Managers’ Corner: Onboarding new employees
February 17, 2026 •
When a new employee joins UCOP, their onboarding experience shapes more than their first few weeks; it impacts their long-term engagement, performance and overall commitment to the UC mission. Managers play a crucial role in facilitating onboarding as:
- 86% of new employees decide how long they will stay with an organization within the first six months
- About one-third of new employees leave within the first 90 days, often due to poor onboarding
- 69% of new employees are more likely to stay with an organization for three years if they had a great onboarding experience
Here are the top practices for managers to help new employees acclimate to UCOP.
UCOP New Employee Orientation (NEO)
- Hosted monthly by UCOP Learning & Development, NEO provides new colleagues with the opportunity to connect with other new hires and provides an overview of UC, UCOP and resources available to them. Hybrid Oakland staff are expected to attend in-person, while UCPath, UCDC, Sacramento, Livermore and remote staff are encouraged to attend virtual sessions.
- Managers are encouraged to include NEO in their staff’s first-month calendar. NEO is also listed as a required recommendation for new staff in the UC Learning Center.
- Hosted monthly by UCPath, the benefits webinar gives an overview of UC’s comprehensive benefits package.
- Managers are encouraged to include this webinar in their staff’s first-month calendar.
Buddy program
- Assign a buddy from outside the immediate team to your new employee. Review the buddy guidelines for onsite and remote
- Review additional materials and samples such as First Two Weeks Schedules and 30-60-90 Plans.
Teambuilding
- Incorporate activities for new employees to get to know the team and partners through facilitated programs such as DiSC or CliftonStrengths
These first steps are key to helping new staff feel connected and confident in their roles at UCOP.
UCOP Learning & Development is available to support teams and managers in enhancing their onboarding processes. Submit an intake form to schedule a conversation.
Tags: employee engagement, Managers' Corner, New Employee Orientation
