• If an employee is transferring from one employee class to another (i.e., OPS Exempt to OPS Nonexempt), the action must be completed through the onboarding process.
• If an employee is transferring to a similar appointment on campus, an ePAF may be completed.
      
• Do not let your candidate’s invitations expire! An onboarding invitation expires after 21 days if not accessed by the candidate. Stay in touch with your candidates. You are their first line of support.
• The onboarding process does not have to be completed in a single session. Candidates may log in multiple times using their user-name and password to complete the process. When users log in for their next session, they can return to where they left off and continue.
• New employees should allow 60 minutes to complete the full onboarding process. Be sure to gather necessary materials such as social security number, banking information (for direct deposit), or work authorization documents.
• Returning users can access the portal with their previous user-name, password, and security questions. 
• Always enter salaried faculty and staff annual compensation at the full-time rate, even when they are part-time. The system will calculate the compensation rate automatically based on the weekly hours entered.

• If your candidate is an existing employee, rehire, current student, or former student, please enter their Employee ID and FSUID when adding express appointments. Refer to Paths & Packages page. 
• Payroll processing deadlines are met when the job offer and all documents needed are received, not when submitted or initiated.
• Department Representatives should proactively monitor My Tasks and FSU Onboarding Approvals.
• The section “View Onboarding Approvals” on the FSU Onboarding side menu is for reviewing Dual Compensation, Outside Employment, or Employment of Relatives requests after initial department rep submission.
• Onboarding an additional appointment? Remember to consult with Department Rep(s) for existing appointment(s) to determine the following about the record(s): No Change, Update, or Terminate.
• Coach Internal Transfers on how to appropriately answer the Dual Comp question. Dual Compensation forms are not required for promotions or transfers.

• Track your candidates’ progress by navigating to Invitation Console in the onboarding portal.
  • From Department Administration > FSU On-Boarding Tile > FSU On-Boarding Landing Page > Invitation Console
    • Search by Name, Candidate ID, or Applicant ID and click the “View Process” link to review onboarding progress.
• Search My Tasks in the onboarding portal to complete any items pending your review.
  • From Department Administration > FSU On-Boarding Tile > FSU On-Boarding Landing Page > My Tasks
    • Complete the Supplemental Documents step and upload all required documents. 
    • Review any actions your candidate has submitted for approval, such as Leave Transfer, Dual Compensation, Outside Employment, and Employment of Relatives. Take the appropriate action to generate the necessary workflow.

• Run the query FSU_SM_PEND_CAND_STEP_BY_DEPT in OMNI HR to generate a list of candidates pending from your department. The query shows where a candidate is pending and how long they have been at that step in the process.

Q: What type of employment actions are submitted through Smart Onboarding?

• A: Onboarding is used for new hires, rehires, additional appointments, and internal movement (e.g., promotions, lateral transfers, etc.).

Q: How do I initiate Onboarding?

• A: Onboarding requires a fully approved electronic OMNI job offer. Accordingly, your candidate can be hired through one of the following electronic methods:
  • Regular advertised opening (Faculty, Staff, or OPS recruitment)
  • Express pool appointment process:
    • Faculty Express → OPS Faculty
    • GA Express → Graduate Assistants
    • OPS Express → OPS hires
    • Courtesy Express → Courtesy appointments
    • InternFSU Express → paid Interns
  • Non-advertised job opening created for a Salaried position exempt from advertisement, to include:
    • Visiting status
    • Named in a contract/grant
    • Emergency/Temporary/Acting status
    • 0.5 FTE or less
    • Provost Minority Recruitment
    • Reassignment
    • Demotion
    • An approved Waiver of Advertisement

 Q: When is a Background Check Questionnaire required?

• A: Questionnaires should be completed within all OMNI Job Openings and Express Job Offers. Once the candidate completes their first set of tasks within Onboarding, the Background Check Team will immediately initiate the background check if required. The department will be copied on the initiation instructions email to the candidate.
  • Appointments that do not trigger an OMNI Opening/Job Offer [Volunteers, ePAF/pPAF actions for One-Time Pays, ePAF/pPAF actions for internal movement (e.g., job code or department changes), additional duties] require an Unadvertised Questionnaire and Request Form (if required) through the Background Check Forms Portal.

 Q: How long does the onboarding process take?

• A: Hire dates should be 2 – 3 weeks out from the date the job offer is entered to allow time for the job offer to be approved and the onboarding steps and approvals completed. The appropriate payroll deadline must be met to avoid delays in pay, benefits, and access.

 Q: Do Courtesy appointments, Federal Work Study (FWS), or One-Time Pays go through the Onboarding process?

• A: Courtesy appointments do go through the Onboarding process. Currently, Federal Work Study (FWS) and One-Time Pays do not go through the Onboarding process. The processes for appointing One-Time Pay and FWS remains the same.

 Q: Will I be notified once an invitation is launched to a candidate?

• A: Yes, the department representative and the job offer initiator will both receive an email once an invitation has been launched to a candidate. The department’s email will contain the candidate’s name, email address the invitation was launched to, which package the candidate will complete, and tips about the onboarding process. When creating a job offer, additional recipients can be added to these notifications within the “Offer Details” tab under the “Additional Dept Contact Email” field.

 Q: My OMNI job offer has been approved. What is next?

• A: Once the job offer has been approved, Human Resources will launch the Onboarding invitation for your candidate. You will also get a notification. The department representative should follow these next steps:
  • Visit “My Tasks” in the onboarding portal to complete the Supplemental Documents step and upload all required documents. 
  • Review any actions submitted for approval such as, Leave Transfer, Dual Compensation, Outside Employment, or Employment of Relatives.
  • The I-9 will also need to be completed. 
  • The department representative should monitor the candidate’s progress and workflow approvals via Invitation Console > View Process.

