One of the telltale signs of a growing company is when you see a lot of new faces at work. Obviously, it’s a good thing, but for HR employees, these new faces at work also mean that they’ll need to train all these new employees. From an HR staff’s perspective, preparing for an orientation for a new employee can be pretty tiring and tedious. But it’s an inevitable task to secure a continuous growth for their business.
What is a job orientation?
Job orientation is the process of introducing and welcoming new hires to their jobs, co-workers, teammates, and responsibilities. It is also the perfect start to a comfortable relationship between the new hire and their new teams, departments, and roles within the company. An effective orientation for a job must answer all the questions or concerns the new employee has in mind and makes them aware of the policies and expectations of the company from them.
Why is a job orientation for a new employee important?
A job orientation for a new employee is a make-or-break experience for them. At its best, the process of new hire orientation can solidify the relationship between the new employee and the organization. It also fuels their enthusiasm and productivity, which is where a company depends on for success in the long run.
To support this, a statistic shows that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company that provided them with a fun and informative job orientation prior to their first day at work. And depending on the quality of the orientation, it can take anywhere between 8 months and 2 years for a new employee to attain full productivity.
How to have a successful orientation for a new employee?
Orientation for a new employee takes more than just colorful handouts and flashy visuals. The key to a successful orientation is to make your new hire feel welcomed, appreciated, and productive from day one. Here are the goals you need to follow to create an effective new hire orientation.
1. Make employees feel welcomed and appreciated.
Most of the time, companies are so good at celebrating the departure of a coworker. But why are companies so awful at welcoming a new employee? Imagine how it feels to start a new job only to have your supervisor and colleagues ignore you during the first week.
If you understand the effectiveness of the orientation of new employees, why not show them a little bit of love during their orientation? You can do a simple celebration method, like a letter of welcome signed by the CEO or a company shirt signed by all department members. If you are feeling extra, why not schedule a welcome dinner for families during the employee’s first month?
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2. Provide an overview of each department’s function during the orientation for a new employee
Employers and HR staff tend to overlook the most important question of a new hire: “How will my work impact my department, and ultimately, the company?” When orienting employees, place yourself in the new hire’s shoe. If you were them, of course, you’d be thrilled to know your function as well as the overview of each department’s function. So make sure that you include information about the specific process of each department, from their inputs to their outputs.
To make it clear for the new hire, provide examples of how these functions relate to the employee’s function. Discuss your expected contributions from them and how they will help the company. You may also want to provide a glossary of the company’s acronyms, buzzword, and FAQs (a handbook, basically) so they don’t have to ask even the basic questions.
Make yourself available for inquires and questions. You may also opt to provide them a departmental mentor who can assist with questions and processes during their first month.
3. Manage the specific training for the new hire
Ideally, the new employee’s supervisor must also participate in the new employee orientation. While the human resources department handles the company overview and other basic information, the supervisor must handle the work-specific and departmental orientation.
On the first day, the new employee should meet with their new supervisor. The supervisor should plan a comprehensive meeting about their plan for specific training. During the meeting, both the supervisor and the new employee are encouraged to share their expectations as they build a positive relationship together, including fears or reservations they may have. As the manager, make sure to keep the meeting positive and assign the employee on a meaningful task.
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4. Measure the success of the new employee orientation
A good training program always asks for participant evaluations at the end. To do this, you may want to offer a brief, five-question survey that focuses on the presentation.
Encourage the participants to provide feedback about what information they would like to have received during the orientation program. Find out what information was deemed unneeded, so you can cross it out on your next new employee orientation.
Always remember that your new hires are human.
I know a lot of new hires who question their decision of joining the company even on their first day. That’s because their anxieties are fueled by mistakes that companies make during the orientation.
Remember that your new hires are human — not robots. Don’t overwhelm them with facts and names into one eight-hour day. Before initiating the new employee orientation, ask yourself: “What first impression do I want to make?”
First impressions indeed last in a company set up. It is what cements the deal for a newly hired employee. By incorporating these guidelines, you will be able to seal the deal with your new hires and create a positive relationship with them for years to come.