Starting a new job can be overwhelming, but the University of Michigan (U-M) is making it easier with a suite of improved onboarding resources. U-M recently rolled out an improved Ann Arbor campus New Employee Orientation, a new U-M Onboarding program, and OnboardingA2 Maizey, an AI-powered chatbot that delivers answers to common new-hire questions. These integrated tools are part of a broader university-wide initiative aimed at helping new staff feel supported from day one – and for good reason. Studies show that employees who participate in a structured onboarding experience are 70% more likely to stay with an organization after three years
OnboardingA2 Maizey is a conversational AI chatbot, similar to ChatGPT. Unlike general AI chat tools, Maizey is trained exclusively on information from official U-M web pages. The chatbot references over 3,600 public U-M web pages to cover a wide range of topics. This means new staff get answers that are specific to U-M and aligned with current university resources and policies. For example, a new hire might ask, “How do I enroll in my U-M benefits?” or “Where should I park if I work at Wolverine Tower?” and Maizey will respond with helpful guidance, complete with links to the U-M web pages for reference.
Benefits-eligible, non-bargained-for staff on Ann Arbor’s campus can access Maizey as soon as their U-M login is active. Additionally, every answer the chatbot provides cites its source, allowing users to verify the information. Additionally, by utilizing U-M’s own Maizey platform— a secure, no-code AI service developed at U-M—the tool ensures that data remains private and that content remains up-to-date with U-M’s latest websites. The result is an AI assistant uniquely tailored to the needs of U-M’s new employees.
Maizey ensures that new employees don’t have to dig or wait for a response to an email. It offers:
- Increased Availability: Available anytime, anywhere.
- Reliable and Consistent Information: Answers pulled directly from official U-M websites.
- Improved Employee Experience: Helps new hires feel more informed, empowered, and ready to hit the ground running.
This use case is more than just an intelligent chatbot—it’s an experiment in using university-developed AI tools to improve real, everyday processes. The success of the U-M Onboarding program and the OnboardingA2 Maizey is clear; it delivers real value to new employees and the broader U-M community.
Register to join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the OnboardingA2 Maizey. Amy Fredell, the Organizational Learning Project Manager in UHR, who led the U-M Onboarding program, including the development of OnboardingA2 Maizey. Amy will walk through her process of creating a Maizey that centralizes essential information and makes it more accessible to the entire U-M Community.
