Center Employee Orientation Guidelines
16 Guidelines to Ensure a Successful Program

Each Center, organization, supervisor, and employee has a responsibility to ensure that our new employees’ first days on the job provide a successful launch to their careers. It is critically important that we provide them with the foundation tools, resources, and organizational perspective that ensure their rapid inclusion within our workforce and our NASA culture.

The following guidelines are intended to communicate in our words, actions, processes, and appearance---that Safety, the NASA Family, Excellence, and Integrity are what we value. They also intended to create the excitement and belief that.. “Wow, this is going to be a great place to work!” New employees will be electronically surveyed to ensure that we are following these guidelines.

1. Designate a Center Employee Orientation Manager
2. Assign Sponsors
3. Ensure a successful First Day Experience
4. Offer Letter
5. Orientation Website
6. Online Checklist Builder
7. Online Calendar
8. Workforce Transformation & Tracking System
9. New Employee Recognition
10. Promotional Items
11. Training Support for Orientation
12. Functional Area Support of Orientation
13. Security: First day Reception
14. Work Area Preparation
15. Organization and Position
16. Oversight, Metrics, and Feedback Response
    
    

1. Designate a Center Employee Orientation Manager and assign organization responsibility for the Center Orientation process. Your Employee Orientation Manager is responsible for the following:  
   
   • coordinating and monitoring the orientation of new, transferring, detailed, and returning employees at your Center;
   • insuring that your Center has an effective level of Center unique orientation activities and training;
   • familiarizing supervisors, functional areas, and sponsors with their Employee Orientation roles and responsibilities
   • responding to issues and feedback from orgs, employees, supervisors
   • monitoring performance metrics; reporting and measuring program compliance and success;
   • insuring the quality of your Center’s information on the agency Employee Orientation website and within the checklist builder and calendar
     
     
2. Assign Sponsors. Implement the requirement that the gaining organization / supervisor assigns sponsors for their new, transferring, or detailed employees. A common theme and request from our new employees is for assistance with the day-to-day activities needed to get settled into their new workplace and local area. Basically, a sponsor is your new employee’s temporary best friend tasked with helping them get settled into your Center. Typically the sponsor should be of similar background as the new employee (occupation, organization, grade-level etc.). The sponsor will assist the new employee from the time of the offer to about a month after arrival. Detailed sponsor guidelines, a custom checklist builder for sponsors, and a brochure are available on the Orientation web page. In Phase 2, you will be asked to post the name and contact information for each sponsor assigned to the new employee in the Workforce Transformation Tracking System (WTTS).
   
   
3. Ensure a successful First Day Experience. The manner in which we prepare and receive our employees on their first day is absolutely critical to a successful orientation. The goal is to ensure that upon arrival the new employee is welcomed with courtesy and attentiveness, that in-processing is efficient and organized, that the new employee’s work location is prepared with a PC, phone, user accounts, and email address, and that their supervisor/ organization is prepared for their arrival.
   
   Your Center should ensure that employee orientation is accepted as a shared responsibility between human resources, the supervisor/organization, and the functional areas (IT, facilities, security, safety, etc.,). Suggested steps for a successful First Day Experience are posted on the website and are included within the checklists and in the supervisor/sponsor guidance. Note: Phase 2 implementation of the Workforce Transformation tracking system (WTTS) later this summer will provide you with the automated tools to easily notify and involve functional area, supervisor, and sponsor, and organizations.
   
   
4. Offer Letter With each employment offer letter, provide:
   
1. the NASA Employee Orientation brochure with instructions on employee orientation and the checklist builder. Download from the website
2. a list of key contacts using the format on the website. Download from the website in fillable PDF format.
   
   
5. Orientation Website Maintain your Center’s content on the NASA Employee Orientation Website. Assist in the maintenance of the agencywide pages.
   
   
6. Online Checklist Builder Maintain your Center’s orientation checklist items within the online Checklist Builder.
   
   
7. Online Calendar Post your Center’s orientation activities on the Employee Orientation Online Calendar
   
   
8. Workforce Transformation & Tracking System Post and maintain current gain, transfer, detail, military returnee, and loss information within the Workforce Transformation Tracking System (WTTS).
   
