Information for Supervisors of New Staff Members

This site is a resource for supervisors of staff members new to Flinders. Its purpose is to assist supervisors to ensure that new staff become familiar with a great deal of information very quickly, by providing links to relevant information. It works in conjunction with the Supervisor's Handbook. (see below)

The Supervisor's Handbook, distributed to all supervisors of new staff, contains information designed to assist in the process of inducting new staff members.

You can download a printable copy of this handbook, in either PDF or Word format, by clicking on the following links:

This website provides a model for presenting the essential information new staff need:

before they arrive
on their first day
during the first week
within the first month
within the first three months
within the first year

If you have any comments about this website , you can email us at: staff.development@flinders.edu.au

The Supervisor's Responsibility

New staff are required to undertake a relevant induction program. Responsibility to ensure this is completed rests with both the staff member and the supervisor. When a new staff member joins your work unit, they need to become familiar with a great deal of information very quickly. If this information is provided in a structured and logical way, it will make the transition smoother for both the new staff member and their supervisor. The information on this website provides a guide to what all new staff need to know about working at Flinders.

Where a new staff member is a supervisor/manager, he/she will normally be required to undertake designated training in: (i) the role and responsibilities of a supervisor, and (ii) managing the working environment. While it is ultimately the supervisor's responsibility to ensure new staff get the information and support they need, this does not mean you have to provide all of the information yourself. It may be that you delegate some of the induction to other colleagues or administrative staff; eg. a Head of School might delegate the tour of facilities to an administrative officer.

About the Handbook

The Supervisors Handbook (see below) was developed following discussions with new staff about the type of information they need, and with feedback from supervisors. It provides an explanation of the induction process as well as identifying the information that new staff need to know, to get started as quickly as possible.

The information has been structured into sections based on what new staff are likely to need to know on their first day, first week, first month, first three months, and by year’s end.

You can use the lists in the handbook as a guide for structuring information relevant to your new staff member. However, each work area is different, with varying policies and procedures. New staff members will also differ in terms of what information they require and when they require it. Therefore, you can add locally relevant information to meet the needs of your area or the new staff member. To download an electronic copy of the handbook, click on the link to the PDF below.

The Induction Process

There are several key elements to the induction process at Flinders. These are described below.

Supervisor's Handbook

This handbook, distributed to all supervisors of new staff, contains information designed to assist in the process of inducting new staff members. You can download a copy of this handbook by clicking on the following link:

New Staff Website

This site is for staff members new to Flinders, to assist them to become familiar with a great deal of information very quickly, by providing links to relevant information. It works in conjunction with the Guide for New Staff (see below) which contains information designed to assist in the process of transition. This site is available at:

http://www.flinders.edu.au/staffdev/orientation/newstaff

Guide for New Staff

When a person is offered a position at Flinders University, they will receive a Letter of Offer and a copy of the Guide for New Staff. The purpose of this handbook is to outline the induction process and to direct the new staff member to the information they are most likely to need in their first few weeks and months at Flinders. It can also be downloaded from the New Staff Website.

Occupational Health and Safety Information

The Occupational Health and Safety Information pamphlet which outlines the Occupational Health and Safety Policy and the Occupational Health and Safety management structure at the University. It directs the new staff member to other sources of information about health and safety, including the OH&S web site

The Guide for New Staff and Supervisor’s Handbook both include an Occupational Health & Safety Checklist to be completed by the supervisor and new staff member on the first day of work. Both must sign the checklist and the supervisor must retain a copy for audit purposes.

Human Resources Division

The Human Resources Division requires staff to:

Meet with a Personnel Consultant
In the first few days, new staff should be encouraged to arrange a meeting with their Personnel Consultant to verify their employment at Flinders (e.g. show required documents). Call extension 13875 for more information.

Attend an Employment Conditions Workshop (Induction)
When meeting with their Personnel Consultant, the new staff member should arrange to attend an Employment Conditions Workshop. These short workshops are held approximately every three weeks and provide important information on employment conditions such as leave, pay and entitlements and employee obligations.

More information on the Human Resources Division can be found at: http://www.flinders.edu.au/hrd

Orientation Workshops

During their first three months at Flinders, staff are expected to participate in a number of short orientation workshops organised by the Staff Development and Training Unit. The workshops deal with:

Equal Opportunity and Occupational Health and Safety Information
History and Organisation of Flinders University plus Security Information and Tour of the Campus
Formal Welcome from the Vice Chancellor
Academic Orientation

New staff will be automatically invited (with a CC to the supervisor) to the next programed orientation sessions after attending the Employment Conditions (Induction) Workshop.