Manager onboarding: finding your way as a new manager at the university
For new managers, the dynamic university environment can be a lot to contend with. A special induction programme comprising an online module, an introduction meeting and peer consultation will help you find your way.
As a manager, you have specific responsibilities, whether you are working in research, teaching or another part of the organisation. Management means setting a direction, monitoring budgets, ensuring information security as well as hiring people, conducting GROW interviews, managing sick leave and optimising team cooperation. You represent the employer to your people and have an important role in monitoring the workload and ensuring a pleasant and inclusive work environment. This takes leadership: in leading both individuals and teams.
New onboarding module
If you were recently appointed to a leadership role or have come from outside the university, working out your duties and how to carry them out can be difficult. The ASSC help desk, HR advisers and your colleagues can help. And there is a lot of information on the staff members site.
To help you sift through the mountain of information, HR and various expertise centres have developed an online onboarding module. This covers situations you are likely to come across in your role as manager (job openings, leave or staff illness) and shows you where to find the information you need on our staff member website and whom to contact with any questions. This is also interesting for managers who have been working here for some time.
Meet others
Besides the online module, all new managers will be invited to an in-person meeting. You will meet managers from different parts of the organisation and be able to grow your network. This meeting will be followed by a peer consultation session.
The first introduction session was held on Tuesday 24 September. Here are a few participant reactions:
- ‘This is a university that takes leadership seriously; it’s not just something on the side.’
- ‘Useful to meet colleagues and hear other people’s stories from the coalface. All really familiar.’
- ‘I’m pleased with the leadership cards. They will help me start a different conversation with my people.’
- ‘As a new manager from outside, I felt really welcome. It’s important to see what we have in common and to connect with others.’
Based on experiences
The introduction programme is based on the onboarding experiences of other managers, These include Mark van Dijke, a functional application management team lead at the ASSC. ‘When I started, I didn’t get a proper explanation of what this role involves, so had to figure out much myself’, says Mark. ‘The online module gives you an immediate idea of a manager’s main tasks, information you would otherwise have to seek out yourself. This is useful in your daily work. I was really glad there was a meeting with the entire ASSC in my first week at the university. I got to meet all the managers within my organisational unit.’
Why we are investing in leadership
Leadership helps us create a close community and clarify how we want to interact with each other. This creates a safe and stimulating working and learning environment that harnesses student and staff talents. The challenges faced by the university make supporting leadership more important than ever.
Leadership is also one of the spearheads of the Academia in Motion programme. Shared leadership − the shift from ‘I’ to ‘we’ − is key to Recognition and Rewards. This ensures that everyone feels recognised and appreciated.
Banner: Danique ter Horst