Jennifer Cabrera, customer services supervisor in Alhambra, CA, gives a welcome packet to Felipe Meza, a new city carrier assistant.

Jennifer Cabrera came away from supervisor training earlier this year in National Harbor, MD, inspired to ensure city carrier assistants get off to a strong start at her Post Office in Alhambra, CA.

“Retention is very important,” said Cabrera, a customer services supervisor. “Without a good retention rate, we will not have a functioning team to step in when we need support the most.”

She decided that a simple welcome guide would be a good start.

The guide includes details about the duties of, and expectations for, city carrier assistants. It also includes important resources such as contact information for station staff.

“I found it very helpful,” said Felipe Meza, a city carrier assistant. “Some of the information in the packet was new that they didn’t cover in training. Jennifer also included food suggestions and explained the importance of understanding the contract we signed as carriers.”

The welcome guides reflect the primary goals of a national initiative aimed at improving an employee’s first 90 days of employment.

The initiative, which reflects the workforce development goals of the Delivering for America plan, also includes efforts to establish career paths for new hires and improve their availability to work.

For Cabrera, the welcome guides are just the start. She also encourages a buddy system, with fellow employees offering tips and support.

“I like to make sure that they know that each day at the Post Office is a new day, that the mistakes they make today will not happen again tomorrow, and to not be discouraged on performance,” Cabrera said.

Share your feedback at uspslink@usps.gov. Your comments could be included in the “Mailbag” column.

The June 13 session will focus on the stages of career planning.

Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar about career planning.

The session, “4 Stages of Career Planning,” will be held Tuesday, June 13, at 9:15 a.m. EDT and 12:15 p.m. PDT.

The webinar, hosted by the University of Phoenix, will focus on how to apply the four stages of career planning to achieve career growth in your organization.

Participants must register before the event on the webinar website. After signing up, directions will be emailed to each registrant.

Participation is voluntary. Nonexempt employees may only participate off the clock or during authorized breaks.

University of Phoenix offers educational benefits to USPS employees. For more information, email the USPS Health and Wellness team or visit the USPS Wellness LiteBlue page.