One of the main drivers of the onboarding process is an effective employee orientation. It has been observed, in a recent survey, that 50% of the employees, who have received effective orientation in the first few days of their employment, contribute more positively towards their tasks at the workplace.

However, many companies do very little to orient new employees with the company culture. Employee handbook is one of the best ways to convey organizational rules, however being a passive method of orientation, a handbook alone is not enough. Moreover, quick hand-outs and piles of paperwork can be daunting and boring for anyone who is confronted with a chunk of information right off the bat. Such a process can fail to integrate any new or fresh approach the new employees may have.

There are certain steps that companies can take to make new employees comfortable and more productive.

1- Initiate the orientation process before an employee starts work. Prepare a draft of the agenda and send it to the employee so that they know what to expect. Ideally, you should email them the employee handbook at least 2 working days before their joining date.

Moreover, make sure that their work area is properly ready before they reach the office on their first day so that they feel welcomed and part of the company. A quick welcome note on the desk can be a very powerful way to welcome the new recruits and make them feel that they have joined an organization with rich culture.

2- Ensure that existing employees already know about the new employee and encourage them to introduce themselves to him or her on their first day, even before the orientation begins. In case of multiple teams, at least the respective team members should be aware of the new team member’s joining and should take the lead to introduce themselves.

In fact, modern organizations are increasingly preferring collaborative hiring process, whereby multiple team members are the part of the hiring process.

3- Another thing that firms can do is to assign a ‘buddy’ to the new employee, who can show him or her around the office, introduce them to the company’s coffee culture, cafeteria, places to hang out near the office, etc. This mentoring relationship can continue for the first few weeks to ensure the pair makes a great professional connection.

Generally, someone from the HR does this job, but if can be more effective if done by a core team member, i.e. the team lead or the team manager.

4- Employees tend to become productive sooner rather than later when they are firmly grounded with the firm’s basic knowledge in order to perform their job well. So, it’s best not to overwhelm them with a lot of information on their very first day. Before expecting them to handle big projects, ensure that they know their job well enough to deal with them independently.

It is OK for a new recruit to take at least one week to get to know the organizational processes and his responsibilities, so give them the first week to get adjusted.

The Bottom Line:

It has been observed that an effective orientation program essentially defines how soon an employee becomes productive so that he or she can have a long-lasting impact on your organization. For firms, the process might be easier if the employee in question is not a fresher. If you are looking for relevant employees who can be part of your robust workforce, then get in touch with an agency which specializes in recruitment process outsourcing and hire the right candidate for you.