IT does training here
I would be embarrassed to have a new staff member show up and not have their desk ready--- computer, phone, basic office supplies.
IT spends anywhere from 1 - 3 hours on average with an new employee then follows up a week or so later to make sure the new employee is comfortable with their system and their desk set-up.
We feel that this new hire orientation is a great way for new staff to meet IT and for us to get to know them. That way we also get sign-off that they are comfortable and have the tools to do their job effectively.
As part of the new hire process, HR prints up a training manual - about 50% of which is IT (how to use outlook calendar, email, contacts, where to save things etc). We find that new employees LIKE this training, and overview of systems policies. It may seem like over kill for some organizations, but even in a busy shop we feel that it should be a priority.
