Preboarding: For Managers

As soon as your new employee accepts the offer, notify your Recruitment Specialist. This triggers the preboarding process and allows HRS to set up the employee in NEOED Onboard. Do not wait. Delays at this step affect the entire preboarding timeline.

Work with your Recruitment Specialist to confirm your new employee's start date. UM schedules start dates on a biweekly basis to allow enough time for all preboarding tasks to be completed across HRS, IT, and your department. If preboarding is not completed by the Tuesday before the start date, system access including email and network access cannot be guaranteed. Plan your new employee's start date around the biweekly start date schedule provided by your Recruitment Specialist.

You will receive a checklist in NEOED Onboard with tasks and timelines specific to your role as a manager. Your checklist includes both administrative tasks coordinated with HRS and position-specific tasks that only you can complete. Work through your checklist promptly and monitor your new employee's progress on their own tasks.

All new employees must attend a University of Montana Account Setup (UMAS) session to activate their email and computer accounts. UMAS sessions are held on biweekly start dates at 9:00 a.m. in the Liberal Arts Building, Room 139. Your new employee will automatically be registered for the session on their start date. Your role is to ensure your new employee knows about UMAS, is available to attend at 9:00 a.m. on their first day, and knows where to go. Consider having a colleague walk them to the Liberal Arts Building if they are not yet familiar with campus. Your new employee will need their 790 number and NetID for identity verification at UMAS. They will not have access to their email or computer accounts until UMAS is complete. Contact the IT Help Desk at 406-243-4357 with questions about UMAS.

Use the preboarding period to prepare for your new employee's arrival. A well-planned first day, week, and month makes a significant difference in how quickly a new employee feels supported and becomes productive. Review the Manager's Guide to Onboarding and visit the OOLD Onboarding page for resources including information about Starting Strong at UM and We Are UM orientation programs.

Preboarding covers the administrative and logistical steps needed to set your employee up before their first day. Responsibilities are shared across HRS, you as the manager, and the new employee. Onboarding is the broader process of welcoming your employee into their role and the university community, beginning on day one and continuing for several months. Both are important and the preboarding period is the right time to start planning for onboarding. Visit the OOLD Onboarding page for onboarding resources.

First confirm that all preboarding steps have been completed in NEOED Onboard. Then confirm that an employee email and computer account ticket has been submitted to IT. If both steps are complete, contact the IT Help Desk at 406-243-4357 to check the status of the account setup. If preboarding steps are still outstanding, contact HRS at AskHR@mso.umt.edu or 406-243-6760.

In some cases yes. If your new employee's job has been built in the university system, a Canvas account will be generated automatically within 24 hours. If you need Canvas access before that point, contact the IT Help Desk at 406-243-4357 or submit a Request Employee Canvas Account ticket. Note that gaining Canvas access too far in advance of a start date may have labor law implications. Contact your HRS team if you have questions.

Contact your Recruitment Specialist as soon as possible. Starting outside the biweekly schedule may mean system access including email and network access cannot be set up in time for the first day. HRS will advise on what is feasible given the timeline.

The UM ID will appear in your new employee's hiring record once their information has been entered into the university system. Contact HRS if you need assistance locating it.