Onboarding

[ITGuyNW]

Hi all

 

We've just purchased Locker to simplify account creation in school. Do schools have a concrete onboarding process that new staff follow or do you just deal as and when? It seems here they do the latter and I'd rather a process be in place but wondered what other schools did?

[chris11256]

We use Salamander instead, but our process requires HR to initiate. So no new staff accounts until HR add them into our MIS. Keeps us covered and ensures everything is ready from the HR end before accounts get setup.

[jthompson]

I leave that largely to the organisation as a whole. HR hand them quite a bit of stuff when they join. For instance, it's not down to IT Support to introduce them to CPOMS, that would be someone from safeguarding. If a new starter is in our office to collect a laptop, then I'll go through signing them into Chrome, Gmail and Google Drive for Desktop: just the ultra basics. They'll have plenty of other information being thrown at them.

[DarkMaster]

Same here we use Salamander, HR have to add user to sims then overnight process to create account and sync to 365 ready for the morning.

[jthompson]

I'm assuming the OP is referring to how the person themselves is introduced the systems and procedures of the school, rather than the account provisioning workflow.

[mavhc]

What do you do about supply staff? For some reason HR doesn't want to add them to the MIS, even if they're long term

[DarkMaster]

daily supply use a pre generated supply account with daily changing password. LTS are added to sims.

[chris11256]

In terms of overall onboarding, HR put a schedule together for the persons first day, so meeting with IT, DSL, Line Manager and such.

[pete]

We have a trust-wide onboarding process that's a result of lessons learned and things that annoy new hires and hiring managers. It's not perfect and we're still iterating on it, but it's better than the "Bob appears outside the IT office looking hopeful" that used to happen.

 

What do you do about supply staff? For some reason HR doesn't want to add them to the MIS, even if they're long term

 

After some home truths and the resulting toys out of prams, our rule is "No MIS entry? No access." It took a while to get there and we're lucky that we have a fairly stable team of supply staff on call.

 

Being in* the MIS means:

 

• Someone has completed vetting and barring checks on you - you're not just a rando.
  
• Accounts are automatically disabled when the contract ends. HR/the school have accountability for account creation and expiry.
  
• The school you're based at has emergency contact info for you
  
• You will get alerted to school closures before you set off to work
  
• AD, Entra, Google Workspace accounts, group memberships and licenses will be automatically assigned.
  
• Third-party tools that use SSO for authentication will work
  
• You can use the canteen to buy food, should you wish.
  
• We can assign you cover work and a timetable.
  
• ...and many other things that hook into our source of truth.
  

 

*Just the basics: Name, contact info, QTS, Start date, End date if temporary. Adding them here doesn't break any HR functions that aren't male cow output excuses.

Edited May 2, 2024 by pete

[IKWeb]

our onboarding is done directly from the school's MIS system. When the Business manager/office staff add someone to the system an overnight process runs and accounts are generated. When that contract comes to an end, or they are removed from the MIS system the account is then disabled and archived for 6 months and then it is deleted.

 

Accounts are added to all the groups in Entra automatically based on Dynamic Groups so for new users and leavers its automated.

Edited May 2, 2024 by IKWeb

[NegativeKillDeath]

Salamander creates the basic account ahead of the start date. We get email from HR to let us know the new users start date and department/role. Manually add them a handfull of AD/Entra groups. Time agreed to give basic IT induction (give passwords, set up MFA, set up WiFi, short Data protection speech). Release into the wild.

[mavhc]

Is there any problem with workforce census type stuff?

[pete]

Is there any problem with workforce census type stuff?

 

Not so long as they tick "don't include in the workforce census" box for ad-hoc staff.

[KK20]

homebrew PS scripts. MIS creation then a couple of scheduled scripts to create account based on MIS data, random password is emailed to form tutor and me, link 365 email (we are hybrid although offsite 365 email), update pupil ondrive collection admin, update sharepoint CSV with pupil onedrive links for staff. Overnight the secondary WONDE stuff happens to our 3rd party, VLE and papercut emails a printer code. Staff and "unknowns" password is emailed to me alone.

 

All hands off.