Policy

Our J1 onboarding policy refers to the steps we take to help new J1 employees adjust to their new jobs. We will provide information to them about their position and our company, as well as promote a growing feeling of comfort around an unknown work environment.

Procedure

Our onboarding efforts are designed to:

• Make them feel welcome.
• Help them become familiar with their team.
• Provide useful information about the position, company and culture.
• Inform them about company principles, new employee orientation, mission and procedures.

Actions

We have implemented steps to meet our onboarding goals. Some of the steps pertain to the period just before our new hires’ first day on the job and some refer to their first few weeks on the job.

Before a J1 Employee starts work

HR should:

• Work with the general manager to make sure housing is ready.
• Create a packet of needed documents, such as I9s, W4s, and any agency requirements, etc.
• Provide the General Manager and supervisor with their start date and basic personal information.
• Enter their details in Gusto and Homebase database.

After our new hire starts work

On our new hire's first day, the General Manager should:

• Welcome J1 employees in an organized manner. Everyone involved must be prepared for our new employee's arrival.
• Introduce them to their supervisor
• Show them to their new workstation and help them familiarize themselves with their surroundings.
• Introduce them to employees and upper management when applicable.
• Put important documents before them to review. This paperwork should be kept to a minimum so they won't become overwhelmed.
• Make them feel comfortable

J1’s  first week on the job

The first few days our J1 spends in our company are important to help them settle in. Therefore, we recommend that the General Manager:

• Help develop an effective communication network for them (i.e. who they should communicate with for what, who they should report to, etc.).
• Simple yet meaningful work will ease them into their new position from the beginning. 
• Arrange for them to shadow coworkers during their work so they can learn how things are done on the job.
• Schedule lunch or breaks so they can socialize.
• Assign a mentor if applicable.
• We want them to feel respected and valued right from the beginning. 

J1 employees must learn their responsibilities and become productive at their position, so we must ensure that our managers, supervisors, and staff are respectful and approachable. The onboarding process may last until the employee is confident that they can function independently.