New Employee Orientation: The Importance of Training Design and Content

Defined orientation

Nathan works for a technology company in Silicon Valley as a human resources specialist. Nathan is responsible for the development and implementation of his company's new employee orientation program. New employee orientation is the formal process of introducing a new employee to the organization and the first step towards the assimilation and socialization process of the employee.

You can think of assimilation as being integrated into an organization. Socialization is the process of acquiring the knowledge, values ​​and social skills necessary to conform or fit in with the company. Socialization is a crucial part of the assimilation process. Keep in mind that orientation is just the beginning of the socialization and assimilation process. Let's see how Nathan can design a new employee orientation program.

Design and content

Nathan knows that at the most basic level, orientation should provide a broad overview of the company, the employee's job, and the employee's work team. He must also clarify what is expected of the employee and what the employee can expect from the organization. Some specific components of counseling include:

• Overview of how the new hire fits into the overall structure of the organization
• Summary of organizational policies, rules and procedures
• Summary of compensation and benefits
• Overview of the company's culture, including its mission statement, organizational values, and even things like dress codes and the organization's etiquette conventions.

Let's take a look at an example. Nathan leads a group of newly hired salespeople through orientation. Nathan has scheduled a full day of orientation. He starts the day off with new hires by filling out any necessary paperwork, including required government forms, direct deposit forms, and choosing health benefits.

Nathan then makes a presentation on the company's history, mission, and values. A short break follows. After returning from break, the group spends most of the rest of the morning going over company policies, rules, and procedures, including the employee handbook. As lunchtime approaches, Marvin gives the group a detailed tour of the company's facilities and they end up in the cafeteria for lunch.

After lunch, Nathan leads his group of new salespeople into the sales department. The vice president of the sales department gives the group a presentation about the department. He also briefs them on the sales training program that each new hire will undergo and the expectations for the training. After the introduction, each new hire is introduced to their respective team and given the opportunity to share experiences and mingle for a short period of time.

Nathan then leads the new hires into the orientation room. Nathan concludes the orientation at the end of the day with a question and answer session. He also has the group complete a confidential guidance survey that Nathan will use to evaluate the process and decide if improvements are warranted.

Because it is important

Business and management authors Bohlander and Snell have compiled research that identifies several advantages that a proper mentoring program can offer a business. These advantages include:

1. lower turnover
2. Increased productivity
3. Better employee morale
4. Lower hiring and training costs
5. Learning Facilitation
6. Reduced New Employee Anxiety

You can think of orientation as helping an employee get into a new work environment, much like swim instructors get new students into the pool at the shallow end to adjust to the pool environment. Of course, you could throw someone to the bottom unprepared and see if they sink or swim, while some can swim, others can sink. Likewise, a strong orientation program can increase the chances of success for new hires.

lesson summary

Let's review what we've learned. New hire orientation is the formal process that introduces an employee to the company and begins the employee assimilation and socialization process. Successful new employee orientations typically provide an overview of how the employee fits into the organization and an overview of the organization's policies and procedures, and begin the socialization process by providing an overview of the organization's mission and values. organization. Researchers have found that a strong employee orientation program can reduce turnover, improve productivity, improve morale, and reduce anxiety for new hires.