A good start is half the battle
Do you remember your first day at work? How were you welcomed, and how did it make you feel? A smooth start is important—not just for you as a new employee, but also for the team you’re joining. So, how do you get onboarding right, and what does it involve? Karin van Daalen shares her insights.
‘I remember it well. In 2020, I started my first day at the faculty board’s secretariat at FWN. Feeling a mix of excitement and nerves, I walked into the faculty at nine o’clock. My colleagues from the board secretariat were waiting for me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I got a tour of the building and met the faculty board.
It was fantastic that my colleagues made sure they had time for me. They’d even arranged for colleagues from other departments to drop by and introduce themselves. By the end of the day, I cycled home filled with positive impressions and couldn’t wait for day two. What a warm welcome!
At Leiden University, every new employee receives an online onboarding module and can join an online introduction session. This takes you step by step through the ins and outs of the university.
How about?
What question should you ask HR, and when should you go to the PSSC? What exactly is the situation with leave and career development? In this section, an HR colleague answers a different question each time.
Onboarding magazine
At FWN, you’ll also receive an online onboarding magazine. This explains how the faculty is organised and is contains a lot of practical information, from HR matters to facilities. Did you know there’s also an online onboarding module for PhD candidates and managers?
As a new manager, you’ll receive a welcome email from our HR team. In it, we introduce ourselves and explain how we can support and advise you. You’ll also find information about the onboarding module for managers and the live introductory sessions run by Leiden University. Finally, we inform managers about the leadership model and the leadership ladder, which outlines the training options available.
Because really, onboarding starts the moment an employer signs a contract with a new employee. From that point on, it’s important to stay in touch. Make sure you apply for their LU-Card in good time, arrange a laptop and, if needed, a phone, and ensure they have all the details for their first day!
Take time
So how do you do this in practice? The key is to have everything sorted behind the scenes before your new colleague arrives. Their accounts should be ready to use, a workspace should be available, and a small welcome gift wouldn’t go amiss. The first day at a new job is always nerve-wracking—make sure to greet your new colleague properly and take the time for a coffee together.
As you can see, onboarding is about more than just information. It’s about building an internal network and finding your way in the organisation. As a manager, you play a key role in ensuring a successful onboarding experience for your new team member. Of course, HR is always here to advise you.
I recently made the switch to a new role within the HR department, so I’ve gone through the onboarding process at our faculty all over again. And I must say, my HR colleagues did a brilliant job. They gave me the same onboarding experience as a new employee joining from outside the organisation. It was a warm welcome and a really positive experience!
Going through this process again has made me realise how important it is to take time for onboarding, even when you move to a new role within the same organisation. In fact, I’d recommend that everyone takes a look at the online onboarding module once a year. That way, you know exactly what your new colleagues are learning, and you can refresh your own knowledge too. In my experience, there’s always something new to pick up!’