Under the Recruitment and onboarding policy, the department is committed to fair and equitable recruitment and comprehensive onboarding practices in its workplaces by:

• creating a positive onboarding and induction experience to orient and engage new employees, contractors or volunteers quickly to their school or education support office, their team and the department.

Hiring managers:

• support new employees during onboarding and induction
• ensure all appropriate recruitment and onboarding paperwork is completed before the employee’s first day
• ensure new employees have appropriate access to the workplace on their first day
• allocate devices as needed (laptops, tablets, computers, mobile phones) for new employees
• tailor induction tasks and checklists to the local workplace and to the individual
• if available, assign team members a ‘buddy’ and/or a mentor to support new employees during induction
• ensure all employees receive consistent and supportive inductions
• make any reasonable adjustments required under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (see the Workplace adjustment procedure for further guidance)
• review progress and records of mandatory training
• ensure mandatory training is completed within appropriate timeframes
• identify and organise relevant role specific training
• record, monitor and support the progress of the employee's induction
• hold regular catch ups and establish ongoing performance conversations.

New employees:

• complete and return all required onboarding paperwork
• ensure they are prepared to start work with the department by completing onboarding and induction activities before their first day
• actively take part and manage their own induction journey and proactively seek support
• independently initiate and complete induction activities when possible
• complete all mandatory training within the specified times and provide evidence of completion to their manager/supervisor
• attend scheduled role-specific training
• identify training and development requirements and work with their hiring manager to prepare their performance and development plan
• keep accurate records of completed induction activities.

Colleagues and assigned 'buddies' to new employees:

• support new employees in their first few days and weeks navigating the workplace and the department
• arrange regular catch ups and provide the new employee with opportunities to ask questions
• inform the new employee of relevant local information
• carry out induction activities as delegated.

Directors and directors, educational leadership:

• ensure local induction resources and tools are tailored to include directorate, school and business unit-specific information
• ensure records are kept of mandatory training and induction progress for all employees
• regularly contact principals/managers to raise issues of non-compliance, including employees who have not completed their mandatory training within appropriate timeframes
• ensure tailored local induction resources and tools are maintained
• include new employees in any onsite local induction programs, sessions or role specific induction or training
• alert the People and Culture, Learning and Development induction team of any issues that impact the department's induction framework
• ensure health and safety plans are up to date and available to new employees and conduct regular work health and safety (WHS) onsite induction walk throughs.

Onboarding support (includes Human Resources, payroll and IT Directorate):

• complete recruitment and onboarding activities to ensure the employee has access to required systems before the employee’s start date
• ensure recruitment and onboarding records are completed.

Supervising teachers:

• induct pre-service teachers.

Induction stakeholders:

• ensure induction related policies and resources are current
• maintain their own content and resources and notify the People and Culture Learning and Development team of major changes
• support and monitor compliance with mandatory training related to their subject matter.

The onboarding and induction process (Table 1) typically starts after an offer of employment has been accepted, and generally continues for 6 weeks. The onboarding and induction journey is divided into 5 stages.

Onboarding before beginning work

Hiring managers and new employees complete onboarding so the employee can work efficiently from day one. The employee may also need to begin their induction before their first day, for example, teachers needing to complete mandatory training before their first day in the classroom.

Table 1 Onboarding and induction process

Transferring employees – moving within the department:

• may be able to bring their devices to their new role
• must check with the school or business unit they are leaving, whether their devices need to be returned before moving to their new role. Refer to Leaving the department procedure
• must advise their hiring manager if they require new devices.

Laptops and computers for school-based employees

Principals may allocate existing hardware or purchase new hardware for school-based employees.

The Technology 4 Learning T4L Computer Equipment Rollout website has a catalogue of available equipment. Principals (and their delegates) order new devices through EdBuy (on the Staff Portal [staff only]).

New hardware is purchased through the T4L website, managed by the department’s IT Directorate.

