Hiring and Staffing
Employee Orientations
New Employee Orientations should
- disperse accurate information,
- relieve new hire's anxiety,
- set the workplace tone, and
- provide avenues for asking questions.
In a previous article we reviewed the results
of an orientation survey that I conducted. We saw orientations
as necessary and important hiring tools, but only somewhat effective. The survey also indicated
that HR usually performed the initial orientation, while supervisors performed
subsequent orientations and follow-ups.
Author of Successful New Employee Orientation : Assess, Plan, Conduct, & Evaluate Your Program, Jean Barbazette,
believes the orientation process is more than a one-day event. There is more to an
orientation than filling out forms and touring the facility.
A smooth transition requires a well thought out program that educates new
employees on the values, history, and who's who in the company.
A company's success is enhanced by providing the necessary tools for employee success.
When an employee understands how their role fits into the big picture, the learning curve can be shortened.
Reference Material
The Art of New Hire Orientation -
explains how critical it is to conduct effective orientation experiences.
Conducting Effective Employee Orientations - discusses
guidelines for conducting a general orientation.
Helping New Employees Find Their Way - suggests
three phases of an orientation process (basics, policies, and the business) with a great checklist.
New Employee Orientation - offers guiding principles for managing HR in the new hire orientation process, as
conducted at Berkeley University. Their process starts before the employee arrives and continues with follow-up meetings and supervisor's checklists.
Orienting Your New Employee - reviews how to design
an effective program.
SOHO Guidebook - offers a basic, but thorough, outline on what
information to cover and when to cover it.
Sample Welcome Letter - includes an introductory
information packet for new hires with checklists and orientation activities.
