Summary

WAMU 88.5 is a public media station owned and operated by American University. WAMU is the source for local, regional and NPR news and original programs in Washington DC. Since 1961, WAMU has been amplifying voices and sharing stories from the many neighborhoods and communities in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

The WAMU HR team is seeking an undergraduate student to support HR-led onboarding review and improvement efforts across WAMU.

This paid role will assist with gathering information about onboarding practices, organizing findings and helping develop onboarding resources and tools. Work will be completed under the guidance and direction of the HR Generalist and in collaboration with the WAMU HR Team.

Essential Functions

1. Onboarding Discovery
   • Support HR-led efforts to better understand how teams onboard new employees and what resources contribute to a successful onboarding experience.
   • Inventory existing onboarding materials across teams.
   • Interview a small set of managers to understand: 1.) What new hires need to know in the first 30–60 days, 2.) How teams are currently onboarding new hires (formal and informal), 3.) Common gaps, challenges, or inconsistencies, 4.) Capture example inputs or materials from teams where available.
2. Document & Organize Findings
   • Assist with documenting and organizing onboarding practices, feedback, and materials into a structured format to support HR review and future onboarding resource development. In a clear, structured format, identify common themes across interviews, including: 1.) Core information new hires need, 2.) Repeated pain points or gaps, 3.) Differences across functions, 4.) Group insights into simple categories (e.g., functional overview, tools/processes, key relationships, FAQs).
3. Develop & Propose Recommendations
   • Assist in organizing findings into practical onboarding recommendations and draft resource concepts.
   • Help identify opportunities for greater consistency across onboarding practices and materials.
   • Draft sample onboarding tools or templates such as : 1.) onboarding checklists, 2.) welcome guides, 3.) first week schedules, 4.) resource directories, 5.) FAQs or team reference materials.
   • Assist with organizing and formatting onboarding content for future HR team use.
   • Present summarized findings, themes, and draft recommendations to HR leadership for review and feedback.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Part-time.
• Up to 20 hours per week.
• Hybrid modality. Onsite, 4 hours a week is required on Mon, Tues, or Wed.
• Remote modality for the rest of the hours of the week.
• The ideal start date for this position is flexible, and it will end on 12/31/26.
• This position will report to the HR Generalist.