Onboarding Experience Research Articles

The role of physical and social environments on the loyalty toward urban rail services: A consideration of stations and onboard

Although urban train services have been introduced in various developing countries, ridership for this mode of public transport (PT) remains low. In response, urban planning authorities are seeking ways to boost passenger loyalty to these services. However, the existing literature has scarcely examined the role of physical and social environments in fostering passenger loyalty. Additionally, how loyalty is developed throughout the passenger experience - both at stations and onboard - remains unclear. Addressing this gap, the current study develops a model based on the 'service quality-satisfaction-behavioural intentions' paradigm and the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model to examine how the physical and social environments, both at rail stations and onboard trains, impact passenger loyalty in the context of urban train services. Additionally, this study validates the multi-dimensionality of physical environments and social environments in this context. Data collected from urban rail passengers in Hanoi, Vietnam is analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that the physical and social environments onboard trains significantly influence loyalty towards the urban train services, while the environments at stations do not have the same impact. Furthermore, both satisfaction at stations and onboard trains significantly affect the loyalty, though the influence of satisfaction with the onboard experience is much stronger than that of satisfaction with the stations. Practically, the findings assist PT authorities in evaluating existing systems and devising future PT development strategies. Also, the study informs PT providers of ways to improve passenger satisfaction and loyalty.

A Study on Onboarding Employees and Solving Employees Queries of Amnex Infotechnologies in Ahmedabad

This study investigates the onboarding processes, employee query management, and data handling practices at Amnex Infotechnologies, highlighting key findings and offering actionable recommendations for improvement. The workforce at Amnex is predominantly below 25 years old and between 35-44 years old, with a slight male majority. Educational backgrounds are diverse, with postgraduates forming the largest group. Department representation varies, with HR and Finance departments having the highest participation. A significant majority of employees perceive the onboarding process as well-structured and feel adequately supported by the HR team. Data management practices are positively received, with most employees confident in the security of their data. However, there is potential for enhancing the onboarding experience through technology integration and structured programs. Improving query management by establishing a centralized knowledge base and responsive support systems is also recommended. Regular data audits and secure access channels can further strengthen data management practices. The study concludes that while Amnex has successfully created a supportive and engaging work environment, continuous improvements based on feedback and industry best practices can drive further organizational success and employee satisfaction

Feature selection using metaheuristics made easy: Open source MAFESE library in Python

Artificial intelligence (AI) often relies on feature selection (FS) to recognize and highlight the most relevant and major features in a dataset. The procedure of training and optimizing AI systems with key data points is decisive for its development and efficacy. To address this challenge, the present study introduces MAFESE, an open-source Python library that employs metaheuristic algorithms for selecting the optimal set of attributes, particularly when dealing with complex and high-dimensional data. MAFESE encompasses a wide range of feature selection techniques, including unsupervised-based, filter-based, embedded-based, and wrapper-based methods. Notably, within the wrapper-based category, MAFESE offers users access to over 200 metaheuristic algorithms, empowering them to choose the most suitable algorithm based on their specific datasets and requirements. Additionally, MAFESE incorporates built-in evaluation metrics that enable efficient comparison among various algorithms. Open-source design of MAFESE encourages cooperation within the data science community, allowing for continuous upgrades. This collaborative environment promotes the sharing of ideas, proposals, and changes, resulting in a stronger and more adaptive feature selection framework. MAFESE distinguishes itself with an easy-to-use Python interface that follows object-oriented programming concepts. It supports both experienced researchers and practitioners. MAFESE offers many resources, including documentation, examples, and test cases, for a smooth user onboarding experience. The modular architecture enables users to enhance features and interface with other tools, such as scikit-learn. MAFESE can be a valuable tool for identifying meaningful features in complicated, high-dimensional datasets, making it a significant addition to feature selection. MAFESE utilizes metaheuristic algorithms to help users tackle complex feature selection problems more efficiently and accurately. Through openness and teamwork, MAFESE may become a comprehensive resource that responds to the evolving demands of the data science community. The source code and materials of MAFESE are publicly available in the official GitHub repository at https://github.com/thieu1995/mafese.

Faculty Onboarding for Workforce Readiness and Belonging.

