As districts design their onboarding experience, they should ensure that the roles and responsibilities between the central office and individual schools or departments are clear. When roles and responsibilities are clear, new employees feel a sense of organization and stability, and the transition between tasks handled at the central office and tasks handled at the school level is seamless. For example, these basic responsibilities should be clear:
- Where and how necessary employment forms will be filled out.
- How the new employees’ email accounts will be set up.
- Who will train the new employees on the online student management system.
In today’s digitized workplace, making the onboarding process as electronic as possible is hugely beneficial to new employees and employers. Personnel management systems ease the onboarding process for new employees by preloading all the necessary forms to be completed.
This practice benefits the employee by providing a user-friendly platform on which to enter the requested information, and benefits the employer because employee information feeds directly into the management system.
An important aspect of the onboarding process is helping new employees recognize how integral their role is to the district’s success and how their duties positively impact the organization as a whole. This recognition helps new employees get a sense of belonging from the start and can excite and motivate them about their contributions to the district.
Mentoring and Induction
Although orientation, mentoring, and induction happen after the onboarding process, they are vital parts of a new employee’s experience in the organization. A strong, well-constructed mentoring and induction program for employees gives them a solid footing as they begin their employment within the organization.
Districts should tailor the mentoring and induction programs according to the organization’s various job categories and classifications. In the mentoring and induction program, the district has the opportunity to set expectations for new employees and share information about the district’s culture, priorities, goals, and strategic plan, along with the day-to-day nuts and bolts of their new roles.
It is also an opportunity for new employees to see how their job fits into the organization’s overall success and to hear from the senior leadership team, generating support and enthusiasm for their employment with the district.
The content can be separated into two categories: orientation and induction. On orientation days in Tri-Town School Union, we introduce new employees to the vision of the district and its many different stakeholders, such as the senior leadership team, the teachers’ union leaders, the school board members, and the parent organizations that support our schools.
During our induction program we educate new employees on each of our curriculum areas and the programs and resources for each content area.
We also provide information that will support employees in their new roles, such as accessing the professional development courses, technology and resources, the educator evaluation process, the bullying prevention program, communication protocols, and strategies for surviving the change process.
During our induction program, we educate new employees on each of our curriculum areas and the programs and resources for each content area. In addition, we introduce support that we call embedded professional development, which is reflective coaching cycles where the new teachers work with curriculum specialists on coaching in the content areas. Also included in our induction program is detailed information about how to support and work with students with individualized education programs, English-language learners, and students with behavioral challenges.
An important component of a mentoring and induction program is its ongoing nature. During the first few years, touchpoints ensure that new employees are supported through ongoing training, meetings, observations, and feedback sessions. The continuous nature gives new employees something to look forward to and sends the message that the district is investing in them and wants them to succeed.
Tailoring programs for different job categories, such as instructional assistants and leadership team members, is important. These positions have specific tasks and functions that differ from those of teachers. Therefore, personalizing the induction program to support those areas is critical. For example, instructional assistants could be offered training in data collection techniques, and managers could be trained in the district’s evaluation procedures.
Best Foot Forward
I am a firm believer in continuous improvement for my office and our human resources field. In that vein, providing employees with multiple opportunities for feedback during the onboarding process will help employers improve their processes to ensure that new employees are getting the best experience possible as they begin their work in your organization.
Putting the district’s best foot forward during the onboarding process can support the new employees’ overall experience and impression of your organization and give them the tools necessary to succeed in their new roles.