New Hire Survey

The new hire (acclimation) survey was launched in 2021 and is administered six times a year, i.e., every other month. Staff and bargaining unit employees are invited to take the survey 60-90 days after they begin work at Cornell.

The new hire survey focuses on the hiring process, the onboarding process, and the employee’s experiences at Cornell during the first months after being hired. Survey data is examined to determine whether aspects of employment – such as whether new employees are fully on site, working both on site and remotely, or working fully remotely – to understand how to best create an equitable and supportive experience for all new members of our workforce.

The following findings are based upon 800+ respondents hired between May 2021 and August 2022.

Findings

New Employee Orientation Matters

Ninety-three percent of employees who indicated they had a formal orientation plan and an effective orientation experience envisioned themselves still working at Cornell two years from now, whereas 58% of those who indicated they did not have a formal orientation plan or effective orientation experience envisioned themselves at Cornell two years from now.

In response to this finding, managers are encouraged to utilize this acclimation guide (link) to structure and support all new hires.

Effective Supervision Matters

Ninety-two percent of employees who indicated their manager meets with them regularly, listens to their suggestions, and has helped them understand how their position aligns with the university’s mission envisioned themselves still working at Cornell two years from now, whereas 62% of those who were ambivalent  or indicated their managers did not do these things envisioned themselves at Cornell two years from now.

In response to this finding, a  managers guide to employee engagement and retention (link?) was developed. Managers new to Cornell are learning about this and other tools to support employee experience via a Managers Forum.

Actions

Employee Welcome Guide for Managers

The Guide to Welcoming and Orienting Employees to Cornell provides a framework to support all new hires. This booklet conveys the importance of creating a positive onboarding experience for in-person, hybrid, and remote employees. It provides customizable checklists for pre-hire, first day, first weeks, and first 90 days, plus tips, templates for a new team member success plan, and discussion prompts for check-in meetings. The guide establishes clear expectations for managers and offers a convenient reference for planning and tracking each new hire’s onboarding experience.

Employee Engagement Toolkits

The Recognizing and Appreciating Employees: A Toolkit for People Leaders offers tips on how to build a culture of recognition and appreciation, communication guidance, and ready-made templates.

'Engagement & Retention Conversations Toolkit for People Leaders' provides tips to guide conversations, customizable script samples, conversation starters, notes template, and follow-up questions.