Laptops for non-school based employees

New and transferring employees must ensure that department devices are used responsibly and for work purposes only, adhering to Digital devices, services and information – staff use procedures.

Managers must request a device for a new employee via EDConnect on 1300 32 32 32 or by logging an online query.

At least 5 business days’ notice is required to ensure equipment is ready.

The relevant recruitment and/or payroll team will begin the setup of network access for temporary and permanent/ongoing employees.

When the request has been processed, EDConnect will send the employee an email (to their personal email address) with instructions to create a network password.

The IT Directorate will generate a department email address for the user.

If the employee has problems with their network access, the employee must follow up with EDConnect in the first instance, and advise their principal and/or manager.

All employees are provided access to the Staff Portal (staff only) and the Company Portal. Employees can:

• use the web-based Staff Portal (staff only) to access other systems and web-based applications including MyPL (for mandatory training), SAP Employee Self-Service, EdBuy, Expense8 and Canva
• use the Company Portal from a department-issued laptop or computer to install desktop applications on their device such as Adobe Acrobat, TRIM and Microsoft OneNote
• request a license for a system or application used by the department that does not appear in the Company or Staff Portals. The employee must request a licence from their directorate via their principal/manager in the first instance. Refer to section 5.1 (Requesting additional system access).

The hiring manager must arrange workplace access. For example:

• building pass
• desk and/or workstation or office
• office keys
• storage keys and/or PIN
• carpark allocation
• signage.

The hiring manager must:

• advise the team and key stakeholders of the new employee’s name, role and start date
• decide who will be responsible for different induction activities – refer to 3.2 Review induction checklists
• ensure that all onboarding activities, including assigning mentors and scheduling briefings, are conducted transparently and ethically.

The hiring manager must, if required:

• schedule meetings and briefings with induction stakeholders
• schedule introductory meetings with key stakeholders
• assign a buddy and/or mentor
• schedule handover meetings between relevant employees and the new staff member
• request relevant employees prepare a briefing package for the new employee.

The hiring manager or their delegate will prepare colleagues and induction support teams to be available on the employee’s first day to:

• meet the new employee
• offer an Acknowledgement of Country to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country
• give a tour of the workplace
• give a WHS briefing including ergonomics, safety equipment, first aid and firefighting equipment, emergency exits, evacuation routes and meeting points
• help and guide the employee with orientation, technology and supplies.

The hiring manager may also decide to arrange a welcome morning tea or lunch.

The hiring manager must:

• review the mandatory training listed on the induction checklist
• cross check the induction checklist with the mandatory training and role-based lists on MyPL
• update the induction checklist if needed.

The induction checklist contains essential information about the department but does not include local induction information.

Hiring managers must ensure local induction activities are included or added to the employee’s induction checklist. Local induction activities are specific to the school or business unit, for example, related to the specific workplace including health and safety, geographic location and local area.

The hiring manager must ensure any personal requirements are included or added to the employee’s induction checklist.

A personalised induction takes into consideration the new employee’s:

• family, medical, cultural or language background
• personal dispositions and skills
• concerns about the role
• career aspirations.

It also accounts for the school’s or business unit’s particular challenges, stakeholders and context.

Personalised inductions may include:

• consideration of whether reasonable adjustments are required under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (see the Workplace adjustments procedure for further guidance)
• adapting delivery method (for example, visual/watching/reading, listening/discussion, practical)
• changing the order, timing or priority of tasks in induction
• changing the time spent on different aspects of induction
• adding specific tasks or activities that would help or interest the individual, in relation to their personal skills, concerns and aspirations.

Hiring managers must:

• identify key people to introduce the new employee to and decide when on the induction journey it will occur
• schedule time for the new employee to meet key people and connect with them
• schedule and regularly hold one-to-one meetings with the employee, at least monthly.

One-to-one meetings between hiring manager and employee:

• The meetings must have an agenda that includes a personal catch up, discussion about leave, professional learning and work deliverables.
• The hiring manager and employee may vary the length of meetings depending on the need and size of the team. Meetings are generally 15-60 minutes.
• Hiring managers must keep records of these conversations and share them with the employee. The records must include notes about what was discussed, what was decided, and follow up taken on action items.