An academic anesthesiology department benefits from recruiting faculty from various centers, from new graduates to experienced clinicians. Two critical objectives for a department are getting the faculty members up-to-speed thoroughly and efficiently and retaining the faculty members to benefit from their contributions over time. Onboarding plays a pivotal role in meeting both objectives. A successful onboarding process is critical to the enculturation of new employees into an existing work environment. Organizations focusing on improving onboarding practices increase overall success, decrease attrition, and enhance member performance and satisfaction. In this study, we examine our onboarding practices and then create structured tools to improve our processes. A survey gauging the effectiveness and satisfaction of our existing onboarding practices was administered to 11 faculty members hired between 2016 and 2018. Using feedback from the survey, our team identified critical components for improvement and quality measures for onboarding from before faculty arrival until after starting clinical duties. We also measured faculty satisfaction with the onboarding process at different time points. Updated onboarding practices targeting identified areas were implemented in one hiring cycle. Thirteen new faculty members hired over the course of the course of six months assessed the new system's effectiveness. The experience of the previous cohort was compared to the new cohort, highlighting the impact of their feedback on the onboarding process. Our new best practices model, implemented to address primary gaps in our system, has shown promising results. The post-intervention cohort reported more favorable responses to the process, suggesting a positive shift in the onboarding experience. Further free-text feedback included recommendations for additional updates, offering a proactive approach to continuous improvement. A structured, feedback-responsive onboarding process improved the overall experience for new hires. While the response was overwhelmingly positive, further refinement with subsequent iterations is needed to continually improve this process.

Transforming the University HR on Boarding Process with RPA

The HR Onboarding Assistant project employs Robotic Process Automation (RPA) to enhance the efficiency of on boarding in education institutions. This initiative utilizes a well-structured RPA system with bots, data integration, security measures, and user-friendly interfaces to automate tasks, reduce errors, and improve the onboarding experience. It also supports ongoing optimization and data-driven decision-making for colleges and universities. This initiative addresses these challenges by introducing a meticulously designed RPA architecture. The architecture encompasses a suite of RPA bots, an orchestration layer, and compliance measures. Each component collaborates to automate specific tasks, thereby reducing manual workload, eliminating human errors, and accelerating the onboarding timeline. The project offers a comprehensive solution that includes a user-friendly interface for HR professionals, real-time notifications. Furthermore, the architecture accommodates ongoing optimization, and continuous monitoring. It is designed to foster a culture of data-driven decision - making, ensuring that the onboarding process evolves and adapts to the institution's needs.

Structured Operations Training and Evaluation: A Case Study

Onboarding for a company with remote, hybrid, and in-office workers can be challenging, especially if the workers are spread across the United States. This case study examines a US-based medical records company. This company met with stakeholders and developed a structured onboarding process which was implemented in December 2021. The case study follows employees who started between January and December 2022, analyzing their improvement in 30-, 60-, and 90-day assessments as well as their retention. While the data do not support a statistically significant increase, this process anecdotally improved the onboarding experience for new employees.

Exploring onshore excursion preferences among cruisers: application of the travel career pattern in the Hong Kong cruise tourism context

ABSTRACT Employing the travel career pattern (TCP) by Pearce (2019, Dreaming and longing. Tourist Behaviour, 20–40) as its guiding conceptual framework, the study explores cruise tourism and examines the factors and destination characteristics that influence the onshore excursion preferences of cruisers. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, the study combines qualitative content analysis and quantitative on-site questionnaire. The latter was administered to 602 participants at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong. Our findings provide insights into cruise passengers’ preferences for onshore excursions, particularly focusing on the attributes they value most in nearby destinations that are accessible from the cruise ship's ports of call. The study also identifies two distinct subgroups of cruisers (authenticity seekers and generic sightseers) who have different preferences when selecting places to visit at/nearby ports of call. The study contributes to the cruise tourism literature by exploring passengers’ onshore excursion preferences, a key component of their onboard experience. Moreover, it offers practical insights for destination management organisers keen on promoting their destinations to cruisers by capitalising on the proximity to a cruise port.

