Hi All, I am new to this HR site. Will anyone explain me what is the difference between Job Rotation and Job Orientation. Regards, Vijay (Silvassa)
From India, Silvassa
7From India, Silvassa
Dear Vijay,
Greetings!
Job Rotation:
* By rotating your job task with another worker, you can both benefit from a reduction in cumulative and repetitive strain.
* Work with your supervisor to see how you can routinely vary your tasks throughout the day rather than remaining on one task for long periods of time.
Job Orientation:
* Giving Point of reference on Job
Rgds,
John N
From India, Madras
Greetings!
Job Rotation:
* By rotating your job task with another worker, you can both benefit from a reduction in cumulative and repetitive strain.
* Work with your supervisor to see how you can routinely vary your tasks throughout the day rather than remaining on one task for long periods of time.
Job Orientation:
* Giving Point of reference on Job
Rgds,
John N
From India, Madras
VIJAY,
SOME USEFUL MATERIALS .
JOB ROTATION
JR involves assigning employees to various jobs, so that they
acquire a wide base of knowledge and skills.
JR is not a cure for job burnouts nor is an employee
performance issue.
JR is not an instinctive process.
JR is a part of CAREER PATH development, which is an
useful tool for staff transfer / staff promotions/staff development/
succession planning.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE J R ?
STEP 1.
ASSESSING THE NEED FOR A JR PROGRAM.
-do we need a JR program
-is it for promotion
-is it for sidewards movements
-is it for succession planning
-is it for developing a pool of management talent
-does it support the business strategy
-does it improve our competitive strategy
etc
WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC BENEFIT?
------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 2
DEVELOPMENT OF THE JR OBJECTIVES.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 3.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELECTION CRITERIA.
-what are the criteria for selection
-what level of education
-what level of experience
-what level of the organization structure
-performance assessment
-leadership assessment
-management preference
etc
-------------------------------------------------
STEP 4
DETERMINE A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
-goals of the JR program
-what to communicate
-to whom to communicate
-contennt of the communication
-how to communicate
-------------------------------------------------
STEP 5
DISCLOSE / INFORM ALL ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
BRIEF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE[S] ABOUT THE APPROACH
----------------------------------------------------
STEP 6
DETERMINE THE TIMING/ SCHEDULE OF THE PROGRAM
----------------------------------------------------
STEP 7
CREATE A PROGRAM EVALUATION MECHANISM.
-what are the criteria for evaluation
etc
--------------------------------------------------
STEP 8
DEFINE THE VARIOUS LATERAL MOVES/ TYPES.
-lengths/ timimg of lateral moves
-knowledge to be gained
-skills to be gained
-mix of experience to be gained
-knowledge of processes
etc etc
--------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 9
IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED
-who will deliver
-who will coach
-who will mentor
------------------------------------------------------
STEP 10
USE FRAME - BREAKING EXPERIENCES
-give participants independent / individual assignments
and evaluate.
RETENTION TOMORROW IS DEPENDENT UPON ''JR''
PRACTICES TODAY.
===============================================
JOB ORIENTATION
The orientation process is to effectively integrate the new employee into your organization
and assists with retention, motivation, job satisfaction, and quickly enabling each individual
to become contributing members of the work team
Purposes of Orientation
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 Startup Costs: Proper orientation can help the employee get "up to speed" much more quickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job.
To Reduce Anxiety: Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experience anxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn to do the job. Proper orientation helps to reduce anxiety that results from entering into an unknown situation, and helps provide guidelines for behavior and conduct, so the employee doesn't have to experience the stress of guessing.
To Reduce Employee Turnover: Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or are put in positions where they can't possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows that the organization values the employee, and helps provide the tools necessary for succeeding in the job.
To Save Time for the Supervisor: Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely supervisors and co-workers will have to spend time teaching the employee.
To Develop Realistic Job Expectations, Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction: It is important that employees learn as soon as possible what is expected of them, and what to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values and attitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience, they will make many mistakes that are unnecessary and potentially damaging. The main reasons orientation programs fail: The program was not planned; the employee was unaware of the job requirements; the employee does not feel welcome.
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 your 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.
Tips for New Employee Orientation
Human Resource professionals and line managers first need to consider key orientation planning questions before implementing or revamping a current program. These are the key questions to ask.
