Reviewed Content on June 4, 2024
Onboarding: The First Week
The first week refers to the first 5 business days the employee is on the job (excluding the first day).
Colleagues in the office – supervisors, peers, job tutors, sponsors and local administrators – will play a key role motivating and acculturating new employees during this time. The new employee should be able to spend some or all of this week engaging in purposeful work, seeking resources required to perform work, and acclimating to the job and surroundings.
Enroll in Connections
All new Oklahoma Human Services (OKDHS) employees must attend Connections as soon as possible, but no later than 90 days after being hired. Once the employee’s U-number is assigned, they need to be shown how to create an account in the DHS Learning Management System and enroll in the next available session of Connections.
Complete the DHS Essentials online course
DHS Essentials helps new employees prepare for Connections. It’s found in the list of online courses of the DHS Learning Management System by selecting the “Find Learning” tab, then select the category “DHS (all employees)” or simply typing “DHS Essentials” into the search bar.
Ensure job roles and responsibilities are clearly communicated
This is done by discussing the accountabilities and behaviors expected of your new employee as you begin reviewing the Performance Management Process (PMP) with your new employee. As you discuss the accountabilities, explain how they tie in with the team’s mission. Spend even more time discussing the behaviors, as this is where most challenges arise.
Provide meaningful work for the new employee, either training or substantive work related to the new job
Unless it is immediately required as a part of the new employee’s job or pre-academy tasks, you should refrain from asking them to review policy, complete multiple LMS trainings, and read or file cases. Let the new employee shadow their job tutor, but avoid difficult clients or high priority investigations during the first week.
Introduce the new employee to other supervisors/managers
Explain what each particular unit does, and how their work fits into what the new employee will be doing. If there have been past points of contention between the units, leave them in the past. This is not the time for the airing of grievances.
Order Business Cards
Once the new employee’s information has been recorded by Financial Services, help him or her order business cards. You can use the link in the header for this section to quickly access the page.
Ensure the local administrator welcomes the new employee
If you only had time for a brief introduction on the first day; this is an opportunity for the local administrator (county or district director, office manager, managing attorney, etc.) to reinforce the new employee’s role in helping your office fulfill OKDHS’ mission and values.
Review the organizational structure and key staff
No matter what position an employee holds; they are part of a greater whole. Take the time to explain the work done by the various offices and divisions. The CSS organizational structure should be explained.
Provide a list of contacts who can address the new employee’s questions on a variety of issues
Beyond policy, procedure, and such, we have several experienced staff whose institutional knowledge can be of great benefit to a new employee. It is also important for new employees to meet those community partners we interact with regularly. Teach them who – and how – to ask when they need information.
Introduce CSQuest
Be sure to introduce CSQuest, the online source for Oklahoma CSS which contains “essentials for the work we do.” This source can be accessed from anywhere—your desk, at home, in court, or any smart device.
Gather feedback about the orientation program from new employees
Ask if the new employee feels he or she has a basic understanding of who we are, what we do, why we do it and how they fit in.