Rapid on-boarding of academic librarians: good economic sense

Abstract

Purpose -The success of socialization and orientation of new academic librarians has a considerable effect on outcomes critical to both the newcomer and institution, including job performance, job satisfaction, and staff turnover. These factors correspondingly impinge upon the institution's bottom line, due to the high costs associated with activities ranging from recruitment to retention. The paper asserts that if a new librarian leaves the institution within the first six to 18 months, the costs expended on hiring are practically wasted. To avoid this, and engage new professionals that stay long enough to justify the cost of hiring, and gain a return on its investment, the academic library needs to engage in rapid on-boarding. The article therefore aims to demonstrate how socialization and orientation can be effective. Design/methodology/approach -This paper is informed by opinion and draws on relevant literature to provide an understanding of the phenomenon. Findings -Rapid on-boarding is central to getting new hires up-to-speed quickly; yet, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is not as widespread as it should be in academic libraries. Practical implications -An on-boarding plan immanent in the strategic plan provides a unique channel of influence for familiarizing newcomers with the institution and advancing its policies and practices. Social implications -A formal on-boarding program can be a great source of support for all library staff and can increase the retention of professionals by inculcating the values and behaviors required to succeed. Originality/value -The article underscores how human resource development (HRD) activities, which subsume orientation, affect the library's bottom line. The author advances the significance of "chi" to the success of rapid on-boarding: communication, human interaction and individualization.

Investing in Human Resource Development: Strategic Planning for Success in Academic Libraries

“…Because employee motivation has a considerable influence on job performance, library leaders need to ensure that their staff is both sufficiently motivated and engaged to contribute to the library's success. Employee engagement is inextricably linked to productivity, staff turnover, profitability, job satisfaction, and absenteeism (Knight, 2013;Worth, 2014). It is defined as "the act of getting employees to feel connected to, and enthusiastic about, their jobs" (Lukens, 2014).…”

“…The necessity of both employee motivation and engagement is manifested in the form of staff commitment to organizational goals and values. It is for this reason that the process of socialization and orientation within the academic library, should be seen as an extension of the selection and recruitment process thus fostering a climate of employee engagement from the start of an employee's tenure (Knight, 2013).…”

“…Nevertheless, the new paradigm for academic libraries requires an investment in stimulating an institutional context that will attract, train, develop, and retain core knowledge workers who are academic librarians. Furthermore, there must be a conscious effort with clearly defined methods to keep these core knowledge workers engaged throughout their stay in the institution (Knight, 2013). Fundamentally, HRD activities place emphasis on this kind of employee engagement and the training and development of the workforce.…”

Librarians: The next generation. Mentorship at the University of Toronto

“…Budgetary restrictions and limited resources make it difficult for institutions, especially publicly funded ones like the University of Toronto, to create or even maintain permanent stream positions. As Knight (2013) notes, recruiting, training and retaining new employees is a very expensive endeavor for any institution 15 . Mentoring, or "on-boarding" as Knight calls it, is a way for budget conscious employers to prevent wasting time, effort, and money by socializing new employees, and making sure they understand their role and value in the organization thereby reducing the chances of an untimely departure from the position 15 .…”

“…As Knight (2013) notes, recruiting, training and retaining new employees is a very expensive endeavor for any institution 15 . Mentoring, or "on-boarding" as Knight calls it, is a way for budget conscious employers to prevent wasting time, effort, and money by socializing new employees, and making sure they understand their role and value in the organization thereby reducing the chances of an untimely departure from the position 15 . Since it is likely that a well acculturated contract librarian will have greater success at winning a competition for a more permanent position, UTL can consider any mentoring efforts valuable activities to promote.…”