 Q: Once the OMNI job offer is approved and the Onboarding invitation is launched, can I proceed with an official offer of employment?

• A: No. The initial discussion with a top candidate includes an anticipated start date, job details, and next steps. Next steps include the background check and the University’s onboarding process. The start date can be confirmed, and an offer letter presented once the background check has been processed and the department has received a clear to proceed notification from Human Resources.

 Q: Once the background check has been completed, will I be notified via email if I can proceed with the hire?

• A: Yes. An email will continue to be sent upon completion of the background check. Work cannot begin without receiving an email indicating that the results meet University guidelines or that a background check is not required.

Q: My department is appointing a courtesy or internal candidate, but no supplemental documents are required. How do we proceed? 

• A: You must still click the “save and submit” button in the Supplemental Documents step, even if no supplemental documents are required. If the Supplemental Documents step is not saved and submitted, the Smart Onboarding process will pend in the department’s queue and may cause a delay in processing.

Q: What paperwork am I required to submit for a rehire?

• A: Rehired employees should be processed through Smart Onboarding. Human Resources will launch the appropriate onboarding package for the rehire, depending on how long they have had a break in service. 

Q: My candidate is not currently in “My Tasks” queue. How do I review my candidate’s onboarding progress?  

• A: Navigate to the FSU On-Boarding Tile > FSU On-Boarding Landing Page > Invitation Console to review the onboarding of any pending or completed candidates within your departmental assignment list(s). Search by Name, Candidate ID, or Applicant ID and click the “View Process” link to review onboarding progress.

  
  

Q: I am onboarding an existing employee for an additional appointment. Is a dual compensation form required? 

•  A: When onboarding an Additional appointment, dual compensation approval is required within the portal, based on the following:
• 1. Combination of appointments is in excess of one (1) full-time equivalent (FTE),
  2. Combination of an active salaried appointment(s) and an active OPS appointment(s), or
  3. Employment in multiple departments. 

  
• If one or more of these criteria are reached, the employee and the department representative will need to mark “Yes” to dual compensation within their portions of the Smart Onboarding portal. The department representative is responsible for generating the approvals and communicating with other departments on any existing/pending appointment(s), if necessary.

Q: I am onboarding a new employee who has applied for a replacement social security card, but cannot provide a copy of it yet. May we still proceed with onboarding?

• A: The Social Security Administration provides receipts of application for social security cards. The candidate should provide their social security number in the onboarding portal and will need to provide the receipt that they have ordered a replacement card. This can be uploaded at the Supplemental Documents step by the employee or department representative. Departments may save/submit the onboarding once proof of receipt and other required documents are uploaded.

  
  • The appointment is processed with temporary funding for 60 days, and funding may be extended once a copy of the employee’s signed social security card is received by HR.
  • Please note, when obtaining a copy of the social security card from the employee, the original card must be physically signed and then copied.

Q. How does a Non-Resident Alien candidate without a social security card or number complete the onboarding process?

• A: Non-Resident Aliens without a social security card or number will need to apply for a social security card through the Social Security Administration office.
  1. As the candidate begins completing the Employee Information section of the portal, they must indicate that they are a Non-Resident Alien. This will prompt a checkbox that allows the candidate to acknowledge the need to apply for a social security card and continue the process. 
  2. Employee Data Management will issue a temporary ID directly to the candidate’s home email address once they are completely processed.
  3. The candidate can use the ID to activate their FSUID until a social security card has been appropriately provided to their department representative and Human Resources.
• Refer to the Center for Global Engagement Brochure for information on obtaining a social security card.

 Q: When are hire date changes required? How do I update Smart Onboarding?

• 

  • A: Hire date changes are required if the employee’s first day of physical work is delayed and they are unable to begin their duties. If a hire date needs to be updated, both the onboarding hire date and the I-9 hire date in Guardian will need to reflect the correct first day worked. To move a hire date forward on a pending appointment, add a comment to the Collaboration feature. 
• 

  • The Collaboration feed can be accessed via the chat bubble icon located on the bottom right-hand corner of the Supplemental Documents (Admin) page. The assigned HR processor will review and update the hire date before processing the appointment into OMNI HR.

 Q: When is my employee’s onboarding appointment going to be active in the system?

• A: The department must complete all required onboarding tasks by the applicable payroll deadline. Human Resources reviews, confirms all requirements have been met, and processes the appointment according to the deadline met.
• • An email notification is sent to the department representative when the appointment is processed in OMNI HR. Department representatives should share this with the employee so that the FSUID can be activated in a timely manner.
  • After FSU HR has processed the appointment in Job Data, the employee can activate their FSUID account within this set timeframe before their start date.

 Q: Are there additional action steps once the employee is active in OMNI HR and the onboarding process has been completed?

• A: Yes. The I-9 process needs to be completed on time. Employees are also required to complete New Employee Orientation within 30 days of hire. New Employee Orientation is available online and provides employees with information concerning employee benefits, rules and regulations affecting employment, basic cybersecurity awareness, and University operating procedures.
• • Orientation is mandatory for all employees. Refer to the New Employee page on the HR website for more information.

Q: Do new hire and rehire candidates need to complete their I-9 form in Guardian?

• A: Yes, the federal requirements for the Form I-9 require that Section 1 of the Form I-9 must be completed in Guardian on or before the first day of work for pay, and section 2 must be completed by the third day. This is required for new hire employees and for rehires whose previous I-9 and E-Verify were completed more than three years ago.

Q: When is a Section 3 Rehire I-9 entry required? 

• A: The Section 3 Rehire entry on an existing I-9 form is only needed for rehired employees who have been terminated for 15 days or more.