Student Virtual Identity System

Abstract: In the ever-evolving landscape of modern education, the imperative of robust and secure systems for student identity management has taken center stage. Enter the Student Virtual Identity System (SVIS), a comprehensive solution meticulously crafted to meet this demand. SVIS is a versatile platform that seamlessly caters to the needs of students, educational institutions, and administrators, offering a secure and efficient means of managing, verifying, and harnessing digital student identities.At the heart of SVIS is a user- friendly registration process, ensuring an easy and secure onboarding experience for students. Upon enrollment, students are granted access to a virtual identity that opens the doors to a multitude of educational services, from course registration to library access and Institutional Efficiency and Security. Educational institutions stand to gain significantly from SVIS. Administrative processes related to student enrollment, and record-keeping are streamlined, reducing the burden on staff and enhancing operational efficiency. SVIS is a bulwark against identity fraud and unauthorized access, bolstering security and protecting educational resources. SVIS introduces a consistent, secure, and standardized means of authentication, reducing the risk of identity theft and thwarting potential cyberattacks. Its adaptability ensures compatibility with various educational technology platforms, learning management systems, and a wealth of online resources, making it a versatile solution for the modern educational landscape.In conclusion, the Student Virtual Identity System is not merely a tool for simplifying student identity management; it's a catalyst for an educational revolution. SVIS doesn't just meet the needs of the moment; it enhances the security, efficiency, and convenience of digital learning environments. Its implementation signifies a commitment to providing a more reliable and secure experience for students and educators in the dynamic and increasingly virtual education landscape. Welcome to a new era in education with SVIS!

D-Tour: Semi-Automatic Generation of Interactive Guided Tours for Visualization Dashboard Onboarding.

Onboarding a user to a visualization dashboard entails explaining its various components, including the chart types used, the data loaded, and the interactions available. Authoring such an onboarding experience is time-consuming and requires significant knowledge and little guidance on how best to complete this task. Depending on their levels of expertise, end users being onboarded to a new dashboard can be either confused and overwhelmed or disinterested and disengaged. We propose interactive dashboard tours (D-Tours) as semi-automated onboarding experiences that preserve the agency of users with various levels of expertise to keep them interested and engaged. Our interactive tours concept draws from open-world game design to give the user freedom in choosing their path through onboarding. We have implemented the concept in a tool called D-TOUR PROTOTYPE, which allows authors to craft custom interactive dashboard tours from scratch or using automatic templates. Automatically generated tours can still be customized to use different media (e.g., video, audio, and highlighting) or new narratives to produce an onboarding experience tailored to an individual user. We demonstrate the usefulness of interactive dashboard tours through use cases and expert interviews. Our evaluation shows that authors found the automation in the D-Tour Prototype helpful and time-saving, and users found the created tours engaging and intuitive. This paper and all supplemental materials are available at https://osf.io/6fbjp/.

Implementation of a technician success and onboarding coordinator to reduce technician turnover.

This article provides an overview of changes implemented at an academic medical center to reduce pharmacy technician turnover. Pharmacy technician turnover has been a problem for years. Technicians come and go; they move on to other positions, and continuous turnover is an avoidable expense. With greater focus on creating a successful onboarding experience for newly hired technicians, turnover should decrease and satisfaction and engagement should increase. When a newly hired technician leaves a department within the first year, it can have a negative impact on the engagement of the remaining technicians who spent time training new hires in how to complete tasks, mentoring them, and incorporating them into the team. Creating a positive onboarding experience will decrease expenses accrued and minimize wasted resources and staff time dedicated to a technician who will not be around in 6 months to 1 year. At M Health Fairview, a Minneapolis, MN-based health system, technician retention has been improved through a standardized approach to onboarding and orientation, including creation of the new staff role of technician success and onboarding coordinator (TSOC). A standard approach to onboarding pharmacy technicians and integrating them into the pharmacy department has proven to be essential to technician retention at M Health Fairview. To get started, it is important to find the right person for the TSOC role to coordinate successful onboarding of newly hired pharmacy technicians. That person should be an individual with passion to engage and inspire newly hired technicians, with several years of experience, and with the ability to cascade knowledge.

A Branch-and-Price Algorithm for Large-Scale Multidepot Electric Bus Scheduling

Electric buses (e-buses) are increasingly adopted in the transit systems for their benefits of reduced roadside pollution and better onboard experience. E-bus scheduling is a critical problem in the operation planning stage of transit management to ensure efficient and reliable transit service. In Chinese mega cities, the e-bus networks are operated with many bus routes characterized by high service frequency and long operation time, making the e-bus scheduling a large-scale problem. Besides, the transit agency requires the vehicle-depot constraint to limit the e-bus reposition since it is not cost-efficient. An efficient method to generate optimized schedules that meet the above requirements is desired by the transit agencies. In this paper, we address a large-scale multi-depot electric bus scheduling problem considering the vehicle-depot constraint and partial recharging policy. A mixed integer programming model and an efficient branch-and-price (BP) algorithm are developed to solve the problem. In the BP algorithm, we devise a heuristic method to generate good initial solutions and adopted heuristic decisions in the label setting algorithm to solve the pricing problem. In this way, the efficiency of the BP algorithm is achieved and the large-sized problem instances can be solved. We conduct extensive numerical experiments based on the fixed-route and multi-route operation cases in Shenzhen. The results show that the BP algorithm can generate provable high-quality solutions. Sensitivity analysis indicates that increasing battery capacity and charging rate can reduce the operational cost. The optimal charging schedules can also provide guide in determining the capacity of the charging facilities.