The department uses a model of school-based induction for beginning teachers centred on 5 key components:

• customised
• connections
• context
• curriculum
• classroom.

This ‘5C model’ of induction customises the support to the specific needs of beginning teachers. It connects teachers according to their needs and focuses on context, curriculum and the classroom.

Beginning teachers’ induction, in line with the 5C model, is not the same as this induction procedure. The main areas not covered in this procedure are the last 2 Cs, curriculum and classroom. Principals are encouraged to cover these aspects of the 5C model in the beginning teacher’s PDP.

Refer to:

• Strong start great teachers – Setting up induction
• Research evidence for 5C model.

Casual teachers must complete their mandatory training.

Hiring managers must:

• check the status of their casual teachers’ mandatory training
• support casual teachers to complete mandatory training, where appropriate.

All education support staff, including executives, must participate in the School Experience program (staff only). This generally happens in the employee’s second week of employment.

The School Experience Team will send an email to the hiring manager with the details of the employee’s placement.

As part of the personalised induction, the manager or the executive assistant to the new executive must:

• prepare a briefing pack of essential role specific information
• schedule meetings with relevant stakeholders and peers in their first 3 months
• notify the WHS Committee or representative of the new Executive’s start date so they can schedule specific WHS induction if required.

• The employee must record when items are completed on their induction checklist with their initials.
• The induction checklist states when it is acceptable for an induction task to be marked completed by the employee.
• The hiring manager or their delegate may mark any or all induction tasks as completed.
• When an item is not completed within the timeframe indicated, the date of actual completion must also be recorded in the completed column.

The hiring manager or their delegate must:

• begin the induction with an Acknowledgement of Country to show respect for Traditional Owners and the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country
• introduce the new employee to their colleagues and their managers, supervisors or school executive team
• add the new employee to existing meeting invitations, email distribution lists and any shared team workspaces, folders, groups and chats and applications
• deliver a tour of the workplace, including:
  • staff room and/or kitchen, offices, meeting rooms and bathrooms
  • office equipment, stationery, photocopiers and printers, phones
  • mail arrangements
  • booking equipment and rooms
  • WHS briefing including equipment and procedures
• discuss:
  • the importance of induction, induction checklists and accurate record keeping
  • working hours, break times, how to report absence from the workplace, and recording attendance (for example, flex sheets)
  • their school or business unit’s team structure and roles
  • the need for any workplace adjustments
  • the initial duties and tasks the employee must complete during the first week, including mandatory training
  • the new employee’s understanding of their duties
  • the importance of knowing and acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which the employee is working. Encourage employees to set up an email signature that acknowledges the Country on which they work at Know Your Country
• provide any useful local information, for example, public transport, banks, medical centres, pharmacy, cafes, post office
• request and receive feedback from the employee about their onboarding experience.

In addition to the requirements for all hiring managers (above), principals or their delegates must provide new employees with:

• relevant timetables, class lists, teaching programs
• school faculty policies on curriculum, discipline, attendance, homework and assessment and reporting information
• school rules
• after-hours access procedures, if needed.

School-based employees

School-based employees may use the Staff Portal (staff only) > Manage My Access to get access to additional systems after onboarding. From here, employees can also add systems to their ‘My essentials’ dashboard on the Staff Portal.

• For some systems and applications, the employee needs to request access from their principal.
• To get access to Scout, the employee must first complete the Scout introduction course on MyPL.

Access to the system will be provided within two days.

Principals

Principals (and their delegates) may use the Staff Portal (staff only) > Manage Staff Access to add and remove system access, and approve and deny employee requests for system access.

Education support employees

To request access to additional systems, go to EDConnect (staff only) and select ‘logging an online query’. Under IT Support, select Software application > ‘Software request (general)’.

