New to the Family:Training and Socializing

New Staff Members

Colleen CorcoranSenior Admission Counselor

Onboarding Program CoordinatorSaint Louis University

Mark SteinlageAssociate Dean

Saint Louis University

The Turnover is real

Career Paths for Admission Officers: A Survey Report (June 2014)

“Fifty-five percent of survey respondents reported that they plan to seek a new career opportunity within two to three years.”

“As expected, admission counselors and admission professionals age 30 or younger were most likely to be seeking a new career opportunity within three years—76 percent and 78 percent, respectively”

What is Onboarding? (And how is it different from training?)

How to perform job duties?

vs

How to perform a job (successfully!) considering office

culture?

What does a

university/division do?

vs

What are the strategic

goals of the

university/division and

how does the position fit

in to the overall

hierarchy?

Onboarding Activities

During an employee’s first three weeks on campus, he/she is scheduled to meet with almost every single member of the admission team, and many other staff members of Enrollment and Retention Management. New employees are also scheduled to meet with campus constituents with whom they will closely work in their new jobs.

Each session focuses on a different topic and is led by a different individual. Some sessions are specific to the employee’s day to day job functions (ie: setting up network access, how to log vacation hours). Some sessions introduce the employee to university programs (ie: meeting with the School of Nursing Enrollment Coordinator, learning about the University Honors Program). All sessions are designed to help the employee get to personally know their new co-workers.

Choosing Topics to Cover

+ Start with existing list of sessions

+ Think of job cycle and add sessions accordingly

+ Topics I recommend:

- Professional organizations/professional development

- Student experiences

- Lunches

- Job responsibilities and purpose

- Office overview: structure and mission

How are you communicating culture?

→Overview of the various Associations of

College Admission Counselors (ACAC’s)

→Admission Presentation

→Admit Calls

→Alumni Relations

→Building Relationships with Guidance

Counselors

→Campus Tour

→Career Services Overview

→Communication Office

→College of Arts and Sciences Overview

→College for Public Health and Social

Justice Overview

→Concur and Trip Payment Training

→Doisy College of Health Sciences

Overview

→Domestic Recruitment Overview

→Enrollment Rx

→File Review

→Financial Aid

→Graduate Education

→Honors and Scholars Programs

→International Admission

→International Services

→Jesuit Excellence Tour (JET) Overview

→Madrid

→Manager Meetings

→Micah Program

→Military Services

→Muliticultural Recruitment

→New Student Orientation

→Office of Admission Tour

→Parks College of Engineering, Aviation, and

Technology Overview

→Phone Training

→Photo Session

→Prep Talk Chats

→Processing and Operations Review

→Residence Life

→School of Education Overview

→School of Nursing Overview

→SLU and Office of Admission Overview

→Technology Overview

→MMIT Overview

→Territory and Travel Planning

→Transfer Admission

→Visit Overview

Sessions you schedule?

Sessions you think are helpful?

Get the Office on Board

+ Get the support of your management team

+ Introduce colleagues to the plan before a vacancy is posted

+ Explain the importance of meeting new colleagues

- Get them excited!

+ Remind campus partners that your office values the relationship with them

Sequencing Topics + Start with the most basic information

+ Always include manager meetings

+ Add sessions on in-office topics

+ Conclude with meetings with campus constituents

Be Organized

Be Organized

Be Organized

Be Organized

Be Organized

Be Organized

Be Organized

Be Organized

What else works?

Ongoing Support

Onboarding Coordinator

Manager

Team Mentor

Final Thoughts from Colleen

+ Customize the process

+ Be patient with others

+ Get help

+ Adapt

Thoughtsand

Questions?

Colleen Corcoran

ccorcor3@slu.edu314.977.2423

Mark Steinlage

msteinl2@slu.edu

314.977.7228