Practical On-Board Experience as a Significant Predictor of Positive Perception towards English Language Learning

The English language is becoming increasingly important in both English-speaking and non-English-speaking countries. In the modern age, although English language skills are not the only criterion for career development, they are an indispensable tool for career advancement or obtaining a job. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate whether experience in the professional field can be considered a significant predictor of maritime students’ attitudes towards the need to learn English. For this purpose, students of undergraduate studies of Marine Engineering at the Faculty of Maritime Studies, University of Split, with no work experience (N1=65) and students of the Special Training Programme of Marine Engineering at the Faculty of Maritime Studies with at least three years practical experience (N2=38) have been asked about their attitudes towards this issue. The participants completed a newly constructed questionnaire on the need for English as a professional language. The results show a very high reliability of the questionnaire, (r ranges from 0.83 to 0.95 with p<0.01; t<0.73 with p>0.67). Furthermore, the Mann–Whitney U test has revealed a significant difference in the attitudes between the groups of participants for five out of the six variables (p<0.01). Additionally, it can be concluded that experience is a significant predictor of attitude, which implies that English language learning is a necessity in maritime practice.

Collaboratively Designing an App for a More Personalized, Community-Endorsed Continuous Glucose Monitoring Onboarding Experience: An Early Study.

Acclimating to a new technology device, such as a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), can be challenging. Current resources may not sufficiently answer questions patients living with diabetes (PWD) may have. We asked how we might improve the process to onboard a PWD to CGM. Our specific aims were (1) to develop, employing a co-designing approach, a prototype of an app for facilitating onboarding to CGM and (2) to obtain early feedback on its usability. We applied a human-centered design (HCD) approach; this process first seeks to deeply understand the unmet needs and frustrations users face. After wearing a demonstration CGM; observing PWD onboarding with health care professionals (HCPs) in clinic; and interviewing 8 PWD and 2 HCP, we developed, tested, and refined a low-fidelity prototype of a clickable app. With insights from this initial round of feedback, we then created a high-fidelity prototype with 3 key features: (1) individual entry of goals and questions; (2) a daily progress tracker for these goals; and (3) a community portal that facilitates exchange of questions and answers. We used the validated System Usability Scale (SUS) to quantify user feedback. Focus group participants found our early app to be usable and acceptable. Measurement of usability by the SUS yielded a score of 74, which is above average (68) reported for all applications tested, per usability.gov. Our early prototype app is a more personalized, additional tool that could bridge an information and support gap for patients who are new to CGM. This app could also help PWD on an ongoing basis, by evolving with them to enhance ease and engagement with diabetes self-management.

Tolerability and Acceptability of Autonomous Immersive Virtual Reality Incorporating Digital Twin Technology for Mass Training in Healthcare.

As part of onboarding and systems testing for a clinical expansion, immersive virtual reality (VR) incorporating digital twin technology was used. While digital twin technology has been leveraged by industry, its use in health care has been limited with no prior application for onboarding or training. The tolerability and acceptability of immersive VR for use by a large population of healthcare staff were unknown. A prospective, observational study of an autonomous immersive VR onboarding experience to a new clinical space was conducted from May to September 2021. Participants were healthcare staff from several critical care and acute care units. Primary outcomes were tolerance and acceptability measured by reported adverse effects and degree of immersion. Secondary outcomes were attitudes toward the efficacy of VR compared with standard onboarding experiences. A total of 1522 healthcare staff participated. Rates of adverse effects were low and those with prior VR experience were more likely to report no adverse effects. Odds of reporting immersion were high across all demographic groups, though decreased with increasing age. The preference for VR over low-fidelity methods was high across all demographics; however, preferences were mixed when compared with traditional simulation and real-time clinical care. Large-scale VR onboarding is feasible, tolerable, and acceptable to a diverse population of healthcare staff when using digital twin technology. This study also represents the largest VR onboarding experience to date and may address preconceived notions that VR-based training in health care is not ready for widespread adoption.

