Onboarding
Welcoming a new team member is an exciting opportunity to set the tone for their future success. As the supervisor, you play one of the most important roles in shaping their first impressions, building their confidence, and helping them feel connected from day one. This page brings together the tools, guidance, and structure you need to make that process both effective and stress-free.
Whether you’re onboarding your first employee or have a long history of growing teams, you’ll find resources designed to help you create a welcoming, consistent, and engaging experience — without starting from scratch each time. From timelines and templates to supervisor‑specific guidance, everything here is crafted to save you time while ensuring your new hire feels supported and ready to thrive at UMKC.
Setting the Stage for Success
At UMKC, onboarding is not just a one-time event — it’s a thoughtfully designed experience aimed at making new employees feel welcomed, connected, and equipped to contribute effectively from the start.
To make this process as smooth and consistent as possible, we recommend organizing onboarding activities around a clear timeline and using the checklists linked below. This structure ensures consistency, provides clarity, and helps new employees integrate more seamlessly into their roles and teams.
New Employee Checklists
Successful onboarding involves many moving parts, and these checklists are here to keep both you and your new employee supported every step of the way. Think of them as your roadmap designed to make sure nothing important slips through the cracks.
Use the checklists below to guide conversations, plan touchpoints, and create a smooth, structured onboarding experience:
- New Employee Checklist (PDF): A step‑by‑step guide your new hire can use to stay oriented from day one through their first year.
- New Employee Checklist for Supervisors (PDF): A companion tool that helps you, as the supervisor, prepare, plan, and deliver a welcoming and effective onboarding experience.
These checklists work best when used together – providing structure, supporting communication, and ensuring every new employee is set up for success.
Resources for New Supervisors
When onboarding a new employee who will also serve as a supervisor, it’s important to equip them with the tools, clarity, and confidence they need to lead effectively from day one. This section provides resources you can share with your new supervisor‑level employee to help them understand their responsibilities, orient to key HR policies, and begin building foundational leadership skills.
- Checklist for New Supervisors (PDF): A checklist outlines essential tasks your new supervisor should complete in their first weeks and months
- Learning Resources for New Supervisors (PDF): This document outlines a curated set of training pathways, policy references, and development tools designed to help them grow into their role.
Onboarding Timeline
A smooth onboarding experience happens over time, and each stage has its own goals and priorities. To help you guide your new employee through the process, the onboarding timeline is organized into clear phases — each with a dedicated page offering focused guidance and helpful resources.
Use the links below to quickly navigate to the stage you need and follow the recommended steps for that point in the onboarding journey.
- Before Day One
- Employee's First Day
- Employee's First Week
- Employee's First Month
- Employee's First Year
Need Help Along The Way?
Onboarding is a shared effort, and you don’t have to navigate it alone. Your HR support team is here to make the process smoother, clearer, and more confident for both you and your new employee.
For support throughout the onboarding journey:
- HR Business Partner: Best equipped to guide you through university policies, employee relations, and onboarding best practices.
- HR Operations Specialist: A helpful resource for any follow‑up tasks connected to the hiring process.