Onboarding & Separation

Gies Employee Onboarding

A good onboarding experience helps new employees feel supported and more confident in their new role. While onboarding may be personalized to fit the needs of each unit, the resources below ensure all employees are receiving thorough and consistent information to support a successful transition into their new role with Gies.

Purpose Statement

Get to know the Gies Business Purpose Statement, Commitments, and Beliefs. Our Commitments are the core principles that guide everything we do and shape how we approach business education, and our Beliefs support our Commitments and reflect how we work together to live out our Purpose.

Watch the video to learn more about Business on Purpose and how it shapes what we do.

Probationary Period for Civil Service Employees

The probationary period is considered an extension of the Civil Services examination and is the final step in the hiring process. The purpose of the probationary period is to provide a time for the new employee to adjust to the job and for the employer to determine whether the employee demonstrates the ability and motivation to furnish satisfactory service.

*Managers to note: The Probationary Employee Performance Evaluation is the only evaluation requirement during an employee’s probationary period. Employees in their probationary period will not participate in Gies Performance Reviews during this time.

Gies Staff Separation

Employees may leave Gies or the university for a variety of reasons. It’s important to follow proper exit procedures to ensure a smooth transition. The university checklist is essential for someone preparing to leave the university. When employees leave Gies, managers should conduct an exit interview to better understand the situation and get feedback on the employee’s experience in the role. Those who are preparing for retirement should start with SURS.

    Gies Staff Retirement

    Retirement is a special milestone for our employees. It’s a time to acknowledge all they have contributed to the College and University during their employment, and to celebrate their accomplishments. To ensure we’re celebrating this big milestone consistently for our retirees, we’ve created some guidelines below.

    Retirement Party or Open House

    • Reserve a room through EMS as far in advance as possible.
    • Invite everyone from your unit and others throughout the College as appropriate. You may ask the retiree if they have certain people they would like to invite.
    • Invite someone from leadership to say a few kind words about the retiree.
    • Serve cake or cookies with lemonade or punch. This can be ordered through University Catering, a bakery, or a store.
    • Present a $500 gift or giftcard of your choice (based on what the retiree likes).


    This is general guidance for retirement celebrations utilizing university funds. Any material deviation from this requires approval of the Dean’s office. This policy does not preclude individual gift giving or contributions toward a retiree gift.