Onboarding: just how important is it?

PurposeEmployee retention has become a greater challenge for organizations as today’s employees are more likely to voluntarily change organizations than previous generations. Therefore, this paper aims to examine organizational experiences and how new employees are integrated into their work environments – a process known as onboarding. Specifically, this research explores the relationship between the onboarding processes that new employees experience and their levels of job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job embeddedness.Design/methodology/approachThe authors administered a Web-based survey and tested three hypotheses. The survey was distributed to 170 new employees, with 54 participants responding. The onboarding construct consisted of self-developed questions based on Bauer’s Four Cs (compliance, clarification, culture and connection) model. The constructs for job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job embeddedness were obtained from the literature.FindingsThe authors found that a new employee’s onboarding experience plays a significant role in shaping three variables negatively correlated with turnover: job satisfaction, organizational commitment and job embeddedness. More specifically, job satisfaction appears to be more correlated with the concrete, well-defined aspects of the onboarding experience. Furthermore, the highest level of Bauer’s onboarding model, connection, showed significant correlation with nearly all components of organizational commitment and job embeddedness.Originality/valueOrganizational leaders may use these findings to develop a better understanding of the retention implications of the first few months of a new employee’s time in the organization and then implement strategies that boost onboarding effectiveness to help mitigate losses due to voluntary turnover.

Employee On-boarding Experience in a Hybrid, International Set-up

How can a company deliver an effective on-boarding experience at scale, with high numbers of new hires, across different geographies? In this article we discuss how adopting an inclusive approach, embracing complexity and applying incremental innovation have been key to success in rethinking the employee on-boarding experience at Doctolib, a multi-national health-tech organisation based in France.

983-P: GluClose—Collaboratively Designing a More Personalized Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Onboarding Experience

Current resources for acclimating patients to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may not be convenient or individualized. We examined if design thinking could better understand patients’ challenges, to uncover insights to facilitate more personalized onboarding for individuals living with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) new to CGM. Design Thinking seeks to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and discover strategies that might not be initially apparent. This iterative working process generates solutions. A 10-week sprint started with immersion in current devices, including wearing a demonstration CGM. After directly observing in a DM clinic CGM onboarding for T1DM patients, we interviewed 4 newly-diagnosed and 4 previously-diagnosed individuals with T1DM: ages 2-65, diagnosed 5 months to 58 years ago; and 2 health care professionals (HCP). Patients’ pain points included: being overwhelmed with technology, and feeling a lack of ongoing support. Individuals’ journey maps and user personas informed low-fidelity prototypes for patient testing, which guided a high-fidelity prototype for GluClose. Key features included: recording goals; tracking progress; and providing a forum to ask questions and share information, with vetting for accuracy. The Standard Usability Score was 74 (from 7 participant responses), which is above average for acceptability. This early design thinking study of improving CGM onboarding demonstrates that our patient-driven prototype, GluClose, has high usability. Entering and tracking goals and questions could serve as a springboard for enhancing engagement and communication with other patients and HCP. Balancing participants’ preferences on interacting with HCP on GluClose with time and safety considerations can be both a challenge and an opportunity. Connecting T1DM patients with HCP, DM community members, and design thinkers could spark new questions and solutions, to further tailor and improve CGM onboarding. Disclosure E.C.Chao: None. M.Zhang: None. M.A.Houle: Other Relationship; Insulet Corporation. H.Rataj: None. Funding University of California San Diego

