Talking Stick - March/April 2013 - 20

res liFe

successful first meeting.
Assign a buddy. At most institutions,
new employees are set up with a buddy
from their peer group to help answer
questions and introduce them to other
peers. “Buddies provide new hires with
individual attention and the chance to
meet a colleague on a more intimate
level,” explains Lamar Dawson, hall
director at Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C. Peer group pairings
should be intentional, as this can make
the difference between a happy and not
so happy employee. New hires should not
be paired with a negative or disengaged
employee.
Take advantage of networking.
Because young professionals are part
of one of the most social generations to
date, after-hours networking and social
gatherings are essential. Ann Marie Klotz,
director of residential life at Oregon State
University in Corvallis, explains that social

activities are planned to acclimate the
new employee to the area and to develop
relationships among colleagues. Casey
Tullos, assistant director for academic
initiatives and staff programs at the
University of North Carolina, Charlotte,
emphasizes that helping new staff
connect socially and engage in university
life involves a partnership between
supervisors and peers. This collaboration
not only helps create professional
partnerships and friendships but also
helps establish what is and isn’t okay in
the departmental culture after hours.
Provide a focus for the first week. New
staff desire immediate engagement in
their new role and responsibilities. Vernon
suggests designing a few attainable goals
for the employee to achieve by the end
of the first week. Assigning a purposeful
task provides the employee with an
immediate responsibility and connection
to their work and gives supervisors an

opportunity to provide critical and timely
feedback. Alaina Barth, coordinator for
staff recruitment and development at
the University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill, says that she utilizes structured and
timely orientation checklists for new
employees and for supervisors to aid in
this transition.
Create a cultural norm. During
onboarding at Clemson University in
South Carolina, new community directors
are made to feel cared for, connected, and
an immediate part of the Clemson family.
Sharing department goals, sharing the
department’s story about why campus
housing is important to the institution,
and introducing the new employee to
campus jargon create a picture of the
campus climate, a context for feeling part
of a larger whole. Other strategies, like
those shared by Crystal Rae Lugo-Shearer,
conTinues

52

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Talking Stick - March/April 2013

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