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By Judith Brown, Director of HR Research, International Personnel Management Association Orienting employees to their workplaces and their
jobs is one of the most neglected functions in many organizations.
An employee handbook and piles of paperwork is not sufficient
anymore when it comes to welcoming a new employee to your organization.
The most frequent complaints about new employee orientation are that it
is overwhelming, boring, or that the new employee is left to sink
or swim. The result is often a confused new employee who is not
productive and is more likely to leave the organization within a year. With an ongoing labor crunch, developing an
effective employee orientation experience continues to be crucial.
It is critical that new hire programs are carefully planned to
educate the employee to the values, history and who is who in the
organization. A well
thought out orientation program, whether it lasts one day or six months,
will help not only in retention of employees, but also in productivity.
Organizations that have good orientation programs get their people up to
speed faster, have better alignment between what the employees do and
what the organization needs them to do, and have lower turnover rates. Purposes of
Orientation 1. To
Reduce Startup Costs Proper orientation can help the employee get "up to speed" much more quickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job. 2. To
Reduce Anxiety Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experience anxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn to do the job. Proper orientation helps to reduce anxiety that results from entering into an unknown situation, and helps provide guidelines for behavior and conduct, so the employee doesn't have to experience the stress of guessing. 3. To
Reduce Employee Turnover Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or are put in positions where they can't possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows that the organization values the employee, and helps provide the tools necessary for succeeding in the job. Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely supervisors and co‑workers will have to spend time teaching the employee. 5. To Develop Realistic Job Expectations, Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction It is important that employees learn as soon as possible what is expected of them, and what to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values and attitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience, they will make many mistakes that are unnecessary and potentially damaging. The main reasons orientation programs fail: $
The program was not planned. $
The employee was unaware of the job requirements. $
The employee does not feel welcome. All new employees should complete a new employment
orientation program that is designed to assist them in adjusting to
their jobs and work environment and to instill a positive work attitude
and motivation at the onset. A thoughtful new employee orientation program can
reduce turnover and save an organization thousands of dollars.
One reason people change jobs is because they never feel welcome
or part of the organization they join. The most important principle to
convey during an orientation is commitment to continuous improvement and
continual learning. That way, new employees become comfortable with
asking questions to obtain the information they need to learn, problem
solve and make decisions. A well thought out orientation process takes
energy, time and commitment, however it usually pays off for the
individual employee, the department, and the organization. One such
example is Mecklenburg County's
(North Carolina) success in revamping its employee orientation program,
to live up to its credo of employees being the organization's
greatest resource. In 1996, as part of a larger initiative to redesign
services to meet customer needs, the Mecklenburg County Human Resources
Department staff made a smart decision-
they viewed new employees as part of their customer base and asked their
customers what they wanted. Employees were asked what they wanted and needed from orientation. They were also asked what they liked and didn't like about orientation. New employees were asked what they wanted to know about the organization. Additionally, the organization's senior management were asked what they believed was important for employees to learn when joining the county payroll. Using feedback collected from employees,
Mecklenburg's HR
training staff first realized that meeting employees'
needs required more than a half day session.
Trusting employee feedback, the trainers crafted a one-day
orientation that gave employees what they said they wanted and what
senior management believed employees needed to know.
Essentially, the mix includes the topics that lack
excitement-W-2s and various policies and procedures-but it also includes
details that let the employee know something about the organization. Implementation
Tips Human Resource professionals and line managers
first need to consider key orientation planning questions before
implementing or revamping a current program: $
What things would new employees need to know about this
work environment that would make them more comfortable? $
What impression and impact would I want to make on new
employees'
first day? $
What key policies and procedures must employees be aware
of the first day to avoid mistakes on the second day? Concentrate on
vital issues. $
What specific things can I do to ensure that new employees
will begin to know their co-workers without feeling overwhelmed? $
What special things (desk, work area, equipment, special
instructions) can I provide to make new employees feel comfortable,
welcome and secure? $
What positive experience can I provide for new employees
that they could discuss with their families? The experience should be
something to make the new employee feel valued by the organization. $
How can I, as the supervisor, ensure that I will be
available to new employees on the first day to provide personal
attention and to convey a clear message that they are important
additions to the work team? Remember, first impressions are crucial. Here are
some tips for putting your best foot forward. $
Begin before the new person does.
Send an agenda to the new associate with the offer letter so the
employee knows what to expect. Stay in touch after he or she has
accepted the position to answer questions or help in other ways.
Also, make sure the new person's
work area is ready for the first day of work. $
Make sure everyone knows the employee is starting and
encourage them to come to say hello before orientation begins. $ Assign a mentor or partner to show the new person around, make introductions, and start training. Let the mentor have sufficient notice so he or she can make preparations. $
Start with the basics.
People become productive sooner if they are firmly grounded in
the basic knowledge they need to understand their job.
Focus on the why, when, where, and how of the position before
expecting them to handle assignments or big projects.
Don't
overwhelm them with too much information. $
Provide samples on how to complete forms as well as the
individual's job
description with the orientation packet. $ Have some fun. Do not spend time on every aspect of the handbook, only on the very important topics. Play some games because this can help the learning process.
$
Provide a list of frequently asked questions with a
contact person/department, and phone number or extension $
Plan to take them to lunch. The first day on the job the new employee is left in the
lurch. This is a good time
for the manager/supervisor to take the employee to lunch; include other
co-workers, making sure the employee is at ease. $
Give the new person some
responsibility for his or her own orientation.
Offer opportunities for self-directed learning, under appropriate
supervision. $
Keep the new person's
family in mind. A new job
means adjustment for the entire family, especially if they have
relocated. Do what you can
to ease the transition and help them feel comfortable in the community. $ Ask for feedback. Find out from former new hires how they perceived the orientation process, and don't be afraid to make changes based on those recommendations. You can send an evaluation two to four weeks after the employee has started, saying something such as: Now that you have been with the company awhile, did the orientation meet your needs? After they have been working there awhile they find out what they should have known but did not. At Mecklenburg County, one of the trainers, Allyson Berbiglia says, "We recognize that we have to continuously improve orientation to meet the changing needs of our customers. What works now may not serve our employees well next month or next year."
Conclusion An effective orientation program (or lack of it) will make a significant difference in how quickly an employee can become more productive, and also has long term effects for the organization. The end of the first day and the first week is just as important as the beginning. Let your employees feel you want them to come back the next day and the next.....
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