What things do new employees need to know about this work environment that would make them more comfortable?
What impression and impact do you want to have on a new employee's first day?
What key policies and procedures must employees be aware of on the first day to avoid mistakes on the second day? Concentrate on vital issues.
What specific things can you do to ensure that new employees will begin to know their co-workers without feeling overwhelmed?
What special things (desk, work area, equipment, special instructions) can you provide to make new employees feel comfortable, welcome and secure?
What positive experience can you provide for the new employee that she could discuss with her family at the end of the first day of work? The experience should be something to make the new employee feel valued by the organization.
How can you help the new employee's supervisor be available to the new employee on the first day to provide personal attention and to convey a clear message that the new employee is an important addition to the work team?
Since first impressions are crucial, here are some tips for putting your best foot forward.
Begin the process before the new person starts work. Send an agenda to the new associate with the offer letter so the employee knows what to expect. Stay in touch after he or she has accepted the position to answer questions or help in other ways. Also, make sure the new person's work area is ready for the first day of work.
Make sure key co-workers knows the employee is starting and encourage them to come to say "hello" before orientation begins.
Assign a mentor or partner to show the new person around, make introductions, and start training. Let the mentor have sufficient notice so he or she can make preparations.
Start with the basics. People become productive sooner if they are firmly grounded in the basic knowledge they need to understand their job. Focus on the why, when, where, and how of the position before expecting them to handle assignments or big projects. Don't overwhelm them with too much information.
Provide samples about how to complete forms as well as the individual's job description with the orientation packet.
Have some fun. Do not spend time on every aspect of the handbook, only on the very important topics. Play some games because this can help the learning process. Games include: Photo Match - after the tour. Each employee is provided photos of other employees and a list of names. The object is to match the name with the face. Signature Hunt - While employees are touring the facility, provide them with a piece of paper with names of several associates they will be meeting. They are then asked to obtain the signatures of the people they meet. The employee who obtains the most signatures, gets a prize. Other games that pertain to what the employee learned during orientation are also effective assurances that orientation is successful.
Provide a list of frequently asked questions with a contact person/department, and phone number or extension.
Plan to take the new employee to lunch, or ask the mentor, supervisor or co-workers to join the new employee in the lunch room. The first day on the job is not the day to leave the new employee in the lurch about lunch plans.This is a good time for the manager/supervisor to take the employee to lunch, include other co-workers, and make sure the employee is at ease.
Give the new person some responsibility for his or her own orientation. Offer opportunities for self-directed learning, under appropriate supervision.
Keep the new person's family in mind. A new job means adjustment for the entire family, especially if they have relocated. Do what you can to ease the transition and help them feel comfortable in the community.
Ask for feedback. Find out from former new hires how they perceived the orientation process, and don't be afraid to make changes based on those recommendations. You can send an evaluation two to four weeks after the employee has started, and ask: Now that you have been with the company awhile, did the orientation meet your needs? After the employee has worked for you for awhile he finds out what he should have learned but did not at the orientation. At Mecklenburg County, after their redesign process, one of the trainers, Allyson Berbiglia, says, "We recognize that we have to continuously improve orientation to meet the changing needs of our customers. What works now may not serve our employees well next month or next year."
Several elements contribute to a World Class orientation program. The best new employee orientation:
has targeted goals and meets them,
makes the first day a celebration,
involves family as well as co-workers,
makes new hires productive on the first day,
is not boring, rushed or ineffective, and
uses feedback to continuously improve.
Make Them Say, “I Am Welcomed, Therefore I Belong!”
The orientation process has three stages:
A general orientation
A departmental orientation, and
A specific job orientation
They are conducted by different parties.
The General Orientation is usually managed by either the Training Department or the Human Resources Department, with the Departmental Orientation by the Department Head or first Assistant, while the specific Job Orientation can be carried out by an experienced and trained employee (trained on how to train). These guidelines are intended for people conducting the General Orientation:
A general rule of thumb for having the audience interested in the general orientation is to
Make them feel at ease (open circle).
Make sure that they had enough time to read the employee manual ahead of orientation time.
Spend a good portion of the introduction time towards self-introductions, spiced with open questions.
