You have been selected by your manager to serve as an NTNU mentor for a new employee in your unit. This is an important role. We recommend that all new employees are assigned a mentor, as mentors play a key part in ensuring that new staff members get the best possible start at NTNU. We greatly appreciate your contribution in making this happen.

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Mentor programme | New at NTNU | Mentor programme - information for managers

As a mentor, your role is to help the new employee become familiar with NTNU and feel confident in their new position and workplace.

You are a colleague with an additional responsibility to include and engage the new employee during their first period at NTNU. You should be available to answer questions and provide support whenever needed.

Your role may also include training responsibilities, such as assisting with the use of systems and/or providing professional or job-specific training.

Before the new employee starts, the manager should prepare an onboarding and training plan together with you as the mentor, and possibly HR. The plan should clarify and allocate responsibilities and tasks.

We recommend that you and the new employee create a plan together, agreeing on needs, content, and duration. The new employee also shares responsibility for maintaining contact with you as their mentor, but you should take a proactive approach in supporting them.

A mentoring arrangement will normally last for the first few months after the employee has started in their new position.

Check list for mentors

This checklist provides guidance on tasks you can or should take responsibility for as a mentor.

Before the new employee starts

Feel free to get in touch with the new employee before their start date. For example, you may send an email (to their personal email address) introducing yourself and letting them know that you will be their NTNU mentor.

First day

• Welcome the new employee and help ensure they receive a positive first-day experience (clarify your role and responsibilities with the manager beforehand).
• Have lunch with the new employee (agree with the manager whether this will be your responsibility or the manager’s on the first day).
• Check whether the new employee has activated their user account, or whether they need assistance from the Orakel Support Services
• Accompany them when collecting their employee ID/access card and any keys, if applicable.
• Give them a tour of the campus and introduce them to MazeMap so they can learn how to find their way around.
• Explain practical workplace routines and facilities, such as kitchen duties, changing rooms, restrooms, office supplies, printers, mail handling, archives and other local practices.
• Take the time to get to know each other.

First week

• Be available and encourage the new employee to ask questions – “Feel free to ask me.”
• Have lunch together and help them get involved in social activities.
• Explain local workplace norms and expectations within the office environment and unit.
• Help test their phone and video conferencing tools (Microsoft 365 Teams, Zoom).
• Demonstrate how to use email and the calendar, including how to find colleagues and contact information.
• Explain which meeting rooms are commonly used, the room naming conventions, and how to book meeting rooms through the calendar or the lecture room reservation system.
• Provide a brief introduction to Innsida, including useful tips and tricks.
• Point out the Innsida channels that the new employee should subscribe to.
• Introduce relevant Teams channels, forums, and networks that the new employee should join.
• Ask whether the new employee has reviewed the New at NTNU pages and whether they have any questions after their first week, first month, and beyond.
• Offer a more extensive campus tour, including other campuses where relevant.
• Review the NTNU organization, organizational chart, reporting structure, and commonly used abbreviations and acronyms (only in Norwegian).
• Check whether the new employee has found and enrolled in relevant courses through the Course Portal and/or the Competence and Career pages.

During the first three months

• Introduce the new employee to the safety representative and arrange a meeting to discuss health, safety, and workplace environment matters.
• Inform them about employee fitness and exercise activities.
• Provide information about labour union membership options.
• Introduce employee benefits and discounts.

Contact

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the content of this page, please contact Merethe Fjørtoft Åsenhus.

These recommendations were developed by the Onboarding Project and have been endorsed by the HR Directors’ Forum.