Starting at Técnico: Welcome and Integration

The first days in a new workplace are always a challenge! Meeting new colleagues or getting to know your way around the place are experiences every new employee goes through.

Indeed, employee integration is a crucial moment, as it prepares newcomers for their roles and helps them adapt to the routines and expectations of the employer.

A successful onboarding process not only supports the adaptation of new staff, but also reduces turnover rates and the likelihood of non-renewal of contracts.

Effective onboarding requires guiding new employees through the organization’s best practices, training them on the tools they will use, introducing them to departmental rules and objectives, raising awareness of the organizational culture and its values, and presenting them to the team.

At Instituto Superior Técnico, we are committed to making the integration of our staff a positive and enriching experience, so that new colleagues feel as welcomed as possible.

To achieve this, we organize a range of initiatives dedicated to the reception and adaptation of all newcomers to our community:

• On the first Wednesday of every month, we welcome new Technical and Administrative staff with Welcome Sessions, designed to introduce our values, culture, and way of working. These sessions also serve as a first point of connection between colleagues and supervisors.
• In addition to the monthly sessions, we host a special end-of-year event every December, where all recently hired staff gather to celebrate their first year at Técnico — the event is called “Bem-Vind@ ao Técnico”.

Every quarter, we also hold Welcome Sessions specifically designed for the new Research Fellows of the year.

For new faculty members, there is also a formal ceremony held annually to celebrate the signing of new contracts.