Get them to know who Management is: have a big chart in the orientation/training room which depicts how the organisation is set up, with photos of the management team next to their title.
Get them acquainted with the operation: have another large chart in the room depicting the flow of work and communications regarding the organization; this flow should include customers, suppliers and all parties affecting the organisation (I had just planned such a chart for the hotel where I dealt with Training and Development, wrote it out in text, had an artist depict it with cartoon characters on a big white chart, making it educational but humorous - after all this was a hotel. Maybe in a technical company humour is not allowed. I explained it to the artist and we showed how each job position affected the final product since the customer's / guest's first contact with the operation and ending with the last contact.
Have them know and see departments in operation: based on this drawing I conducted the orientation and explained all functions of the hotel, promising a personal tour of all the departments we discussed, including back areas, where the Department Heads received us personally and gave further insight on their departments.
Allay their fears and doubts: cover subjects which are usually never mentioned in orientations, such as the difficulties new employees or supervisors experience, about turnover figures, about how people assimilate better after hanging out three months, about how they can turn to you for any difficulties they experience, be it regarding their rejection by existing old-timers or other matters. Let them know they can always turn to you for confidential advice (do not forget that any new person has fears and doubts regarding being accepted, succeeding or failing).
Encourage friendships among new employees: try to create a team spirit among the existing group of newcomers - by the end of the day or the two days you will have created a group of employees at different levels and from different departments who will cooperate and enhance communications across the organisation.
Extend respect to them as human beings: have lunch with them as a group (I saw too many people who conduct orientations go to a different lunch room and this is very insulting).
Enable first hand contact with upper management: have different Executives come to welcome the group and assure them of management's commitment to help them succeed. Introduce each of the newcomers, dwell on their position, career background and personal interests.
Assure them that the organisation welcomes their observations, comments, and critiques.
Last but not least, share company goals with them. Discuss it with them. Ask what their own personal and career goals are and try to (right there and then) mesh their own goals with the company goals.
This strategy (action plan) has proven to be highly successful. It cuts down on turnover drastically, engenders trust, cooperation and motivation.
Although these sessions should be welcoming, orientations for new employees should also be more than a feel-good gesture. They should also be more than an instructional session that provides essential human resources, benefits, and payroll information for new employees. The most effective orientations help new employees understand what will be expected of them and prepare them for the organization's work culture.
Orient the expectations of new employees
Managing expectations has long been a mantra of salespeople, account executives, and others whose responsibilities are focused primarily outside the organization. Expectation management falls on human resources managers as well. Managing expectations can start as early as during new-employee orientations.
In new-employee orientations, the HR manager is essentially bringing new employees' expectations in line with the organization's expectations. Accurately aligning these sets of expectations in the first weeks of employment helps employees become productive more quickly and ensures that they enjoy greater job satisfaction throughout their tenures. Some studies suggest that well-executed new-employee orientations can also:
Lengthen the time that employees stay with a company.
Enhance staff cooperation and communication.
Improve client-customer relations because staff members have better work attitudes.
Communicate the organization's big picture
Where is your organization going? Even if your company has not made a formal strategic planning document, it has communicated some important long-term goals. Too often, however, these goals aren't shared with new employees whose efforts help determine whether the organization's goals are met. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that employees, even entire departments, sometimes operate under disparate assumptions about the company's priorities and objectives.
All new employees, from entry-level staff members to senior executives, should view themselves as members of an organization-wide team working toward a defined and united goal. Certainly new employees need to understand their specific roles, but first they need to understand the big-picture objectives of the organization, including objectives such as:
Is the organization striving to be an industry innovator?
Is the organization working to develop an international presence?
Whatever the objectives, new employees should be given a brief introduction to your organization's goals. If you can, provide a copy of your annual report or a company brochure that explains your organization's goals. With a bigger-picture perspective, employees are better equipped to understand their specific role as it relates to long-term objectives.
Describe the unspoken company culture
Company culture can't be fully captured in job descriptions or employee manuals, because culture is both explicit and unspoken. Most employees determine what behaviors are acceptable as the organization evolves. However, an effective orientation can help new employees transition more easily into the unique culture of your organization.
