductory welcome meetings with campus partners to get to know one another and learn how your offices work together
- Student workers
- Suite/hall mates
- Registrar
- Business Services
- Bursar/Cashier’s office
- Student Activities/Orientation
- Housing
- Career Center
- International Admissions
- Dean of Students/concern support
Here are the notes for the items marked above:
1 – A big tip is about SEVIS: If your new hire is already a DSO somewhere else, see if they can remain on that school’s I-17 for the time being. It’s easier to have a current DSO approved and moved to a new school’s I-17 (and they retain the same login user name) than it is for SEVP to start all over.
2 – Reserve the space where you will orient the new person and decide who is in charge of each task. (See point 10 for more details.)
3 – Your office may open at 8:30 but you may want to settle in first and then have the new person come in at 9. Just be clear that this is for the first day and not the regular start time.
4 – Some campuses will want you to go straight to HR rather than their new office. If so, I recommend including a map in the email with HR marked. It’s a little step that could save a big headache down the line!
5 – Let them know who they should call if they get lost/locked out. I recommend you share the office and cell phone numbers because people are often up and about in my experience.
6 – It’s great if you want to treat the new staff to lunch on their first day! Let them know if you’re taking them somewhere or ordering in, that way they know whether or not they need to consider their lunch options.
7 – This is if there is an agreement to adjust their schedule, such as coming in at 7 am and leaving at 4 pm to pick up their children rather than the office standard 8 to 5.
8 – I mentioned earlier asking the new staff to send a picture they could use for their campus ID, but some campuses require an on-campus photo to have the most up to date image of someone. Similarly, they might require an on-campus photo for the website for the purposes of matching the brand aesthetic.
9 – For instance, if online orientation is on a third-party site like Blackboard, Moodle, D2L, etc.
10 – During orientation cover: where are the supply cabinet, lounge, conference room, where the mail comes in, etc.; what software systems are used, caseload assignment, office standards for advising and keeping notes, and whatever else is essential to know from the get go. Break it up so that everyone helps but also still has some time to get some work done that day. Don’t be afraid to ask student workers to help with tours!
11 – Many schools use third party vendors such as Campus Labs for student organizations to coordinate and advertise, Terra Dotta for storing records and documents, eShipGlobal for international mailing, or Google Sites for expanded information that does not belong on the university’s website like an archive of photos or newsletter.
12 – In my current office, we have a calendar so everyone can see when the student workers are coming in in case we need to pull them in on a project. If the office or the new person advises a student organization, add their calendar so they can see what upcoming events they should be aware of and potentially attend. If you use a shared calendar across the building for conference room bookings, this can be helpful to share early.
13 – In the past my coworkers and I have used Slack, Zoom (we used Zoom for our office phones) and Google Chat. If it’s a season when we’re working closely with international orientation leaders or international ambassadors, my office has used Whatsapp to easily communicate with our student leaders.
14 – If your campus/office has membership with wholesale companies like Costco, an Amazon Prime account, or other perks like 10% off at a local restaurant, let the new person know!
15 – If the new person will be using golf carts or vehicles from the motor pool, check if your campus requires a training session.
I hope these ideas helped! Does your office have any fun or unique traditions when bringing in new staff?
Thanks for stopping by,
Sara