Start
Your New Employees Off Right With Effective
Orientations
By David Lee
Reprinted from Employment
Times
What message do
new employees get when they go through your company’s New Hire orientation
program? Do they get the message that you are a well run, world class company
that they can be proud of, and a company that cares
about its people, or do they get a very different message?
Many companies inadvertently create a
negative first impression by putting together a "quick and dirty"
orientation program that neither prepares new employees intellectually or
emotionally for their jobs. By not putting the time and effort into designing
an effective orientation program, these companies set the stage for high turnover,
low morale, and poor work quality.
To make sure you’re laying the foundation
for success, rather than high turnover and other employee problems, ask
yourself these questions:
Are We Making a Great First Impression? – This is the first chance new employees
have to experience your company as an insider. If your orientation doesn’t
address all the basics adequately, if it starts late and runs over, if it’s
disorganized, if the trainers are boring, if it’s heavy on rules and
regulations and light on inspiration, you’re likely to create "buyer’s
remorse."
In the sales field, buyer’s remorse is the
sinking feeling a person gets after the initial thrill of purchasing a product
is gone, and they begin to question the wisdom of their purchase. Running a slipshod
or boring orientation is a good way to trigger buyer’s remorse in your New
Hires.
Are We Making New Employees Feel Welcome? – When I managed the training department
for an insurance company, we put a welcome sign in the lobby with a list of all
the New Hire’s first names. In the training room, they were greeted by a big
welcome poster with all the Team Leader’s signatures on it. Such simple
gestures make a big impact on people. They get the message that you care about
them and that they’re important. By showing interest and graciousness from the
outset, you send a message to New Hires about what kind of company you are and
how highly you value your employees. This not only makes employees feel
welcome, it increases the chances they will treat their co-workers and your
customers graciously and respectfully.
Are We Engaging Their Hearts? – People want to be proud of their work
and where they work. They want to feel like they matter, like they can make a
difference. Smart companies address this core human need by having the CEO,
owner, or a senior officer speak at the orientation.
There’s nothing like having someone from
the top paint a compelling picture of the company’s mission and vision to help
new employees feel like they’ve joined a winning team. Inspirational leaders
take the big picture and translate it into each person’s job, showing them how
they make it all happen.
As you consider this critical component of
effective orientations, look at your orientation program and see how much of it
is technically and logistically oriented and how much of it is inspirational
and motivational. If you ignore the inspirational and motivational component,
you will be missing out on the "secret weapon" of world class
companies – engaging the hearts and souls of their workforce.
Are We Giving New Hires Enough Information
About The Basics For Them to Feel Secure? – It’s hard to expect new employees to be excited about
the big picture if they’re worried about all the day to day workings of your
company they still don’t understand. If they’re wondering about who to call
when they have an employee benefits question or where they get their supplies
from, or any of the many logistical facts that seasoned employees know, they’re
not wondering about how to help make your company a success.
To make sure you are covering all the
areas an employee needs to know, get input from employees who have recently
gone through your orientation and those who have been at your company for
awhile. Ask them if you’ve missed any critical areas; ask if you could have
explained anything more clearly, etc. Another resource you can use to make sure
you’ve covered all the bases is the short guide "Successful Orientation
Programs" published by the American Society of Training and Development
(703-683-8100).
Are We Making Job Responsibilities and
Performance Expectations Crystal Clear? – After interviewing over a million employees, the Gallup
Organization found that one of the best predictors of employee retention and
performance was how well employees understood what was expected of them at
work.
When employees don’t have a clear
understanding of their job responsibilities and performance expectations, they
are likely to become anxious, frustrated, and demoralized. There’s no way they
can know if they’re doing well if they’re trying to aim at a target they can’t
see. Knowing what is expected is especially critical in new job situations,
when most people are feeling anxious.
Are We Helping New Hires Make a Smooth
Transition Onto the Floor?
– Some companies have a macho "sink or swim" attitude with their New
Hires. They provide new employees with virtually no orientation and then throw
them into the fray without any support. This is a great strategy to achieve
high turnover, but not one to create a motivated, competent workforce. Smart
companies ease new employees’ transition by using seasoned employees as
mentors.
Mentors not only provide New Hires with
support and guidance for the technical aspects of the job, they also help New
Hires "learn the ropes" of the company. Although one’s supervisor can
be the source of this information, having a peer is usually more comfortable
for most people.
You can also contribute to a smooth
transition by having the HR manager or trainer check in with New Hires a few
times in the first month or two to see how they’re doing.
Are We Bringing the Real World Into the
Classroom? – New Hires
need to hear from more than the HR Manager or company trainer. They need to
hear from managers, their future supervisor, and seasoned employees. This is
especially important if the new hire orientation and training is several weeks
long. Getting "news from the front" keeps New Hires from feeling
insulated and isolated from the rest of the company.
The more they hear about their jobs and
the workings of the company from the people in the trenches, the more prepared
- and therefore the more comfortable - they will feel. Hearing about the
challenges and demands of the job will also increase their motivation to get
the most out of training.
Bringing in leadership also increases the
power of important messages. Having a division head or one’s future boss say
"This is why your doing a great job is so important to our company"
has a greater impact than if a trainer or HR Manager makes the same statement.
Are We Constantly Seeking Ways to Improve
Our Orientation Process?
– This process plays such a critical role in your ability to attract and retain
quality people, it deserves careful consideration and
ongoing quality improvements. Ask colleagues from other companies and other
industries what they do, both to address the intellectual, logistical needs of
new employees and to address their emotional, motivational needs. By doing
this, you will create a positive, upward trajectory of motivation, morale, and
commitment.
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About the Author: David Lee is a
consultant, speaker, and executive coach. The founder of HumanNature@Work, he has worked with organizations and
presented at conferences throughout
For More Information:
David Lee, President
HumanNature@Work
P.O. Box 430
Bar Mills, Maine 04004
Tel: 207-929-3344
E-mail: info@HumanNatureAtWork.com