Even in highly conventional corporate cultures, it's preferable to share the unspoken aspects of company culture to ensure that all new employees understand their work environments. Don't make the mistake of assuming that cultural nuances are obvious or that new employees will raise questions if they're unsure about what to wear or when to arrive at work.
Some unspoken aspects of company culture to share are:
Dress code What's the norm for the dress code?
Internal communication Is vertical communication encouraged or frowned upon?
Phone etiquette Do employees routinely forward their phone calls to voice mail?
Parking Are there any unspoken rules about where employees can park?
Lunch Do most employees eat in or out? Are there good places to eat nearby?
Work hours Are work hours fixed or flexible?
Extracurricular activities Are there groups of employees that get together outside work?
Attitudes Are work teams more cooperative or more competitive?
Share the routine details
As a seasoned HR professional, you probably already use a comprehensive checklist to ensure that new employees receive and complete all required documentation, from W-4 forms to insurance forms to e-mail account requests. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of this paperwork can eclipse the routine information that new employees need on their very first day.
To help new employees get started, be sure that they know:
The layout of your office or campus A tour is preferable, but at the very least provide a user-friendly map.
The location of the restrooms Inform them of the locations of restrooms near their work areas.
Names and contact information of two coworkers Give them the contact information of two coworkers in their department, besides their immediate supervisor or hiring manager.
Outline the employee's specific role
The best way for new employees to become productive quickly is by immersing themselves in their new positions.
Immerse new employees in their jobs For positions with formal training, immersion is easy. New employees simply pass from orientation to training, often in the same day. For positions without formal training, role immersion can be more difficult.
Too often, supervisors and managers aren't available when new employees start, so employees are left with little more to do than read the company handbook during their first few days on the job. This can be confusing, especially for new employees who are expecting a challenging, fast-paced environment.
Introduce new employees to their jobs The best employee orientations conclude with introductions to each employee's specific job role. If several employees in a single role have been hired at one time, this introduction can occur in a group setting. Otherwise, new employees should receive one-on-one introductions from their managers or team leaders as part of their orientation.
Orient employees for success
Starting a new job always involves a learning curve, but effective orientations can help new employees make the transition by equipping them with:
An understanding of company goals.
An appreciation for the company's unique culture.
Routine information to get started.
An introduction to their role within the organization.
Employees who are well oriented to the company and to their jobs are ready to begin making a significant contribution.
REGARDS
LEO LINGHAM
From India, Mumbai
SOME USEFUL MATERIALS .
JOB ROTATION
JR involves assigning employees to various jobs, so that they
acquire a wide base of knowledge and skills.
JR is not a cure for job burnouts nor is an employee
performance issue.
JR is not an instinctive process.
JR is a part of CAREER PATH development, which is an
useful tool for staff transfer / staff promotions/staff development/
succession planning.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE J R ?
STEP 1.
ASSESSING THE NEED FOR A JR PROGRAM.
-do we need a JR program
-is it for promotion
-is it for sidewards movements
-is it for succession planning
-is it for developing a pool of management talent
-does it support the business strategy
-does it improve our competitive strategy
etc
WHAT IS THE STRATEGIC BENEFIT?
------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 2
DEVELOPMENT OF THE JR OBJECTIVES.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 3.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE SELECTION CRITERIA.
-what are the criteria for selection
-what level of education
-what level of experience
-what level of the organization structure
-performance assessment
-leadership assessment
-management preference
etc
-------------------------------------------------
STEP 4
DETERMINE A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
-goals of the JR program
-what to communicate
-to whom to communicate
-contennt of the communication
-how to communicate
-------------------------------------------------
STEP 5
DISCLOSE / INFORM ALL ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
BRIEF THE SELECTED EMPLOYEE[S] ABOUT THE APPROACH
----------------------------------------------------
STEP 6
DETERMINE THE TIMING/ SCHEDULE OF THE PROGRAM
----------------------------------------------------
STEP 7
CREATE A PROGRAM EVALUATION MECHANISM.
-what are the criteria for evaluation
etc
--------------------------------------------------
STEP 8
DEFINE THE VARIOUS LATERAL MOVES/ TYPES.
