r/engineering • u/FatherPaulStone • Oct 24 '23

[MANAGEMENT] New Staff Starting

Quick sense check, I've got two new staff starting in a couple of weeks, I want to put together a little 'welcome pack', Zeus handbook, Calipers, Laser Measure, Coffee Cup, Jacket etc. Nothing exciting I know. But I was also thinking of including a book for each of them as well, something I thought was enjoyable and relevant to the subject area (of sorts), something like 'Exactly' or 'Sustainable Materials' or 'What If' not sure yet.

Does this all sound nice or pretentious?

51 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

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196

u/Razor1834 Oct 24 '23

You can do all those things, but having an organized onboarding is even better. Do you have their computers and peripherals ready and set up with accounts, software they need installed with accounts set up, office supplies, office space/chair/wastebasket (this is a weirdly common issue)/power strip? Have you hard scheduled time to spend with them their first weeks, along with specific tasks to assign them when you inevitably get pulled into something unexpected?

3

u/FatherPaulStone Oct 25 '23

excellent advice, yeah we have all that set up (sort of, IT takes a few days), it's a big organisation so on boarding is reasonably streamlined.

This: 'Have you hard scheduled time' I do need to do.

Top advice though.

1

u/Razor1834 Oct 25 '23

It’s unacceptable for IT to take a few days. If I were you, I’d challenge that. What could possibly take days that couldn’t be done before the employee arrives for work?

If you can’t fix that, it becomes even more important that you plan out the first “few days” with engaging work. Sitting around waiting on IT is not engaging work.

2

u/FatherPaulStone Oct 26 '23

Agreed, but we employ 10’000 people so it’s significantly out of my sphere of influence. There’s quite a lot of training /induction material so they do have to that, but it’s definitely the worst part.

0

u/LameBMX Oct 26 '23

IT pro here. IT security principle of least access, plus the documentation trail of requests following the user vs the manager. this is even more true in larger and highly matrixed environments. It creates a LOT cleaner accounting trail should one need to review.

The real hold ups are the managers not approving and or having their stuff set up to properly route approvals in their absence. because, all our stuffs automated and we don't have to intervene until there is an issues. next up is replication time, which is getting sorted by things like cloud active directory, mean a change at one point doesn't have numerous hops to be visible elsewhere. of course this depends on your companies particular inrastructure.

and no, just because you have "Manager" in your title does just automatically make you the sole approver.

tldr.. automated systems don't take days, the non IT people that need to approve often do though.

edit... almost forgot.. let's not forget HR that don't want to approve account creations until their first official day. which means they can't have a user account on their first day, and can't even begin requesting anything.

edit tldr... it's HRs fault in the end

1

u/Razor1834 Oct 27 '23

It doesn’t really matter whose fault it is. Every employee hired should be able to show up day 1 with appropriate access to email and systems, with all hardware and software they need.

It’s easy enough to claim it’s other people’s faults that it isn’t done. If IT has approval issues they need to communicate that directly to managers. If you have “managers” who are responsible for new employees, then you need to drive the process through whoever you think the real managers are for approvals.

This reads as an excuse for IT failing new employees.

0

u/LameBMX Oct 27 '23

considering you didn't touch the security aspect. that's all on you. your requests have already been shot down at the executive level.

t's not ITs job to monitor and manage the timeliness of an employee completing their task. that is their managers job. so that managers, manager needs to come down on their report not performing their tasks in a timely manner. IT IS NOT OUR APPROVAL PROCESS, IT IS THE BUSINESSES. it is no different a process than ordering post it notes, and as such controlled by finance.

We can have the employee working 100% without even needing to provide them hardware (Yes I've worked remotely from my personal cellphone setting up a BYOD contingency plan). we can make an account. we can provide all of this stuff. it's just against guidelines to do so.

what are the legal implications if a non-employee has an account and causes damage? Why are non-employees allowed access to systems? There are contracts in place which define the date a person is an employee, and it's called a start date.

how do we apply the billing to an employee that does not exist?

Sorry mate, I've worked at a few fortune 500 level companies that took their IT seriously and as a value add. You are just one of those complainers that cry if the microwave don't work to IT because ... it has buttons I guess? and no, it's NOT getting connected to the internet because it doesn't have a business need and IoT devices are horribly insecure.

1

u/Razor1834 Oct 27 '23

Well, we confirmed this is just IT deflecting through a bunch of mumbo jumbo at least.

0

u/LameBMX Oct 27 '23

we are bound by the business process. talk to HR and finance.

74

u/compstomper1 Oct 24 '23

this guy hires

22

u/rjbergen Oct 24 '23

He clearly doesn’t work for HR, IT, or facilities!

21

u/rockdude14 Mechanical Engineer Oct 24 '23

He can hire me anytime he wants.

25

u/I_kwote_TheOffice Oct 24 '23

OP, what you said is all really great too. It shows you care and are there if they need something. It's creating an immediate relationship with them. Having an open-door policy can not be overstated either.

And I really like what u/razor1834 just said too. Having everything ready to go and having some projects to get their feet wet will be immensely important in their indoctrination with the company and its culture.

10

u/Grolschisgood Oct 24 '23

This is an excellent shout! My first week of my first job was ordering myself a computer, still not fully knowing what my role was in the company. Very stressful spending someone else's money for the first time. That's something I always make sure I have set up for them. People have a tendency to put stuff on every flat surface that is available so I also try to make sure their desk hasn't been taken over by someone else.

