UVic Employee Orientation

Manager's Role

Employee orientation is a collaborative process, meaning all of us have a role in helping new employees to become productive and successful members of our UVic Community.

As a department/division manager, you have an important role in the orientation process. In addition to ensuring that the new employee participates in and completes the various components of the orientation program, you have a responsibility to provide an effective department orientation.

A comprehensive department orientation will make the new employee feel comfortable and valued as a new member of the team, provide access to necessary information and resources, thereby influencing the new employee's ability to perform and to become a productive member of your department/faculty, and the University.

We are providing you with the following guidelines and checklists to help you deliver a consistent message, achieve department orientation outcomes, and make orientation a successful and enjoyable experience for both you and your new employee.

Manager's Responsibilties

Although organizational systems, policies and culture impact employee satisfication and commitment, studies illustrate that the employee-manager relationship is key to the employee's decision to stay with an organization.

As a manager, you have a critical role in creating a healthy working environment for the new employee and for ensuring that the new employee's first impressions are positive. You will be:

• helping to develop a positive employee-manager relationship;
• establishing an environment of trust and honesty;
• ensuring effective two-way communication between manager and new employee; and,
• influencing the new employee's impressions and attitudes about the workplace.

Orientation Checklist

Please see Employee-dept. Orientation Checklist for a complete list of areas that you need to discuss with all employees to:

• help integrate the new employee into the UVic work environment;
• ensure the new employee has the necessary tools and resources; and,
• help to assimilate the new employee into the university culture.