-lengths/ timimg of lateral moves
-knowledge to be gained
-skills to be gained
-mix of experience to be gained
-knowledge of processes
etc etc
--------------------------------------------------------------
STEP 9
IDENTIFY THE CRITICAL SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED
-who will deliver
-who will coach
-who will mentor
------------------------------------------------------
STEP 10
USE FRAME - BREAKING EXPERIENCES
-give participants independent / individual assignments
and evaluate.
RETENTION TOMORROW IS DEPENDENT UPON ''JR''
PRACTICES TODAY.
===============================================
JOB ORIENTATION
The orientation process is to effectively integrate the new employee into your organization
and assists with retention, motivation, job satisfaction, and quickly enabling each individual
to become contributing members of the work team
Purposes of Orientation
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 Startup Costs: Proper orientation can help the employee get "up to speed" much more quickly, thereby reducing the costs associated with learning the job.
To Reduce Anxiety: Any employee, when put into a new, strange situation, will experience anxiety that can impede his or her ability to learn to do the job. Proper orientation helps to reduce anxiety that results from entering into an unknown situation, and helps provide guidelines for behavior and conduct, so the employee doesn't have to experience the stress of guessing.
To Reduce Employee Turnover: Employee turnover increases as employees feel they are not valued, or are put in positions where they can't possibly do their jobs. Orientation shows that the organization values the employee, and helps provide the tools necessary for succeeding in the job.
To Save Time for the Supervisor: Simply put, the better the initial orientation, the less likely supervisors and co-workers will have to spend time teaching the employee.
To Develop Realistic Job Expectations, Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction: It is important that employees learn as soon as possible what is expected of them, and what to expect from others, in addition to learning about the values and attitudes of the organization. While people can learn from experience, they will make many mistakes that are unnecessary and potentially damaging. The main reasons orientation programs fail: The program was not planned; the employee was unaware of the job requirements; the employee does not feel welcome.
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 your 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.
Tips for New Employee Orientation
Human Resource professionals and line managers first need to consider key orientation planning questions before implementing or revamping a current program. These are the key questions to ask.
What things do new employees need to know about this work environment that would make them more comfortable?
What impression and impact do you want to have on a new employee's first day?
What key policies and procedures must employees be aware of on the first day to avoid mistakes on the second day? Concentrate on vital issues.
What specific things can you do to ensure that new employees will begin to know their co-workers without feeling overwhelmed?
What special things (desk, work area, equipment, special instructions) can you provide to make new employees feel comfortable, welcome and secure?
What positive experience can you provide for the new employee that she could discuss with her family at the end of the first day of work? The experience should be something to make the new employee feel valued by the organization.
How can you help the new employee's supervisor be available to the new employee on the first day to provide personal attention and to convey a clear message that the new employee is an important addition to the work team?
Since first impressions are crucial, here are some tips for putting your best foot forward.
Begin the process before the new person starts work. Send an agenda to the new associate with the offer letter so the employee knows what to expect. Stay in touch after he or she has accepted the position to answer questions or help in other ways. Also, make sure the new person's work area is ready for the first day of work.
Make sure key co-workers knows the employee is starting and encourage them to come to say "hello" before orientation begins.
Assign a mentor or partner to show the new person around, make introductions, and start training. Let the mentor have sufficient notice so he or she can make preparations.
Start with the basics. People become productive sooner if they are firmly grounded in the basic knowledge they need to understand their job. Focus on the why, when, where, and how of the position before expecting them to handle assignments or big projects. Don't overwhelm them with too much information.
Provide samples about how to complete forms as well as the individual's job description with the orientation packet.
Have some fun. Do not spend time on every aspect of the handbook, only on the very important topics. Play some games because this can help the learning process. Games include: Photo Match - after the tour. Each employee is provided photos of other employees and a list of names. The object is to match the name with the face. Signature Hunt - While employees are touring the facility, provide them with a piece of paper with names of several associates they will be meeting. They are then asked to obtain the signatures of the people they meet. The employee who obtains the most signatures, gets a prize. Other games that pertain to what the employee learned during orientation are also effective assurances that orientation is successful.
Provide a list of frequently asked questions with a contact person/department, and phone number or extension.
Plan to take the new employee to lunch, or ask the mentor, supervisor or co-workers to join the new employee in the lunch room. The first day on the job is not the day to leave the new employee in the lurch about lunch plans.This is a good time for the manager/supervisor to take the employee to lunch, include other co-workers, and make sure the employee is at ease.
