Helping new hires feel at home at Virginia Tech
The old adage still holds true: "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Virginia Tech has taken that advice to heart and developed new ways to engage new hires, including speed meeting events and a peer-to-peer program.
“We want to set up new employees for success,” said Bryan Garey, vice president for human resources. “We want people to find connection and form meaningful relationships here.”
A robust onboarding program is important for employee retention. Studies show that if someone stays at an employer one year, the likelihood that the employee will stay five years and beyond increases 40 percent, said Jeff Cumberland, talent acquisition manager.
Speed meetings get the conversations started
A speed meeting is a low pressure, organized way to meet people quickly. Twenty-one new employees, ranging from custodians to tenure-track professors, attended the first speed meeting Feb. 27 along with five seasoned employees who served as table hosts.
Participants sat at round tables, with five people at each table. Each table leader was given a handful of questions as ice breakers. After several minutes, participants rotated to different tables.
“All of the new hires got to meet every other new hire,” said Jessica Grimes, employee engagement and onboarding coordinator. “We encouraged them to continue the conversations after the meeting.”
Said attendee Victoria Loe, program specialist for Student Medical Insurance, “This was the first time I've really gotten to connect with other young new hires, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”
Sonja Evette Crockett, graduate program coordinator, also attended the speed meeting. “The event was extremely helpful in meeting new individuals and making new connections – interacting with seasoned and new employees out of my direct office, department, and college,” she said.
The plan is to have quarterly meetings, with the latest new hires invited each time, Grimes said.
Peer-to-peer onboarding program completes pilot
The university recently completed a three-month pilot of the peer-to-peer program, which provides newcomers with a support system and connects them with resources on and off campus.
Six employees took part in the program. Each was matched with seasoned employees.
“The main objective of the program is to acclimate new hires to the Virginia Tech culture,” said Nelly Rodriguez, employee relations consultant, who manages the program. “We want new hires to feel they have a sense of community with Virginia Tech.”
The peer-to-peer program is designed to help new employees become familiar with the university, build professional relationships, and learn more about the culture and core values.
Meetings may occur on any schedule, but they’re most effective when they happen consistently, Rodriguez said. Human Resources provides support materials once an employee is matched with a new employee.
She has received positive feedback and is reaching out to a second group.
In addition to these new programs, the recently updated onboarding website contains information designed to help employees as they begin their new roles at Virginia Tech.
“Our message to new hires is: We want you to find your place at Virginia Tech,” Cumberland said.
