New to UTM? An all-new employee orientation package offers a warm welcome to campus
Anyone who has started a new job knows the night-before anxiety of wondering what experiences a new workplace will bring. Now, a new initiative by the Human Resources department at the University of Toronto Mississauga aims to help soothe those “new job jitters” with a new employee onboarding toolkit.
This week, the department debuted New to UTM, a new employee onboarding booklet and webpage packed with key information meant to help make starting a new job just a little bit easier.
The new toolkit includes important information for all employees, like how to get to campus by car and public transit, as well as details that help new staff and faculty navigate on campus, arrange for essentials like email, TCard and parking passes. The booklet also provides information about other resources and perks, like access to the U of T Library system, where to find lunch and much more.
“It’s just enough information to make a new employee feel welcomed and have resources to get them started right away,” says human resources director Nader Boutros, who wanted to ensure new employees received a warm welcome to their new workplace
“Effective onboarding ensures a new employee is more productive and efficient as they enter the workforce,” Boutros says. “They’re not scrambling to find information, and that can translate into a return in their own success and success of their department.”
The made-at-UTM resource complements onboarding initiatives offered by the central Human Resources team on the St. George campus, which offers orientation sessions on university governance, employee benefits and institutional history.
According to document co-author and senior HR consultant Louise Oliver, the time had come to create a robust onboarding tool specifically for new employees at the Mississauga campus. “This complements the orientations hosted on the St. George campus that teach about the history of the university, and benefits of working here,” she says.
Four years ago, UTM’s HR team launched twice-yearly orientation sessions at UTM to help employees connect with campus colleagues and learn about the Mississauga campus.
The twice-yearly seminars introduced the history of the campus, and familiarized new employees with amenities like the RAWC and food services, as well as equity and diversity, sexual violence prevention, sustainability and security.
“Whether they were new to the university, or new to the campus, the sessions provided them with the information that would help them get settled here,” Oliver says. “This document helps to formalize that process.”
The booklet expands on those sessions, and also offers guidance to department managers to ensure a consistent introduction to the campus. The document is also customizable, offering the opportunity to personalize the document with the new employee’s name, and include information specific to their new department. “It’s easy to forget little things that long-time employees might take for granted,” Oliver says.
“There are already so many concerns when you’re starting a new job—we wanted to set people up for success,” adds Hana Yusuf, an HR advisor and co-author who herself is a newer employee to the campus. “This answers questions like where can I find something to eat or get a parking pass—things that I might not want to approach a manager about in the first week of work.”
The onboarding toolkit is the latest in a series of initiatives stemming from a strategic plan launched in 2020 by Boutros and the human resources team. The new plan, created with input from the UTM community, focuses on client services, diversity, equity and inclusion, staff engagement and efficiency.
“It ensures that our team is working together to support the needs of the campus in the years ahead,” says Boutros, noting that other initiatives from the plan have been a success, including a new community outreach project to assist job-seekers in Peel Region with the hunt for employment, new employee recognition programs and new staff engagement events.
New employees will receive the document before their first day of work so they have all the information they need to get to campus and find their way around. The booklet also includes a customizable first day schedule that lays out meetings with supervisors, campus tours and more.
Key information will also be available on the newly revamped Human Resources website which includes where new staff can find directions to campus, dining services and university holiday schedule, as well as resources and supports, including the employee and family assistance program, and opportunities for new staff and faculty to get involved in campus life.
While the document was developed ahead of the pandemic, it also plays an important role in helping new employees working remotely to feel a part of the campus. “Onboarding is even more important now,” says Yusuf. “This ensures that we have a consistent approach with everyone hired on to the university.”
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