Give the new person some responsibility for his or her own orientation. Offer opportunities for self-directed learning, under appropriate supervision.
Keep the new person's family in mind. A new job means adjustment for the entire family, especially if they have relocated. Do what you can to ease the transition and help them feel comfortable in the community.
Ask for feedback. Find out from former new hires how they perceived the orientation process, and don't be afraid to make changes based on those recommendations. You can send an evaluation two to four weeks after the employee has started, and ask: Now that you have been with the company awhile, did the orientation meet your needs? After the employee has worked for you for awhile he finds out what he should have learned but did not at the orientation. At Mecklenburg County, after their redesign process, one of the trainers, Allyson Berbiglia, says, "We recognize that we have to continuously improve orientation to meet the changing needs of our customers. What works now may not serve our employees well next month or next year."
Several elements contribute to a World Class orientation program. The best new employee orientation:
has targeted goals and meets them,
makes the first day a celebration,
involves family as well as co-workers,
makes new hires productive on the first day,
is not boring, rushed or ineffective, and
uses feedback to continuously improve.
Make Them Say, “I Am Welcomed, Therefore I Belong!”
The orientation process has three stages:
A general orientation
A departmental orientation, and
A specific job orientation
They are conducted by different parties.
The General Orientation is usually managed by either the Training Department or the Human Resources Department, with the Departmental Orientation by the Department Head or first Assistant, while the specific Job Orientation can be carried out by an experienced and trained employee (trained on how to train). These guidelines are intended for people conducting the General Orientation:
A general rule of thumb for having the audience interested in the general orientation is to
Make them feel at ease (open circle).
Make sure that they had enough time to read the employee manual ahead of orientation time.
Spend a good portion of the introduction time towards self-introductions, spiced with open questions.
Get them to know who Management is: have a big chart in the orientation/training room which depicts how the organisation is set up, with photos of the management team next to their title.
Get them acquainted with the operation: have another large chart in the room depicting the flow of work and communications regarding the organization; this flow should include customers, suppliers and all parties affecting the organisation (I had just planned such a chart for the hotel where I dealt with Training and Development, wrote it out in text, had an artist depict it with cartoon characters on a big white chart, making it educational but humorous - after all this was a hotel. Maybe in a technical company humour is not allowed. I explained it to the artist and we showed how each job position affected the final product since the customer's / guest's first contact with the operation and ending with the last contact.
Have them know and see departments in operation: based on this drawing I conducted the orientation and explained all functions of the hotel, promising a personal tour of all the departments we discussed, including back areas, where the Department Heads received us personally and gave further insight on their departments.
Allay their fears and doubts: cover subjects which are usually never mentioned in orientations, such as the difficulties new employees or supervisors experience, about turnover figures, about how people assimilate better after hanging out three months, about how they can turn to you for any difficulties they experience, be it regarding their rejection by existing old-timers or other matters. Let them know they can always turn to you for confidential advice (do not forget that any new person has fears and doubts regarding being accepted, succeeding or failing).
Encourage friendships among new employees: try to create a team spirit among the existing group of newcomers - by the end of the day or the two days you will have created a group of employees at different levels and from different departments who will cooperate and enhance communications across the organisation.
Extend respect to them as human beings: have lunch with them as a group (I saw too many people who conduct orientations go to a different lunch room and this is very insulting).
Enable first hand contact with upper management: have different Executives come to welcome the group and assure them of management's commitment to help them succeed. Introduce each of the newcomers, dwell on their position, career background and personal interests.
Assure them that the organisation welcomes their observations, comments, and critiques.
Last but not least, share company goals with them. Discuss it with them. Ask what their own personal and career goals are and try to (right there and then) mesh their own goals with the company goals.
This strategy (action plan) has proven to be highly successful. It cuts down on turnover drastically, engenders trust, cooperation and motivation.
Although these sessions should be welcoming, orientations for new employees should also be more than a feel-good gesture. They should also be more than an instructional session that provides essential human resources, benefits, and payroll information for new employees. The most effective orientations help new employees understand what will be expected of them and prepare them for the organization's work culture.
