INDUCTION AND
ORIENTATION- A NEW APPROACH
Orienting employees to their workplaces and their jobs is one of the
most neglected functions in many organizations. An employee handbook and piles
of paperwork is not sufficient anymore when it comes to welcoming a new
employee to your organization. The most frequent complaints about new employee
orientation are that it is overwhelming, boring, or that the new employee is
left to sink or swim. The result is often a confused new employee who is not
productive and is more likely to leave the organization within a year. With an ongoing labour crunch,
developing an effective employee orientation experience continues to be
crucial. It is critical that new hire programs are carefully planned to educate
the employee to the values, history and who is who in the organization. A well
thought out orientation program, whether it lasts one day or six months, will
help not only in retention of employees, but also in productivity.
Organizations that have good orientation programs get their people up to speed
faster, have better alignment between what the employees do and what the
organization needs them to do, and have lower turnover rates. Purposes of Orientation
Employers have to realize that orientation isn't just a nice gesture put on by
the organization. It serves as an important element of the recruitment and
retention process. Some key purposes are: To Reduce Start up Costs ; to Reduce Anxiety ; to Reduce Employee Turnover
; to Save Time for Supervisors and Co-workers ; to Develop Realistic Job
Expectations, Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction. All new employees should complete a new employment
orientation program that is designed to assist them in adjusting to their jobs
and work environment and to instill a positive work attitude and motivation at
the onset. A thoughtful
new employee orientation program can reduce turnover and save an organization
thousands of dollars. One reason people change jobs is because they never feel
welcome or part of the organization they join. The most important principle to
convey during an orientation is commitment to continuous improvement and
continual learning. That way, new employees become comfortable with asking
questions to obtain the information they need to learn, problem solve and make
decisions.
