Staff hiring continues with onboarding now done digitally

By SUSAN JONES

Despite most of Pitt’s staff continuing to work remotely, the hiring process continues, said David DeJong, vice chancellor for Human Resources, although at a slower pace.

Since March 9, Pitt has onboarded 40 full-time staff, one part-time and 19 all temps. The University generally averages hiring 60 all temps and 80 full and part-time staff per month.

“We're just having conversations whenever new positions come in to make sure that there will be meaningful work for the people,” DeJong said.

Some of those brought on recently may fall under the essential personnel banner, but staff hires can be done in any department, he said. “We’re just making sure that the hires make sense centrally, and supervisors have been largely doing that.”

The formal Human Resources onboarding process is now 100 percent done remotely, DeJong said, and that process has been in place since early March. Then supervisors must figure out how to get people up to speed in their departments.

After the coronavirus crisis ends, the onboarding process could evolve into a hybrid of self-paced digital instruction and in-person orientation, DeJong said, instead of the multi-hour in-person classes that most current Pitt staff members have gone through.

DeJong reiterated that HR’s big goal now is to “make sure that our all of our staff who are working remotely have plenty to do.” They’re putting out calls for big projects “that would have only ever been a pipe dream under normal operations,” he said, so that HR can match up staff who aren’t as busy to help out.

He said they’re also encouraging supervisors to have discussions with their staff about their ultimate career goals and how those can be advanced through Pitt’s professional development programs.

Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 412-648-4294.

 

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