Preparing For Your New Hire
Things to Do Before the First Day
It’s very important for supervisors to plan for the arrival of a new employee, and preparations should begin in advance of the new staff member's first day.
The ASC Human Resources office will ensure that the official offer letter has been issued, executed, and submitted to the ASC Business Office for payroll purposes. The HR office will also prepare a New Employee Intake Form, which will be distributed to the various administrative staff who are responsible for a portion of the on-boarding process. The HR Manager may need to consult with the supervisor in order to gather information for the Intake Form, and supervisors should reply in a timely manner to provide all necessary information. The Intake Form will be distributed to the following staff for the purpose(s) indicated:
- Building Administrator: provide office assignment, phone extension; request office cleaning; issue keys
- IT Help Desk: email account set up; addition to email listservs; request for new or replacement hardware, request for specific software; access to share drives, schedule ASC computing tutorial on first day
- Librarian: schedule orientation
- Payroll Coordinator: confirmation of start date and processing of all necessary payroll paperwork
- Photographer: schedule appointment with new staff member to take website photo
- Receptionist: create mailbox or mail file
Things to Do on the First Day
It’s important for the supervisor, or an experienced designee, to be available to the new staff member on their first day in order to make them feel welcome and comfortable. No staff member should ever arrive for their first day without the supervisor/designee present.
The supervisor should greet the new staff member when they arrive, and be in their office and accessible throughout the day. The supervisor should spend time orienting the new staff member to their work environment, reviewing position duties, and introducing faculty and fellow staff members. The Annenberg community should be informed of the new staff member’s arrival via email. In addition, the supervisor is responsible for the following on the first day:
Announce
Announce the arrival of the new staff member via email to the Annenberg community. The announcement should include the individual's name and title, a little bit about their previous experience (if relevant), and the location of their office.
E-Mail/Computing
Provide the new staff member with their ASC email address and basic instructions on accessing ASC’s email service. A member of the IT Help Desk staff will visit with the new staff member on their first day to provide a tutorial on ASC computing. Prepare the appropriate documentation and obtain the necessary approvals to request access to any Penn computing systems the staff member will need in order to perform certain functions of their position (Ben Financials, Concur, UMIS, etc.).
Ingoing & Outgoing Mail
Direct new staff to the location of their mailbox/mail file and the outgoing mail bins.
Keys
Issue all appropriate office keys to the new staff member and discuss safety protocols regarding office space and the need to keep doors closed and locked when not occupied.
Office Equipment
Orient new staff to the location and proper use of the photocopier/scanner/printer.
Office Supplies
Provide the basic office supplies needed to get started, and direct new staff to the main supply closet in Suite 200 for other items they may need.
Payroll
Schedule a brief meeting with the ASC Payroll Administrator (Room 209 in the Main Office) to complete all of the required payroll forms in order to be added to Penn’s payroll system. New staff who are internal Penn transfers and already on Penn’s payroll system should visit the Payroll Administrator to ensure that their payroll record has been electronically transferred to ASC from their previous department, and updated to reflect the new position information.
Telephone & Voicemail
Inform new staff of their ASC phone number and provide basic instruction on the use of the telephone and voicemail.
Tour of Work Area
Provide a tour of the staff member's general work area and floor, and the main administrative office (Suite 200). Orient them to the coffee set-up, where the closest restrooms are, and where the closest exit is to their workspace. (A full tour of the Annenberg School building is provided to new staff members as part of the ASC New Employee Orientation through the ASC Human Resources office.)