Remote Onboarding Effectiveness in Indian it Industry During the Pandemic

Purpose: The outbreak and impact of COVID-19 has definitely caused the most drastic and rapid shift to the global workforce. The Information Technology (IT) industry was amongst early responders who adopted a remote working model. The aim of this study was to understand the effectiveness of remote onboarding experience in the IT companies. Design/methodology/approach: The perceived benefits of remote working such as creating valuable opportunities for cost saving and greater flexibility for staff has caused many businesses to understand it is a beneficial model of working in the future and hence adopt it. Now that remote working is here to stay, this research studied the experience of the employees who were recruited in the years 2019 and 2020 into various IT organisations. A survey was circulated to understand this effect and a total of 126 employees participated from 21 IT Companies across India. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire was verified and the data was analyzed using SPSS V22. Findings: The results indicated that there is a significant difference in the joining experience between the two groups. The findings showed that the physical joining experience worked better as it helped in a higher employee satisfaction and hence helped learning the job faster. While the remote induction process seemed effective, the gaps pertain to lack of a structured onboarding process, knowledge transfer and supervisor interventions that are relevant for the remote working world. Research, Practical & Social implications: Organizations should understand the importance of making a good first impression with the new joiners. They should ensure smoother interventions that could enhance the culture immersion and knowledge transfer process. Originality/value: Most Indian IT companies have always allowed employees to work remotely. However, even these employees were required to be physically present for the onboarding process. Remote onboarding as a process did not exist prior to the pandemic and hence this study touches upon a lesser researched topic. The research recommendations provided in our study could help bridge the gaps and provide a better employee remote joining experience.

Virtual onboarding and socialization, an exploration of employee discussions and experiences

PurposeDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, employers struggled to develop virtual onboarding (VO) experiences among new employees. Prior research has examined VO processes. This study, by contrast, compares online commentaries in relation to current research findings to determine a functional description of effective VO.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative, inductive thematic analysis, the researchers explored new employees' online, anonymous, public commentary about the employers' VO experiences. Through analyzing 83 posted communications, the researchers sought to not only categorize themes, but to also identify meaning within the employees' commentary. From the thematic analysis, meaningful themes were established and compared to existing literature to identify comprehensive trends in effective VO.FindingsThe analysis developed nine themes of discussion question (DQ) prompts and nine themes of discussion responses. The professionals' online discussion about VO in the workplace as well as attributes of each theme was compared to contemporary VO research. In combination with a review of established literature of effective VO and an examination of organizational socialization theory, the study confirms that some virtually onboarded employees are excelling with, and some are challenged by the communication deficiencies of the remote experience. Employee experiences are highlighted to develop a description of contemporary effective VO experiences to support future workplace efficiencies.Research limitations/implicationsData were gathered via Blind and each response shared on Blind is subject to the viewpoint of the participants. For future research, face-to-face interviews might offer context regarding new hires' VO experiences. Also the generalizability is impacted because not all participants of VO participate via Blind. Participant bias is possible given the perceived dissatisfaction or negative experiences. Future research can perform a national random study of employees. Finally, the data and participants in this study were USA based. Future research should consider other international contexts such as Europe.Practical implicationsThe thematic findings of this study yield valuable practical recommendations. New hires that experience VO are seeking improved virtual communication channels between themselves and the managers and colleagues of the hires. As such, corporate managers/trainers can implement a virtual mentoring program to have senior employees prepare and guide new hires into employees' new remote working environment to reduce employees' uncertainty. To improve VO processes in a post-pandemic society, corporate managers/trainers can incorporate social media communication given that employees participate in social media to develop their careers. With social media work groups, new virtual hires can be better socialized through effective peer-to-peer informal internal communications where the hires can freely ask questions and build better work relationships.Social implicationsIn each onboarding experience and evident in each of the five themes, learning is an underlying concept. New employees are describing that it is challenging to development organizational shared values, skills, attitudes, knowledge, abilities, behaviors and relationships in a VO process. As organizational leaders continue to develop VO experiences, a focus on learning as dependent on the virtual learning process and content can be significant in terms of creating a positive employee VO learning experience.Originality/valueThe findings are unique in exploring new hires' self-reported VO experiences. This study offers insight into effective VO practices such as developing virtual trainings that are well planned, engaging and supporting of relationships, collaborations and career goals.

Onboarding OpenAthens

Liberty University is a private, Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. OpenAthens is a company that provides off-campus authentication for an organization’s electronic resources by redirecting URLs through a secure network. In 2022, Liberty University took action to begin transitioning from EZproxy authentication to OpenAthens authentication. There are three primary reasons why Liberty University chose to authenticate its electronic resources through OpenAthens:
 
 OpenAthens provides greater security for accessing electronic resources by providing federated access for specific subscriptions.
 OpenAthens requires less internal support to maintain access to electronic resources, such as the lack of requirement to maintain stanza updates, than other authentication products.
 OpenAthens provides more granular reporting capabilities for usage data.
 
 Therefore, organizations that plan to switch to OpenAthens authentication should consider their testing methods, plan for liaising with OpenAthens, and gain knowledge of OpenAthens terminology and different electronic environments before implementation to ensure a smooth onboarding experience.