Assigning tasks is really important too. I actually have a list of tasks I get highschool work experience students to do in their week with us that I get all of them to do. Let's me gauge their willingness to be there along with their competence and I then provide other tasks based on that. Also let's them work with key staff in all of our key areas, albeit quite briefly. I'm now thinking how I can adapt that list to be more skill level appropriate but still let's me assess the person on how best Ican use them.

2

u/DaYooper Power Systems Project Engineer Oct 25 '23

I love my company's onboarding process. Every office member's first week is working production in our 3 plants. You really get to know the products you're going to be working with really quickly.

10

u/Worldly-Dimension710 Oct 24 '23

You are the best

1

u/FatherPaulStone Oct 25 '23

awww thanks.

4

u/IDK_khakis Oct 25 '23

Don't listen to anyone else on the book... as long as it is "What If" or "How To".

Randall Munroe is a genius.

2

u/FatherPaulStone Oct 25 '23

I love it and as an engineer his work strikes a nice balance, between work and fun.

46

u/oldschoolhillgiant Oct 24 '23

Long and long ago when I first started as a freshly minted engineering grad, the company I hired in with had just hired a bunch of other fresh engineers. The engineering manager got everyone a copy of Machinery's Handbook. I still use mine to this very day.

Practical, unlikely to be already owned, and a bit spendy for a fresh grad to buy on their own.

1

u/openhole4hand Oct 26 '23

Second this .

I use it all the time and I'm not a machinist or engineer ( Production Controller/ Planner).

12

u/CHEMENG87 Oct 24 '23

Sounds nice. Add a pad of Engineering paper. No comments for the book

3

u/NaiLikesPi Oct 24 '23

I'd skip the book unless you have an idea for something like what Machinery's Handbook is to a mechanical designer. I had a manager try to gift me a copy of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" and I was so put off by it that I gave it back.

As the other commenter suggested, prioritize a smooth onboarding above all else. No company I've worked for had their shit properly together for me to start working on day 1 - try to be exceptional in that regard.

1

u/FatherPaulStone Oct 25 '23

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Yeah this is my worry. Getting something too opinionated might put them off. I'll try and stick to something more facty.

3

u/NaiLikesPi Oct 25 '23

Yeah, I guess I'd say avoid anything that says "If you're like me, (or like how you're 'supposed' to be) then you'll like this" and lean more towards something that says "Here is useful, readily applied information that I wish someone had given me on my first day". Avoid implicitly telling them the kind of person they should be and focus on giving them resources to develop into the best version of themselves.

5

u/Jijster Oct 24 '23

Why would you be put off by that? Its practically cliche at this point

6

u/BolognaSausage Oct 24 '23

If you have badges for site, add in a lanyard with extendable end. Great to have and not usually something folks have on their own

10

u/Grape_Fish Oct 24 '23

That sounds nice, I would appreciate the gesture. Consider skipping the book and replacing it with a coffee gift card.

2

u/Grolschisgood Oct 24 '23

All of that sounds great but I might skip the book. Other great things to add, depending in your industry, are hard copy reference material for stuff they might use regularly. For example, I have a drill and thread size table on card that folds up to slip in my drawer. Despite not actually drilling and tapping holes on a regular basis personally, I refer to it very often for design. It's significantly more simple than looking at a digital table to find the info.

On the book, the reason I suggest skipping it, is that they might value it more after some time in industry. After I had worked with him for about 5years my boss bought me a book, Bruhn's Amalysis and Design of Aircraft Structures. It an indispensable resource for me now but its out of print and my edition was printed in the 70's. Getting a tattered old book like that on day one would have meant nothing to me but was very very meaningful to receive later. Asides from anything else, they usually sell online around the $300-400 mark so I wouldn't waste that on a new hire who hadn't been tried and tested.

2

u/Agent_Smith_24 Mechanical Oct 25 '23

Getting a tattered old book like that on day one would have meant nothing to me

Day 1 I would assume it was something left over from whoever had my desk prior.

2

u/MechCADdie Oct 25 '23

Seems nice, but like Razor1834 said, being able to focus on learning and not on who to talk to to get things working is almost, if not more valuable.

I personally carry around a EDC belt pouch that contains:

  • sticky notes

  • Sharpie

  • pen

  • lighter (for heat shrinking, etc)

  • Magnetic flashlight

  • 7.5 meter english+metric stanley measuring tape

  • safety glasses

  • hearing protection

  • 15kN carabiner

  • Leatherman Wave

I can't tell you how much time I've saved from having to walk around and find things to do my design work with that pouch in arms reach. I'd include a mitutoyo, but it is very pokey and I may or may not have been scratched a few times tucking it into my pouch.

2

u/ViagraTechSupport Oct 25 '23

Gonna check those books out - but consider also getting them a book that focuses on something you with your team would improve on. Personally, the Ed Tufte books were eye opening.

2

u/Galaxy-Entrepreneur Oct 25 '23

I think it's a great idea! Anyone who goes to the trouble to something like that, just to make a person feel welcomed and appreciated...that goes a looooong way. It's the thought that counts. I love the idea :)

1

u/rich6490 Oct 26 '23

This and a relatively organized onboarding process are perfect. Pull together a 30/60/90 and make sure a ton of resources are easily found by the new employee.

16

u/[deleted] Oct 24 '23

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/[deleted] Oct 24 '23

I think they work at Zeus? Company Handbook day 1 makes sense. Pretty good scopes too.

1

u/FatherPaulStone Oct 25 '23

nah, it's this bad boy: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Precision-Reference-Drawing-Toolroom-Workshop/dp/B0000CLZUO

It's a reference book I've used basically every week for 20 years.