To expect HR to inform IT of new starters?

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I work in the IT Department of a college, and we always have new staff wandering into the office asking for usernames.

HR never let us know.

AIBU to expect HR to let us know that "Mr John Smith has started work on 01 January 2015 as a Teacher of a subject"?

Where I work this is the line managers job as HR wouldn't know what IT equipment was needed e.g. desktop, laptop, smartphone etc or what files/shared drives/networks the new starter needed access to.

As you say in OP that it's a longstanding problem, and that you've raised repeatedly withHR, this is time to escalate and get heads of department involved (possibly beyond IT) to create something like a 'joiner's folder' that covers everything needed (and can stand as proof of the person's bona fides). Making a proposal to ease joiner's admin and reduce burden on departments can be presented as a positive step to joined up working, not just another moan. One meeting with the right people round the table would solve it.

We had a joiner's folder, which was essentially a list of things joiners needed to do in their first week and who they needed to see to do it and where those people sat (room, phone number, email): security pass, admin stuff (hard copy signatures needed on certain documents), IT requirements (login and training), how to book essential/desirable induction training, car pass if required, season ticket loans, salary sacrifice schemes, staff benevolent fund, staff association, plus signposts to other useful welfare services.

Give them a time limit. If they don't get it to you at least a couple of days before then it takes a couple of days. It's not fun for the new starter but certainly got the point across at my work.

A lot of you are missing the point a bit :)

Any old person could turn up and say they work here - even if they came with their line manager. However, how do we know they're employed and not just a visitor for example? At the moment, they wander in and we have no clue if they work here or not :)

What I'm saying is, I think HR should know who works at the company and confirm their appointment. Then the line manager should then go "He needs access to X/Y/Z"

So make it a policy then OP. Make it so the LM contacts HR with what that person needs and HR verify and approve by passing on to you at IT, or something like it.

Make a brief SOP and if HR people don't follow policy and the SOP then they don't get.

Here's an idea. On a Thursday, phone HR and ask them if they have any new starters the following Monday. Be proactive. Instead of placing blame, think about helping your colleagues and creating a good impression for new starters.

As an IT team you are there to provide a service to your colleagues. Consider them to be customers. Think about how you like to be treated as a customer. Don't blame others, just do what needs to be done to sort out the problem.

This shouldn't be so hard, it really shouldn't. Offer letter goes out, cc IT. Line manager fills out a New Starter Form defining what is needed and circulates it to the various people. Could be an email address, a phone, a car, PPE.

Write a procedure and train your colleagues although I find it hard to believe there isn't one already.

Muminhants.... OK... So, I'll chase HR about their own work asking nicely if they're recruited anyone, and I'll chase any Line Manger about any possible recruitment they might be considering. I'll put myself on the teams for future plans for employment and devleoment of the college. Heck, id 'd better get onto the admissions team and ask them to let me know of any future students on a weekly basis too... OH, whilst I'm at it, I'll ring th emarketing and ask them if there's any thing I can do for them and then I'll ring over to The finance office and see if they need any help processing payments.... Obviously that's my job in your eyes...

muminhants All IT do on a day to day basis is sort out other peoples problems when then cock something up. So because HR have failed to provide the forms or sent an email with the information you really want #33 to add another task to their week which amounts to fixing someone elses inability to do their job? Really?

jinx

We are there to make sure the IT systems work, so HR can run their database and send emails and make phone calls and print and browse and that. We aren't there to make sure they're informing all departments of any potential recruits.

Ah. You're a 'It's not my job' kinda person.

So this is just a rant rather then wanting to explore possible options? In which case I have to agree with Wizard.

If there is a procedure that HR are not following, how is that the OP's fault? IT departments are not there to be treated like slaves at the whim of the "important" people. Procedures about things like this exist for a reason.

If HR don't ask you to create an account, don't do it. Refer new starts back to whoever is supposed to create the requests. Eventually they will get the message.

Is there a tech solution? These online forms? Can you alter them so that there is a tech prompt? Or an automatic forwarding? Maybe a button that pops up on screen when they enter the new employees address, name, ni number etc that says about IT needs and requires an action from them before they can proceed further with the rest of the process? Some IT change to the way HRs database works?

it's not HR's responsibility, it's the line managers!! I guess this depends on how traditional your HR dept is - in my organisation, the line managers manage their people and sort out their new starters/ IT.

If you have Line Managers who'll just rock up with random people asking for IT access, then you have a bigger problem than a new starter process.

We're in a college - staff cant't start until DBS checks have gone through and HR send an offer letter. They are the dept that 'allow' someone to be employed and do all the processing and checking.

To me, it would be their responsibility to inform Line Mangers, security and IT that Mr Smith has been offered employment and will start on X Date

Th tech solution exists... they need to send an email or use their database properly. But I can't stand over them and make them use systems.

The problem I have is, anyone could rock up and say they work here, we give them access to the systems and in turn confidential info etc. Then one day someone turns around and goes

"Oh, who the heck is Mr Smith? He doesn't even work here, and now he's got all our data and has been harassing people - IT you blithering idiots in IT why didn't you get HR to confirm the appointment??"

Me: "Well, some one on Mumsnet said it's OK, HR have no need to inform anyone about new staff, it's enough that they say they work here. HR shouldn't be the people to tell us if Mr Smith works here or not. I'm ( a lowly employee) am allowed to make that judgement on my own with no evidence or proof they are even who they say they are and give them access to secure systems because they told me they 'work here' OK?"

"oh, yes, of course, you're right. No need to worry."

(A) If there is a process and it's not being followed and you've asked your peers in HR to follow it but they still don't follow it then you need to escalate to your manager and explain what you've done already and what you think needs to happen.

Or:

(B) If there isn't a process you need to work with others to introduce one.
Once you have a process then if it isn't being followed, see (A).

I'm sorry but unfortunately to a total stranger (me) it does sound like you're whinging but not doing much that could improve things.

Hope you get it sorted.

We have similar problems OP. We're a small department (4) in charge of about 800 people globally. The amount of times HR forget to use the systems we have in place for this kind of thing is ridiculous.

We've started calling hr on a Monday morning and demanding lists. It's not ideal but it's been helping.

It is HR's job in our company to tell us the new starter, where he works and his job role as that then tells us which permissions and building access he needs.

You just need to play hardball. If there are processes in place that are being ignored, just tell them to do it properly and until then, do nothing to help. They are the ones causing the problem, not you.

So why not just tell them no then OP? Refuse to give them what they want until HR and the LM have submitted things correctly. Instead of just ranting about it and being annoyed by them, be calm and refuse them- they'll soon play ball and if they don't and keep misbehaving, well then that's their problem you still do everything only when it's all complete.