During the Orientation and Review (O & R) Period, you will be onboarding your new staff member. Onboarding is the orientation and integration of your new employee into your department. It provides your new employee with an overview of your department and the resources and tools needed to excel at their job. These guidelines will help your new employee feel welcomed, engaged, supported, and prepared. 

  • Before Your New Employee Arrives
    • Contact your new employee to welcome them to your department and to confirm their start date and arrival time.
    • Ensure that your new employee will have the basics on their first day of work: including office space, phone, voicemail, computer, building access, systems, and email setup.
    • Notify people in your department when your new employee will be starting. Provide an overview of your new employee’s experience, what he or she will be working on, and to whom they will report.
    • Identify and schedule required training to take place during their first few weeks/months.

  • First Week of Employment

    Since your new employee’s first day will leave a lasting impression on them, as their manager, you play an important role in helping to make the experience a positive one. Be sure to:

    • Greet your new employee when they arrive.
    • Introduce your new employee to their team and the people they will interact with most closely.
    • Review their job responsibilities as well as the department’s goals and department and/or division’s website.
    • Arrange for someone on your team to provide a tour of their work area, including exits, copy/fax machines, and restrooms.
    • Confirm that your new employee has the equipment and resources that they need (phone system, voicemail, intranet, network access, software, hardware, printers, email, mail, business cards, IT support, access cards, building security, safety and emergency procedures, phone lists, office supplies, etc.).
    • If possible, pair-up your new employee with a mentor inside or outside of the department as another resource.

  • Orientation and Review Period

    The first 90 Days of an HMS staff member’s employment, the Orientation and Review (O & R) Period, is a crucial time for you to evaluate your new staff member, set performance expectations, and to agree on clear job goals. If it appears that the placement is not suitable for any reason, either party may terminate the relationship, without needing to use Harvard's dispute resolution process.

    For your employee, the O & R Period is about building relationships, learning processes/procedures, and beginning to make a contribution to HMS.

    • Schedule weekly (or biweekly) one-on-one meetings to review progress and provide feedback and coaching to the employee.
    • Help your new employee set up appointments with groups outside of the department in order to establish important cross-functional relationships.

    If at any time you believe your new staff member is not meeting expectations, you should contact your HR consultant to discuss next steps.

  • At the 90-Day Mark
    • Complete the O & R form in Peoplesoft.
    • Discuss with your new employee the steps they can take to increase their knowledge level and to shorten their learning curve.
    • Review the HMS performance management process in order to set expectations for the remaining portion of the coming year. (Note: if the annual performance review date is within three months of the O & R period, this may be omitted.)