Staff Onboarding: Systems, Communications & Dashboards

When onboarding staff, it is essential to have a dynamic and linear strategy to not only document but communicate with your new employees providing mutual clarity amongst your new employee(s) and organizational team. This week I’m sharing a process I believe is successful when onboarding staff from the Technology Services lens.

Onboarding Knowledge

Each organization should implement hiring system providing organizational insight on staff (hiring, leave of absence and retiring/resignations). This can be done in many ways either through a project management platform (ie. Asana, Slack) or dynamic Google Sheet. Implementation of an onboarding system allows a systematic documentation process as well as efficiency when onboarding staff. From the perspective of Technology Services, we implement our own section of induction and exiting process allowing for departmental transparency on creation/suspension of accounts, devices, etc.

Welcoming Communication

Remember last time you started a new position and the time leading up to your first day? I bet you had a variety of questions and were anxious to get started. Knowing this, I empathize with new staff and always ensure from the perspective of technology, communications and information systems to provide a timely welcoming communication on essential information. Due to your organizations hiring frequency, I would recommend creating an email template (how from Google). Implementing an email template will ensure consistency and efficiency with your onboarding communications. Within my welcoming email template, I always ensure a positive welcoming message, provide guidance on how to obtain district issued technology devices and provide a link to our Staff Technology Dashboard.

Staff Technology Dashboard

We have created a secured webpage of our Staff Intranet solely on essential Technology Services. This page is dynamic meaning, each year we will review and update this page to reflect current information and services for staff including

• Help Desks: how to put in a ticket.
• Professional Development: learning libraries and instructional coach(s) contact information.
• Information Systems: direct links and descriptions to student information system, data dashboard, library system, staff intranet, etc.
• Teaching and Learning Devices: list of teaching and learning devices available for staff and students.
• Core Software and Subscriptions: Google Workspace resources, LearnPlatform learning library and classroom management software.
• Technology Forms: staff and student specific forms and guidelines.
• Student Privacy and Protection Protocol: understanding of SOPPA, approved apps, and how to request an app review.
• Cybersecurity: shared best practices revolving around staff cybersecurity including guidance on social engineering, accounts/password protocols and multi-factor verification.