New Employee Guide

New Employee Guide to Success

Welcome to South Carolina State University. We are honored that you have chosen us as your employer. We want to ensure that you have all the information and resources you need to be successful in your new position.

Welcome to SCSU Bulldog Team

You are an important part of our team. Your work is integral to our mission to serve the South Carolina State University through education, research, and service.

Let’s get Started Bulldogs

We want to make it easy for you to get set up in your new position. Follow these steps to complete your hire, get paid on time and maximize your benefits.  Some actions are time sensitive; deadlines that must be met are highlighted for you.

Before You Arrive

We know you are eager to begin your employment journey with us. The information below will help you get off to a great start with onboarding. 

What is onboarding? A key part of an organization’s talent management plan, onboarding is the process of integrating employees into their new work environment. It is the last stage of the recruitment process and the first steps towards retention.

Why is onboarding important? To ensure that the employee feels welcome, comfortable, prepared, and supported. These feelings increase the new hire’s ability to make an impact (be productive) within the organization, both immediately and over time. Finally, employee success leads to satisfaction and retention, which allows the organization to continue to meet its mission.

Take Action Bulldogs 

In preparation for your first day, the following steps will finalize your onboarding process and gain access.

• Complete the demographic packet information and return to the HR Representative. 
• Followed by personal identification to conduct a background check. 
• HR department will notify the respected person their candidate background check was completed.
• Offer letter will be sent to the candidate personal email address provided.
• Receive Orientation information.

Your First Day

Happy first day! We are so excited you are here and a part of our Bulldog Nation. Today will be busy, attending you’re in person Orientation, getting familiar with your workspace, meeting your coworkers and colleagues, and getting your parking sticker and access cards.

SCSU goal is to make a good first impression by focusing on welcoming the employee to the corporate family not solely on completing the required forms. 

Orientation

What is Orientation? New employee orientation generally involves a first-day session or a first week of activities that familiarizes the employee with the organization’s structure, mission, and policies. It typically includes reviews of the employee handbook and the completion of necessary payroll and benefits paperwork.

Why is Orientation important? To create an inspiring experience that reassures new hires they made the right choice and lays the groundwork for high employee engagement.

New Employee Orientation you will have the opportunity to meet your Human Resource personnels. Orientation is broken into 3 sessions.

1. Customer Training
2. Policies and procedures
3. Benefits

There’s a lot to accomplish on your first day, including graining university access:\

• Obtaining University ID badge
• Parking decals
• Department/ Office keys
• Getting familiarize locations on campus.
• Introduce the new employee to staff and team members/co-workers.
• Getting acquainted with your Position Description (PD) what’s expected.

Your First Week

During your first week you are getting a real feel for your new job, connecting with your coworkers and colleagues.

Reminders

• Review and Select Your Benefits
• Benefits eligible employees have a limited amount of time to make selections.

Understand Your Expectations

• SCSU goal is to ensure the employee understands the mission of the agency, the responsibilities of the job and management’s expectations as well as to assist the employee’s integration into the organization.
• Ensure mentor and new employee are meeting and establishing a productive relationship.
• Ensure that some work assignments are ready for the employee so that he or she can feel productive immediately.
• Share unwritten rules, nuances, and traditions with employee (such as casual Friday) Review relevant incentive programs.
• Overview department functions and team member responsibilities
• Review other departments’ overall functions and highlight internal customers.
• Schedule meetings with staff members from outside employee’s team or work group to give employee view of whole organization.
• Assist employees in developing their own internal networks.
• Arrange lunch/breakfast meetings with co-workers.
• Review relevant decision-making processes with employee.
• Meet with employee to discuss how best to build relationships between themselves and other employees and to discover interests, challenges, and balance of work and family issues.
• Consider scheduling a lunch with the employee and his or her spouse.
• Ensure employee understands how his or her role fits with the goals of the organization.
• Meet with employee to establish goals and job expectations and to complete planning stage of performance evaluation and review performance management process.
• Meet with employee and create a development plan to insure acquisition of needed job specific skills and knowledge.
• If employee will supervise others, ensure he or she meets with direct reports one-on-one and as a group.
• If the employee has been promoted from within the organization, a transition guide/plan should be developed by the manager and a senior mentor/coach should be assigned to advise the promoted manager on the unwritten rules at the next level (specifically on how to build relationships with new/old peers and subordinates and on how to manage the heightened politics and increased ambiguity).