By Susan McIntyre, CHRP

Orientation is an important element in the process of engaging new staff.  The benefits of developing an effective program outweigh the costs.  Employees who begin with a clear job description — understanding how they fit with the organization and the expectations they are to achieve — are less likely to resign, lowering employee turnover. Well-oriented employees make fewer mistakes, know where to find answers and tend to have higher-productivity. The key is finding a balance of the time investment, resources for delivery and creative ways to introduce new staff to the policies, procedures and culture without boring them to death.

If you have ever arrived for a new job where the boss has forgotten you are starting or everyone is too busy to notice a new arrival but you are expected to start work, then you have experienced the exact opposite of a good orientation process.  In our fast-paced work environments, this is a much more common greeting than companies like to admit.  Ensuring that you are well equipped to greet a new employee and that you have planned for their arrival is a sign that you value their contribution immediately.

A group of Thompson Rivers University students recently completed a study on orientation in the City of Kamloops.  The students surveyed 23 organizations to determine the best practices in the service sector.  Their research provides tips to consider when establishing or improving an orientation process:

–       The first contact with a prospective employee is truly the start of the orientation process as first impressions are formed at that moment. While the current economic situation may be reducing the impact of the skills shortage, firms that struggle to attract employees should consider making the first contact a memorable experience.  The students experienced companies who would not take their calls, left unreturned messages, or met with rude and unprofessional employees.  These organizations did not sit high on their list of future employers.

–       Carly works for a restaurant where the owner took time to explain his history, career path and reasons for starting his restaurants.  She felt this step was the link she needed to find her sense of belonging with the organization and gave her the owner’s view of correct customer service.  An early and clear link to the mission, vision and values of the organization is beneficial.

–       Delivery methods vary between organizations with most using Human Resources staff as key resources.  The majority of orientation sessions are between one and four hours in duration with little or no follow-up mechanisms.  Treating orientation as a process rather than an event encourages employees to practice continuous learning and enables access to a broader representation from the management team when it can occur over time.

–       One of the banks begins orientation over a coffee, where the employee can get to know someone on a personal basis.

–       Fred was excited about introductions to co-workers that included the person’s name plus their title and an understanding of their role with the organization.  This extra information provided a sense of the scope of the organization was a good source of contacts for future reference and illustrated possible career paths. In larger companies, an organizational chart and role description could become part of the written reference material.

–       Kavita felt that the orientation process needed a checklist and adequate training for the staff, especially when multiple employees deliver orientation.  Proper training and preparation of the staff was a gap in some companies resulting in different experiences for employees, diminishing satisfaction levels.

–       Asking existing employees for their assessment of your orientation program builds their commitment by demonstrating that their opinions are valued.

Other simple ideas that go a long way and make a big statement include:

–       Ask the CEO to sign a personal note welcoming the new hire on board

–       Arrange for business cards to be ready and waiting on their desk

–       Post the new employee’s picture on the web site

–       Assign a parking spot that identifies new employees to staff

–       Invite the partner or spouse to the benefit presentation so the couple has a good understanding of the benefits

As you search for solutions to your attraction and retention issues, consider the orientation process as a tool. By focusing on the elements that give the best return on investment such as soliciting employee input, creating opportunities, access to key management staff,  well-planned presentations and concentrating on simple ideas, orientation can provide a positive impact on engagement.

Susan McIntyre, MBA, CHRP brings over 25 years of senior-level business experience in human resources, corporate services and operations, from a broad range of employers (private sector including manufacturing, mining, logistics, construction, information technology, and accounting; government, first nations and not-for-profit organizations). Susan holds a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation.  She has a Masters in Business Administration in Leadership through Royal Roads University.  She also has an Executive Diploma in Management specializing in Human Resources from Thompson Rivers University.  She is a Director with the Human Resources Management Association, sits on the Professional Standards Committee for the CCHRA, and is an active member of Thompson Rivers University Alumni Association.