As a manager, you play a critical role in helping new employees feel welcomed, prepared, and connected. Use the resources below to support the onboarding steps, introduce your employee to Yale’s culture and community, and help them build confidence in their new role.
Onboarding Resources:
- I-9 Verification
- Workday Tasks and Courses
- Employee and Manager Communications
- New Employee Orientation
- Department Onboarding Support
I-9 Verification
Your new hire needs to submit both Section 1 and Section 2 of their I-9 before their start date. Yale is unable to issue NetIDs and PINs to new hires or rehires (with a break in service) until they complete their I-9. Remind your new hire to complete this before their first day. Check Workday to confirm when I-9 is complete. See Submitting Your I-9 Form for details.
Workday Tasks and Courses
After your new hire has completed their I-9, the next step is to activate their NetID and email. You will receive instructions from Information Technology (IT) about activating your new hire’s NetID and email address via email. These will be generated only after your new hire has completed their Form I-9 verification. Please forward these instructions to your new staff member’s personal email address. Once they have activated their NetID and email, ask your new employee to begin working on their Workday onboarding tasks.
To prepare for your employee’s first day, consult the wealth of content and courses on Workday Learning. Recommended courses are vast – here are a few to start:
Employee and Manager Communications
Starting in July 2024, you and your employee will receive onboarding communications once the offer from Yale is accepted, and the employee’s background check is cleared.
Before their first day, employees will receive several communications, including a celebratory welcome email and video and a letter sent to their homes. Then, every month throughout their first year, they will receive information about Yale’s history, culture, benefits, and resources. These communications will help your employees learn about our community and explore what’s around every corner at Yale. Encourage your new staff members to take advantage of these opportunities.
Two weeks before your hire arrives, you will begin receiving communications with information on how to prepare for their arrival, welcome them to the team, establish expectations, provide feedback, and more. These communications will conclude around your employee’s first anniversary.
New Employee Orientation
Starting in July 2026, new staff members will be invited to attend New Employee Orientation. Most sessions are held in person at the Yale Visitor Center, with select virtual sessions offered throughout the year to provide additional flexibility for employees whose roles or locations may make in-person attendance more challenging.
The in-person experience introduces employees to Yale’s history, traditions, mission, and community while helping them understand how their role contributes to the university. The session begins at 9:45 a.m. and includes a meet-and-greet with Handsome Dan, a video welcome from President McInnis, and an engaging introduction to Yale’s traditions and the many ways staff support the university’s mission across campus and beyond.
Following the welcome session, employees participate in a one-hour guided walking tour led by Yale student tour guides. The tour provides an opportunity to explore campus, discover iconic Yale landmarks, and begin building a meaningful connection to the university community.
At approximately 11:30 a.m., managerial and professional staff will proceed to lunch. Union employees will attend a presentation from their bargaining unit before joining lunch shortly afterward.
Employees who attend a virtual orientation will receive the same information about Yale’s mission, culture, resources, and community through an interactive online experience.
Managers are encouraged to support their new employee’s participation in orientation and reinforce key next steps before and after the session, including confirming required Workday tasks, introducing team expectations, and helping the employee connect with the resources shared during orientation.
Department Onboarding Support
Does your department provide area-specific onboarding support to new employees? If so, we’d like to exchange ideas to streamline the onboarding experience at Yale. Please email internal.communications@yale.edu with the name and contact information of the person overseeing onboarding in your department.