Orient the expectations of new employees
Managing expectations has long been a mantra of salespeople, account executives, and others whose responsibilities are focused primarily outside the organization. Expectation management falls on human resources managers as well. Managing expectations can start as early as during new-employee orientations.
In new-employee orientations, the HR manager is essentially bringing new employees' expectations in line with the organization's expectations. Accurately aligning these sets of expectations in the first weeks of employment helps employees become productive more quickly and ensures that they enjoy greater job satisfaction throughout their tenures. Some studies suggest that well-executed new-employee orientations can also:
Lengthen the time that employees stay with a company.
Enhance staff cooperation and communication.
Improve client-customer relations because staff members have better work attitudes.
Communicate the organization's big picture
Where is your organization going? Even if your company has not made a formal strategic planning document, it has communicated some important long-term goals. Too often, however, these goals aren't shared with new employees whose efforts help determine whether the organization's goals are met. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that employees, even entire departments, sometimes operate under disparate assumptions about the company's priorities and objectives.
All new employees, from entry-level staff members to senior executives, should view themselves as members of an organization-wide team working toward a defined and united goal. Certainly new employees need to understand their specific roles, but first they need to understand the big-picture objectives of the organization, including objectives such as:
Is the organization striving to be an industry innovator?
Is the organization working to develop an international presence?
Whatever the objectives, new employees should be given a brief introduction to your organization's goals. If you can, provide a copy of your annual report or a company brochure that explains your organization's goals. With a bigger-picture perspective, employees are better equipped to understand their specific role as it relates to long-term objectives.
Describe the unspoken company culture
Company culture can't be fully captured in job descriptions or employee manuals, because culture is both explicit and unspoken. Most employees determine what behaviors are acceptable as the organization evolves. However, an effective orientation can help new employees transition more easily into the unique culture of your organization.
Even in highly conventional corporate cultures, it's preferable to share the unspoken aspects of company culture to ensure that all new employees understand their work environments. Don't make the mistake of assuming that cultural nuances are obvious or that new employees will raise questions if they're unsure about what to wear or when to arrive at work.
Some unspoken aspects of company culture to share are:
Dress code What's the norm for the dress code?
Internal communication Is vertical communication encouraged or frowned upon?
Phone etiquette Do employees routinely forward their phone calls to voice mail?
Parking Are there any unspoken rules about where employees can park?
Lunch Do most employees eat in or out? Are there good places to eat nearby?
Work hours Are work hours fixed or flexible?
Extracurricular activities Are there groups of employees that get together outside work?
Attitudes Are work teams more cooperative or more competitive?
Share the routine details
As a seasoned HR professional, you probably already use a comprehensive checklist to ensure that new employees receive and complete all required documentation, from W-4 forms to insurance forms to e-mail account requests. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of this paperwork can eclipse the routine information that new employees need on their very first day.
To help new employees get started, be sure that they know:
The layout of your office or campus A tour is preferable, but at the very least provide a user-friendly map.
The location of the restrooms Inform them of the locations of restrooms near their work areas.
Names and contact information of two coworkers Give them the contact information of two coworkers in their department, besides their immediate supervisor or hiring manager.
Outline the employee's specific role
The best way for new employees to become productive quickly is by immersing themselves in their new positions.
Immerse new employees in their jobs For positions with formal training, immersion is easy. New employees simply pass from orientation to training, often in the same day. For positions without formal training, role immersion can be more difficult.
Too often, supervisors and managers aren't available when new employees start, so employees are left with little more to do than read the company handbook during their first few days on the job. This can be confusing, especially for new employees who are expecting a challenging, fast-paced environment.
Introduce new employees to their jobs The best employee orientations conclude with introductions to each employee's specific job role. If several employees in a single role have been hired at one time, this introduction can occur in a group setting. Otherwise, new employees should receive one-on-one introductions from their managers or team leaders as part of their orientation.
Orient employees for success
Starting a new job always involves a learning curve, but effective orientations can help new employees make the transition by equipping them with:
An understanding of company goals.
An appreciation for the company's unique culture.
Routine information to get started.
An introduction to their role within the organization.
Employees who are well oriented to the company and to their jobs are ready to begin making a significant contribution.
REGARDS
LEO LINGHAM
From India, Mumbai
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