Whenever we bring new hires into our company, we must integrate them into their new work environment. They need to complete their employee orientation and get to know their unique company culture. In addition, a new hire needs to understand how they fit in within the company and get to know your company policies.
This isn't to be confused with the onboarding process. We have already covered the remote onboarding process, where you can easily compare the differences. But in short, the onboarding process starts as soon as the new hire or new hires sign their contracts and lasts as long as it takes to work autonomously. At the same time, new employee orientation lasts only the first few days.
In this article, we will explore why orientation is essential for new employees, what are some of the best practices and offer a quick checklist that can help you throughout the process.
Why is Orientation For New Employees Important?
First and foremost, you get familiar with the organization and the company's vision and culture. Next, you learn some values that hold the place together and how you fit in as the new member.
They'll get to know all your policies and procedures right away. For example, maybe you need to fill out paperwork when your employees use a company asset. Or perhaps the asset management is done simply by clicking on a QR code.
How important is their job, and what are the expectations from their team members or manager? This is a critical part of orientation for new employees, so they are never surprised by what is expected of them.
When given proper orientation training, new hires have a 25% higher productivity rate. This number doubles and even triples in the succumbing months.
Best Practices for Orientation For New Employees
First of all, be prepared for the new hire. Have everything ready, any hardware or software they might need. For example, maybe your company stated that they would provide the tools for a construction worker. Whatever it is, have it ready to go on the first day.
Use the checklist. They are a great way of building a structure for your process and will ensure that you have completed all necessary steps correctly. We will talk about this later on in more depth.
Manage expectations by being honest. Inform your new hires about what you expect them to achieve in the first three months, and be open to any feedback they may give you.
Make sure they have paired up with someone at the company for a while who can give them a proper introduction to managers and team members. This person will ideally be someone who will also work with them within the office or job site.
Make sure they know the organizational company culture. Some things may seem obvious to you and your employees but might confuse new hires. For example, you may have lunch breaks on a specific schedule; you can't assume new hires will know this immediately.
Be consistent regarding your employee's responsibilities and your company's mission. Companies that favour one thing quickly change it when it no longer suits them, creating a chaotic workplace. Which in turn will create high attrition rates.
Orientation For New Employees checklist
- Introduce the new employee and announce their arrival to the entire company, making them feel welcome.
- Handle all the necessary bureaucracy. Make sure all the i's are dotted, and T's are crossed.
- Introduce them to their workstations/sites. Then give them access to the software they will use or any necessary tools they might need.
- Have their mentor or work buddy greet and show them around by giving them a tour and offering tips about working there.
- Make sure they have their schedule in front of them, and when they can take any breaks they might need.
- See if they are doing ok and if they need anything from you.
- Check-in with everyone in the department to inform them about the new hire and ask them to introduce themselves.
- Give them any links to videos that are employee oriented and could help them settle in quicker.
- Please explain what you expect from them and all new employees.
- Schedule performance reviews later in the month and listen to any feedback they might have.
In Conclusion
When you complete all these steps, your new hire should feel at home. That's what an effective program should have done. When you offer guidance and a clear message, your new employees will know exactly what you expect from them and be less anxious and more productive. Know that this part of the onboarding process is continuous and can even be used on more senior employees when you change your policies or procedures.
New employee orientation is a significant first step into your relationship with someone who will potentially benefit your company and its goals. In addition, it will give you the necessary tools that will go a long way toward building a lasting relationship with benefits on both ends.
On a related topic check out our article on the challenges of HR in the textile industry!