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Prospective employees can learn all about Wesleyan before they even set foot
on campus -- just by going online.
The
Human Resources department has launched a Virtual Orientation Web site this
month for new employees. The site can be viewed at:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/newemployee
The
site features a list of important resources, interesting facts and valuable
information that employees will need before they arrive and during their
first month at Wesleyan.
“We
wanted to create a place for new employees to learn as much as possible
about Wesleyan before they arrived” says Julia Hicks, associate Human
Resources director. “We also wanted to provide a place where existing
employees can also view useful human resources information.”
The
Virtual Orientation web site contains similar material given to new
employees on their first day but includes additional features such as an
information on campus dining, the computer store and child care resources,
the adverse weather policy, and even Wesleyan trivia. A new employee
checklist explains where to pick up a Motor
Vehicle Registration Form, Wesleyan
Identification Card and how to get signed up for Wesleyan benefits.
The
site also offers resources to employees who are not familiar with the
Middletown area. An extensive list of places to eat and things see and do in
Middlesex County is available on the site, as is a map of Middletown.
“Even employees who have been here for years will find a great deal of
useful information on this site,” Hicks says.
The
site was developed by Vanessa Sabin, Human Resources administrative
coordinator; Pat Leone, World Wide Web administrator, Jennifer Carlstrom,
Web manager and Sasha Foppiano, formerly a web designer for the Office of
University Communications. Sabin and Dan Pflederer, Human Resources
functional specialist, coordinated focus groups to gather input and feedback
regarding the site.
The
development team explored numerous university orientation Web pages and came
up with our unique look and feel.
“We
picked a design that we felt would be the best fit for Wesleyan,” Hicks
says.
Harriet Abrams, director of Human Resources, encourages Wesleyan employees
to offer feedback on the site and included a suggestion box link on the site
for this purpose.
“We
consider this a work in progress and we'll be continually updating and
enhancing it,” Abrams says. “The site is primarily focused on new hires but
since it's accessible to anyone visiting Wesleyan's site, it's also a
terrific marketing tool to encourage others to apply.” |
