Onboarding at Colby

Colby RISE Onboarding Program

Realizing Individual Success Early

Our re-imagined staff onboarding program will provide a streamlined, integrated, and unified experience that welcomes new hires, creates a cohort among new hires to assist with early relationship building and networking, reflects the culture and values that make Colby unique, and provides the knowledge and resources needed to acclimate to a new environment and sets individuals up for early success.

Our approach also acknowledges and supports the understanding that integrating into a new organization is a process that takes place over time, with the first 12 months being particularly important.

Initial priority areas of focus in this new approach include:

  • A re-imagined new hire orientation program has been expanded to an interactive, full-day experience.
  • The alignment of start dates* to new hire orientation sessions which will be held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, generally.
  • Improvement of the pre-boarding processes to streamline tasks and actions required for employee set-up.
  • A new, user-friendly benefits education platform.

* Exceptions will be considered based upon significant hardship to the individual or to the College.

Pre-boarding

This process begins before the new team member starts. It is a shared effort between hiring managers and departments involving communication and completion of specific tasks/activities that prepare the workspace, key logistics, and additional items necessary for a team member’s start.

Examples include:

  • Completing onboarding tasks in Workday
  • Requesting ITS equipment and system access
  • Preparing the office space
  • Communications about the start and orientation from Colby Human Resources

View the manager onboarding checklist (below) to read full details for pre-boarding.

 A New Day: Day 1 Orientation

Day-long sessions for new team members. Day 1 Orientation provides opportunities for new team members to network and build relationships; align their role to the broader mission, vision, and values; and gain knowledge and resources to jump-start their careers.

Day 1 Orientation will also cover general information about Colby’s divisions and their work; a campus tour; ITS online resources for getting started; policies and resources related to workplace safety, emergency response, harassment prevention, Title IX; and exploring Life at Colby through learning about key social events, added benefits, and advice/tips to get started.

Follow up from orientation includes completion of computer installation by ITS (on Day 2) and a virtual Workday demo from Payroll and a benefits information session from HR (on Fridays following each orientation).

 

Scheduled 2023 Orientation Dates: 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, 11/13, and 12/11
Scheduled 2024 Orientation Dates: 1/8, 1/22, 2/12, 2/26, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22, 5/13, 5/28**, 6/10, 06/24, 7/8, 7/22, 8/12, 8/26, 9/9, 9/23, 10/14, 10/28, 11/11, 12/9 (2nd/4th Monday of each month, generally).
  • Orientation dates coincide with start dates*
* Exceptions will be considered based upon significant hardship to the individual or to the College
** Moved to Tuesday due to holiday
Key partners: ITS, Facilities Services, Security, Athletics, Payroll, Human Resources (Business Partners, Benefits, Student Employment), and Hiring Managers
Lead: Learning and Talent Development, Office of Human Resources

 

View our 1-pager about the newly revamped Day 1 orientation (below).

Resources

COMING SOON! Onboarding Roadmap for New Team Members

Manager Onboarding Checklist

Day 1 Orientation Overview (1-pager)