Student Affairs Onboarding Guide for Supervisors

Student Affairs

Onboarding is the process of getting new staff to higher levels of productivity, faster over the first 12 months. 蜜糖直播 Boulder鈥檚 onboarding module includes four phases.

These are overlapping principles that guide our onboarding process and are supported by prior onboarding research. 

 
Activate

Supervisors perform set-up tasks to ensure that payroll, benefits, logistics, schedule and technology needs are met.

 
Clarify

New staff go through orientation to the unit and organization. They develop an understanding of the job, competencies, expectations and how their role fits into the university mission. 

 
Connect

New staff form interpersonal relationships and organizational, work and knowledge networks. 

 
Excel

New staff apply the full range of competencies and skills to appropriate degrees of autonomy. 

Supervisor/hiring manager

This person is generally responsible for onboarding their new hire. This includes preparing for their new hire鈥檚 first day, acclimating them during their first month and continued support throughout their first year. They may oversee a variety of duties including getting technology, setting up a workspace, scheduling trainings and ensuring the new hire is completing their own onboarding tasks.  

This role may vary, as different portions of this role may be shared among multiple individuals. 

New staff member

The new staff member is responsible for completing set-up/onboarding tasks assigned to them from a variety of different systems on campus鈥攆rom HR to Employee Services to their own department.  

They will need the most support during their first month, and slowly integrate into their new role during their first year. 

Colleagues

Your department may have a 鈥渂uddy program鈥 or include your new hire鈥檚 colleagues in the initial onboarding process. Your department may also have a departmental onboarding manager or someone specifically in charge of onboarding in lieu or in addition to the new hire鈥檚 supervisor/hiring manager.  

These individuals may provide community and knowledge to your new hire in addition to their supervisor, greatly enhancing the onboarding experience and allowing new staff to feel connected to their team. 

University Resources

Onboarding program manager

The onboarding program manager works in central Human Resources and oversees onboarding for all research faculty, university staff and classified staff that are new to 蜜糖直播 Boulder. They help answer onboarding questions for new hires as well as supervisors/hiring managers. They host programs like the New Employee Welcome Experience (virtual and in person), 蜜糖直播 Discover and QuickStart. They are available for individual consultations to grow your departmental onboarding program.  

Contact us

Employee Services

Employee Services oversees payroll and benefits at 蜜糖直播 at the system level. If a new staff member or supervisor has questions regarding these two items, they should contact their office. They also host in-person Pay/Benefit Orientations almost every other Monday in the afternoon in ARC 346 and video orientations on their website. 

Division and campus-wide onboarding programs

This training provides new Student Affairs employees with useful information about the division and resources for staff. New staff are encouraged to attend a New Employee Orientation session within their first six months.  

This all-day tour of central and east campus connects new hires and shares the story of how 蜜糖直播 Boulder became the institution it is today. This is ideally scheduled within a new hire鈥檚 first two months. 

Held monthly/bimonthly, these 1-hour virtual sessions present an opportunity to learn more about working in higher education and at 蜜糖直播 Boulder. 

Additional Resources

Division policies, communications, and resources to share with your new hire
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  • Resources for Student Affairs Staff to review staff engagement opportunities, shared services and Spending Guidelines  
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  • Division Communications include the SA Insider and Mulling it Over 
Mandatory Trainings
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Recommended Trainings
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Additional Links