As a new employee, you are responsible for being an active participant in your own onboarding. Onboarding works best when it is a two-way process. The organization provides information, resources and equipment; you ought to be engaged and ready to embrace new ways of doing work and adapt to new office norms and work styles.

Phase One of the onboarding process includes the period of time after you have received your final offer and accepted the job, and before the first day of your employment. During this time, the Human Resources Office (HRO) sends paperwork and communicates logistical information. Your new Supervisor will be using this time to assign you an Onboarding Sponsor and to prepare your workspace for your arrival.

You should use this time for filling out paperwork, getting to know the details of your new job and new office, learning a new commute or otherwise preparing for the first day in the new job. For agencies that require suitability or clearance investigations before new employees can begin work, this period may be weeks or months.

Your new agency will use this time to begin communicating with you, rather than waiting until the first day, to provide a smoother transition.

● Please be sure to click on "Phase1: Before You Arrive" from the menu to your right to learn about the items in the checklist below.

● Click on "Onboarding Checklist - Phase 1" below for an Adobe Acrobat version of the checklist that you can download and save on your computer for your personal use.