Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Welcome to the Forest Service - New Hire Onboarding Guide

Real Jobs. Real Impact.

You are one step closer to caring for the land and serving people. This guide will help you navigate the onboarding process and prepare for your new job. It includes tips, video links, and resources that explain aspects of becoming a Forest Service employee.  
    
The onboarding process generally takes 60-90 days from the time you receive your Tentative Selection Notification until your first day of work. After you start work, there will be additional onboarding tasks to complete within the first 90 days on the job.

If you are looking for information on onboarding temporary new hires, please download the informational guide below.

Temporary New Hire Onboarding Guide

 

pre-employment, employment, start your new job, orientation and beyond

Welcome! The following webpages incorporate the Forest Service’s New Hire Onboarding Guide. If you are a new employee to the Forest Service and possibly to federal service, this guide is for you. 

Watch the video, above, of Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen to hear her heart-felt welcome to our agency.

Watch your email for a series of messages that will expand your introduction to the Forest Service while supporting your onboarding activities.

And know help is a phone call away if you have questions. Your Human Resources case manager, your new supervisor, and the New Hire Help Desk, whose number and email address is at the bottom of each page of this Guide, are here to help you navigate the onboarding process.

A separate onboarding guide for temporary employees is under development. Affiliated employees such as contractors, volunteers, and interns with a partner organization will follow different onboarding processes provided by their sponsoring organization. 

If you are looking for information on onboarding temporary new hires, please download the informational guide below.

Temporary New Hire Onboarding Guide

 
Phase 1 pre-employment: The tentative selection notice provides directions for next steps.

 

 

 

Learn More

Phase 2 employment: The official job offer provides details for next steps.

 

 

 

Learn More
Phase 3: start your new job, your first two weeks o the job

 

 

 

Learn More
Phase 4: orientation and beyond - your first few months on the job.

 

 

 

Learn More

Help Is Available: New Hire Help Desk

877-372-7248, Option 4

HRM_contact_center@usda.gov

Available weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Mountain Time.

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/employee-welcome