Comments on CuriousKind: Ten Questions to Ask Every New Employee

Thanks Paul,

In a bit of synchronicity, I&#...

2008-01-31T13:09:53.175-05:00

Thanks Paul,

In a bit of synchronicity, I'm sitting here with a copy of your "Creating and Managing Volunteer Programs: Best Practices" document (I must have picked up conference--was it the CLENE Training Showcase?). Good stuff!

As someone who worked in the Human Resources Divis...

2008-01-30T23:40:31.759-05:00

As someone who worked in the Human Resources Division of a major urban library system, I loved the proposed list of questions and hope that our colleagues will give serious thought to using them to the benefit of their organizations.

Thanks for the comments everyone--I'm really p...

2008-01-29T15:41:40.371-05:00

Thanks for the comments everyone--I'm really pleased that these questions are proving useful!

Sarah's added some good ones, and I invite anyone else to add to the list (should we post over at Library Success Wiki?)

Here's one more: "What question should I have asked you, but didn't?"

Wow! This is a great list, and something I will be...

2008-01-29T09:16:21.554-05:00

Wow! This is a great list, and something I will be filing away for future use.

I am the newest hire in my department, and wish I had a chance to give feedback like this. I still wish I could do this a year and half later.

Thank you for sharing this.

Great post. I'm not a real quiet-like employee...

2008-01-29T04:54:56.987-05:00

Great post. I'm not a real quiet-like employee (annoying, I know), so I'm the one who talks people's ears off about things I think needs changing - but it's equally important that the employers are aware that this is priceless input from a new employee.

Priceless, because the longer we work in a particular environment, the more we get used to it, the more blind we become - both to the internal stuff, but especially to how everything seems to our users.

I'd have loved to have had that list, and that structure to put my observations into in those first few weeks, and then have been able to hand it to my boss and go: "Here, that's what I've noticed. Some of it isn't very good, I'm afraid - but we could try this, and this, and this to fix it."

I personally would ask more about the library'...

2008-01-28T20:29:58.281-05:00

I personally would ask more about the library's digital presence - not just the website but the library's catalog, the eBooks, databases, extended web presence through sites like Flickr and Facebook... But then again I recognize I am biased.

Thanks for your comments everyone! I'm glad t...

2008-01-22T12:25:48.359-05:00

Thanks for your comments everyone! I'm glad that some are finding the questions useful :-)

-Pete

This is a terrific post. I shared it with MPOW as ...

2008-01-22T09:16:02.324-05:00

This is a terrific post. I shared it with MPOW as a suggested list of questions to ask during new employee orientation.

Hurray! I too love to ask new colleagues what the...

2008-01-18T17:01:15.147-05:00

Hurray! I too love to ask new colleagues what they find wacky about my beloved library. Peter has given a little extra structure to my practice.

Right on target! I remember working in retail whil...

2008-01-17T14:48:36.082-05:00

Right on target! I remember working in retail while I was in college, and when I transferred to a different store (same department, same position), the department head had the same idea. He asked me what tips and tricks I had picked up working at the old store, and if I had suggestions to change their current workflow. I felt like I was being taken seriously as an employee, and got respect when my ideas were implemented.
This is definitely a lesson for management at any level to put into practice - it works. Great writeup!

More managers and directors should be brave enough...

2008-01-17T13:41:14.195-05:00

More managers and directors should be brave enough to ask question #12without shooting the messenger, of course!

The timing for this post could not be better! I ha...

2008-01-17T11:09:34.040-05:00

The timing for this post could not be better! I had a new Tech Aide start working for me 10 days ago -- this is his first week alone on the floor. I am going to give him this list to think about and get his feedback.

I especially liked the last bonus question, even if I might not use it this time around.

This is FABULOUS!! I realized recently that there...

2008-01-17T10:45:43.144-05:00

This is FABULOUS!! I realized recently that there are things at my workplace that are good that I have begun to take for granted, and bad things that I am ignoring. I LOVE the idea of interviewing the new person. However, I think the next step is what is most crucial: changing the bad and maintaining the good!

Great post and a great idea. I've noticed that...

2008-01-17T06:56:40.629-05:00

Great post and a great idea. I've noticed that libraryfolk aren't good at distinguishing local practice from generic library practice. In other words, there's a tendency to tell new people how to do a reference interview, but forget to tell them how ILL works here.

Relatively new people can usually remember the things that caught them off-guard and tell the newest hires (I make a point of telling every new employee that more than one department has a key to the bathroom so KNOCK FIRST!) the things they learned the hard way. An official process to get all the insight we can out of fresh eyes is a fantastic idea, one that I will be stealing shamelessly!