Rapid on-boarding of academic librarians: good economic sense

Abstract

Purpose The success of socialization and orientation of new academic librarians has a considerable effect on outcomes critical to both the newcomer and institution, including job performance, job satisfaction, and staff turnover. These factors correspondingly impinge upon the institution's bottom line, due to the high costs associated with activities ranging from recruitment to retention. The paper asserts that if a new librarian leaves the institution within the first six to 18 months, the costs expended on hiring are practically wasted. To avoid this, and engage new professionals that stay long enough to justify the cost of hiring, and gain a return on its investment, the academic library needs to engage in rapid on-boarding. The article therefore aims to demonstrate how socialization and orientation can be effective.