   
9. New Employee Recognition Communicate and reinforce the sense of importance of the arrival of your new employees.
   
1. Supervisor and sponsor should contact welcome the new employee immediately after their acceptance of the job offer.
2. Provide a Welcome letter from the Center Director
3. Have the gaining supervisor swear in the new employee in the presence of their co-workers
4. Introduce the new employee to their chain of management, key staff, and key service providers within the first week.
5. Hold periodic welcoming receptions / luncheons for new employees
6. Upon completion of employee orientation hold a short ceremony to present the completion certificate and a NASA lapel pin. Officially, welcome the new employee to the community of aviation and space explorers.
   
   
10. Promotional Items
    
1. Provide promotional items to new employees to help instill a sense of mission, purpose, responsibility, and identity. Items may include NASA pins, posters, photos, certificates, cups, etc. Note: many of these items are available through the Space Flight Awareness (SFA) program.
   
2. Also, if available, provide coupons and flyers from the gift shop, cafeteria, visitor center, credit union, etc.
   
   
11. Training Support for Orientation
    
1. List Employee Orientation as a training course in your catalogue.
2. Supervisory---Provide training during your Center’s supervisory training that focuses on employee orientation roles, requirements, and practices.
3. New and Transfer Employees---
1. Provide an individual development plan (IDP)
2. Provide a local briefing on training processes and opportunities.
3. Ensure that required training (safety, IT Security, Hazmat, etc.)is completed within the specified times listed on the checklists.
4. Provide Center level training that familiarizes the new employee with the Agency and Center roles and missions, organization, employee roles, rights, and responsibilities, and Safety
5. Provide Organizational and job level training that is required for the new employee’s job
6. Provide organized tours of faculties and Center
7. If available, have the new employee take a visitors tour of your facility along with regular visitors/ tourists.
   
   
12. Functional Area Support of Orientation
    (safety, security, legal, IT, facilities, etc)
    
1. Prior to the arrival of your new employee, implement a process that ensures that your Center’s functional support areas are aware of the date of the arrival along with any special needs. Note: This will be an automated service through WTTS websites and email.
2. Maintain an eMail distribution list of functional area new employee contacts and service providers
3. Provide employee orientation familiarization training to functional area representatives involved in orientation processes. Ensure that they are aware of their role and responsibilities as posted on the website, checklist builder, calendar, First day Experience requirements.
4. Provide survey feedback from new employees and supervisors to the functional areas; Recognize outstanding service. Request corrective action for inadequate service.
   
   
13. Security: First day Reception
    
1. Security should be notified no later than three working days in advance of a new arrival if possible.
2. Security should welcome the new employee with courtesy and attentiveness.
3. New employee should be provided a temporary badge; safety, parking & traffic instructions; directions and a map, information about obtaining their permanent badge.
4. Security should be provided a contact number for clearance or in case any difficulties occur.
5. If possible, the sponsor or supervisor should meet the new employee at Security and provide an escort to the in-processing location.
   
   
14. Work Area Preparation The new employee’s work location / office should be prepared before the new employee’s arrival to include;
    
1. Desk and chair and other required furniture
2. Computer, user ID / temp password, Email address
3. Welcoming eMails from their new coworkers, management chain, and key personnel.
4. Phone and assigned phone number / Phone instruction booklet
5. Office, phone, and PC should also be prepared to meet any handicap requirements.
6. Welcome letter from the Center Director
7. Employee Orientation Brochure
8. Organization chart showing the new employees position in the organization.
9. List of useful contacts with phone number/email address. Include Supervisor, Sponsor, Administrative Officer, human resources specialist, benefits specialist, relocation / travel contact. Use format provided on website.
10. Center, Agency, Space Flight Awareness materials including NASA lapel pin, photos, cups etc. should be provided.
    
    
15. Organization and Position Within the first two weeks the employee should be familiarized with the following:
    
1. job responsibilities, position description, job classification
2. performance plan and expectations, performance ratings
3. individual development plan (IDP) and required training
4. organization’s functional statement including organization roles and missions
5. management chain and the new employee’s position in the organization
6. NASA Strategic Plan, Vision for Space Exploration, Center implementation plan,
7. NASA Initiatives including Safety, One NASA, etc.
   
   
16. Oversight, Metrics, and Feedback Response The continuing success and impact of the Employee Orientation program is dependent upon continuous maintenance and improvement. Your center should:
    
1. Solicit continuous feedback through the website, focus groups, and training evaluations.
2. Report the metrics along with recommendations periodically but at least every six months depending activity.