ORIENTATION & BOARDING PROGRAMS
The following information has been prepared to assist you with the planning & preparation involved in the orientation and on-boarding of a new employee.
Background:
Recognizing that our people are our most valuable resource, we are committed to investing time and effort in order to foster an environment where individuals can reach their potential from day one with our organization. As such, an employee orientation is one of the most important responsibilities for an AIDS Service Organization.
Statistics show that a new employee will confirm their decision to join an organization within the first 72 hours of employment. Part of their assessment is evaluating how closely their expectations/perceptions of the organization and the reality of the situation match with one another. It is also revealed that an employee will decide whether or not to stay with an organization within the first 3 months.
Given this information, it is critical that we always adopt a positive, professional and organized approach to an employee’s first days, weeks, months and beyond to reinforce their decision to stay.
We would not be understating the case if we said that orienting employeesto their workplaces and their jobs is one of the most neglected functionswithin the non-profit/voluntary sector. Countless stories exist about how a new employeehas received a ten minute talk with the manager, and directed to his or heroffice position, with no further guidance or instruction. Not only is thisstressful for the employee, but it virtually guarantees a verylong period of unproductiveness for the employee.
Keep in mind that orientation is also important for existing employees if:
a) they have never received proper orientation or
b)there have been many changes in the organization and it's purpose and function.
Purposes of Orientation
1.To Reduce Startup-Costs
Proper orientation can help the employee get "up to speed" much morequickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job.
2.To Reduce Anxiety
Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experienceanxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn to do the job. Properorientation helps to reduce anxiety that results from entering into anunknown situation, and helps provide guidelines for behaviour andconduct, 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 areput in positions where they can't possibly do their jobs. Orientation showsthat the organization values the employee and, helps provide tools necessaryfor succeeding in the job.
4. To Save Time For Executive Directors & Co-Workers
Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely Executive Directors andco-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 early on what is expected of them, andwhat to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values andattitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience,they will make many mistakes that are unnecessary and potentiallydamaging.
HELPFUL TIPS:
1. Orientation should begin with the most important information (basicASO and job information).
2. Orientation should emphasize people as well as procedures andthings. Employees should have achance to get to know co-workers and theirapproaches and styles in both social and work settings.
3. Buddy an new employee to a more experienced person, but make surethe more experienced personwants to buddy up, and has theinter-personal skills. This provides ongoing support.
4. Introduce employees to both information and people in a controlledway. A new employee can'tabsorb everything at once. Space out introductions.
At its best, the process of new employee orientation solidifies the new employee’s relationship with your organization. It fuels their enthusiasm and guides their steps into a long term positive relationship with you. Done poorly, your new employee orientation will leave your new employees wondering why on earth they walked through your door. Many new hires question their decision to change organizations by the end of their first day. Their anxieties are fueled by mistakes that organizations often make during that first-day new employee orientation program. These common mistakes include:
§ Overwhelming the new hire with facts, figures, names and faces packed into one eight hour day;
§ Providing lengthy front-of-the-room lectures or leaving them at a desk to read through a manual; and
§ Failing to prepare for the new hire; providing no phone, no e-mail, no computer, and no work.
Before you completely revamp your present new employee orientation process, ask yourself the following question:
"What do we want to achieve during new employee orientation?
What first impression do we want to make?"
There is no doubt that an organization’s positive first impressions can cement the deal for a newly recruited employee. Those positive strokes can also speed integration and productivity. Research shows that good orientation programs can improve employee retention by 25 percent.
Dr. John Sullivan, head of the Human Resource Management Program at San Francisco State University, concludes that several elements contribute to a World Class new employee orientation program. The best new employee orientation:
- has targeted goals and meets them,
- makes the first day a celebration,
- makes new hires productive on the first day,
- is not boring, rushed or ineffective, and
- uses feedback to continuously improve.
Make Them Say During New Employee Orientation: "I Am Welcomed, Therefore I Belong"
Most organizations are great at celebrating the departure of a beloved coworker. Why are we often so awful at welcoming a new one? Think about arranging a party to welcome the new employee. Celebrations produce enthusiasm. Have you experienced starting a new job only to have your coworkers and supervisor ignore you during the first week? If so, you understand the effectiveness of even a little enthusiasm! Some simple celebration methods might include: a letter of welcome signed by the Executive Director, a welcome sign/note signed by all staff members, and a cake on the employee’s first day. Schedule a welcome luncheon or dinner during the employee’s first month.
Let New Employee Orientation Be - Simple and Interesting
The employee on-boarding period can be quite complex and uncertain. Consider the experience from the employee’s perspective, and then make an effort to make it fun, interesting, exciting, painless, and as simple as possible. If you do, you will make your new team member feel valued, wanted, interested and excited. By engendering these positive emotions from the word go, you make the new employee want to do great work and add great value to your organization.
Don’t Make New Employees Learn “The Hard Way”
Every workplace comes with its own set of rules and regulations, benefits and bonuses, nuances and traditions. Don’t make your new employees learn these things the hard way. If your organization observes a “casual Friday” rule, make sure all new employees know this before they show up at the office on their first Friday.
Again, post policies and procedures in writing somewhere convenient. Verbal mentions during a marathon new employee orientation session can easily go unheard, especially on a new hire’s first day. Similarly, a stack of papers and reminders can easily get lost in the shuffle. An online resource that is regularly updated, and always accessible, is the best practice when it comes to information sharing.
Make New Employee Orientation Personal
Don’t make day one all about paperwork. Instead, prioritize interpersonal relationships with key colleagues. Consider assigning welcome mentors to each new hire, so they can immediately get a feel for the culture/personality of your organization. This day of first impressions will have an enormous impact on the employee experience, so make it a good one.
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