Teachers

In addition to the activities outlined in section 5.1 Requirements for all new employees, teachers must do the following in the first week of their new role:

• read about
  • teacher accreditation
  • assessment policy
  • Aboriginal Education Policy
  • The AECG Partnership Agreement
  • feedback
  • appeals/misadventure
  • report writing
• discuss with their colleagues or principal
  • appropriate engagement with parents and the community, for example, parent-teacher interviews and parents and citizens groups
  • their class profile and students’ progress, learning needs, backgrounds, health care plans and behaviour management plans
  • school policies, procedures and guidelines
• review the Performance and development framework for principals, executives and teachers in NSW public schools (staff only) (PDF 612 KB).

Beginning teachers

In addition to the activities outlined in section 5.1, beginning teachers must also review:

• Strong start, great teachers
• Beginning teachers support funding
• Teacher standards and accreditation.

In addition to the activities outlined in section 5.1 Requirements for all new employees, non-teaching employees in schools must review information about performance and development plans for Non-teaching staff in schools (staff only).

In addition to the activities outlined in section 5.1 Requirements for all new employees, education support staff must review information about performance and development plans for Public service non executive employees.

Education support staff will also participate in the School Experience Program (staff only).

In addition to the activities outlined in section 5.1 Requirements for all new employees, executives must review Public Service Senior Executive (staff only).

Hiring managers are encouraged to:

• schedule one-to-one meetings at least weekly during their first 6 weeks, which is the induction period
• schedule recurring one-to-one meetings several weeks in advance
• reschedule meetings rather than cancelling if a meeting cannot go ahead as planned.

The hiring manager or their delegate must:

• schedule regular one-to-one meetings with the employee, at least monthly
• provide role-specific information including:
  • role description and responsibilities
  • key projects and deliverables
  • time management (for example, flexible working hours, flex or time sheets, leave management)
• check-in with the new employee to ensure that they can access all systems and applications
• ensure the new employee knows how to set up their signature block
• run a report in MyPL at the end of Week 1
  • use the instructions to Create a Report of Professional Learning in Your School (PDF 416 KB) for the new employee
  • ensure that the new employee has completed their mandatory training for the first week
  • if the employee has not done these tasks, have a conversation with them and help the employee prioritise it for the next working day
• revisit section 3.2 (Personalised induction checklist). If relevant, discuss and agree to additional induction tasks for the individual and add them to the employee’s induction checklist.

In addition to activities outlined in section 5.2 Additional requirements for new employees, the principal or their delegate must cover the following topics with their new employee in the first week:

• school development days
• planning
• beginning teacher support through ‘Strong start, great teachers’ initiative, if relevant
• effective classroom management
• student and community demographic
• important student, family, medical, cultural or language considerations
• interactions with parents and community.

• Refer to the Performance and Development Framework for Principals, Executives and Teachers in NSW Public Schools (PDF 612 KB)
• Use Teacher PDP template (DOCX 52 KB) or Digital PDP in the Staff Portal.

• Refer to non-teaching staff in schools Performance and development process (staff only)
• PDPs are recorded in either the Performance and development plan template (staff only) or Digital PDP (staff only).

• Refer to the public service non-executive employee guides, Education support staff – SuccessFactors guides (staff only).

• Refer to PSSE performance cycle The performance experience (staff only).
• PDPs are recorded in SuccessFactors. For PSSE commencing in their role between October and December, their goals must be documented, but do not need to be recorded within SuccessFactors.
• Refer to Education support staff – SuccessFactors guides.

• Employment screening procedure
• Employee performance and development procedure
• Screening catalogue for schools (staff only)
• Technology 4 Learning – T4L Computer Equipment Rollout
• EDConnect
• EdConnect – logging an online query
• Mobile Service Request Form (Corporate and School) (PDF 208 KB)
• Strong start great teachers – Setting up induction
• Research evidence for 5C model

HR Operational Performance
HR.OperationalPerformance@det.nsw.edu.au