Orientating a new employee

Lee Rossini

After offering a position to the best candidate and it has been accepted, the person is usually raring to go and keen to start learning about the job and the organisation. However, it may also be a daunting and an anxiety-inducing time. To make the transition easier, it is important to orientate the person. Orientation involves the ‘process of integrating the new employee into the organisation and acquainting them with the details and requirements of the job.’[1]  This will lessen their anxiety and make the process of starting a new job feel less overwhelming.

The main objective of orientating a new employee is to provide them with an understanding of how they fit into the organisation; they need to feel they have a valuable role to play as part of the team. The goals, policies and procedures must be explained and in this process, the employee should gather an idea of ‘how things are done around here.’ It is during this process that the employee should be made fully aware of the importance of an ethical and compliant culture to the business. The basic responsibilities of their new job should be covered including the behaviours and actions that are expected.     

Orientation is concerned with both general organisation and specific departmental orientation and generally takes place over a period between two to six months, depending on the nature of the position. It may be both formal, which consists of planned events such as training, and informal, which is unplanned and where new employees are encouraged to discover information about the organisation on their own. It is best to draw up an orientation policy and program. The program generally covers the following aspects:

• Pre-employment information which includes a formal letter containing a description of the job, salary, basic terms and conditions of employment, etc.
• First day instructions are sent to the person.  This letter includes details of where to go to, starting time and the person to whom they must report.
• A welcome pack which contains information about the organisation, for example, organisational structure, policies and procedures. It is valuable to include a letter from senior management stating their commitment to compliance and the importance of meeting the compliance obligations.
• Introduction to their department and if possible, to a workplace mentor.
• An initial work and responsibilities plan for when the employee first arrives. This will prevent the person from feeling overwhelmed. However, by giving them some work to do immediately, they will feel like they are contributing from the beginning.
• A training plan.
• Any administrative arrangements and basic information.

It is important not to focus too much on the paperwork, rather focus on including the person and building a relationship with them from their first day. For the program to be successful, an appointed person must take responsibility.  The person may be from HR, a manager, a supervisor or even the mentor who has been appointed. The orientation program depends on the size, complexity and resources of the organisation. It can be a simple and uncomplicated process, but it must be welcoming and provide the new employee with the information needed to be successful in the position.

Orientation will never make up for poor recruitment and selection. However, it is an important part of managing new employees which is often overlooked. The orientation process plays an important role in making new employees feel like they belong and involved in a manner which reduces their uncertainty and anxiety. The positive outcomes are lower turnover, better productivity, good morale and swifter integration into the culture of an organisation. The investment is worth it as new employees will feel comfortable, motivated and better able to perform their duties soon after they have joined a new organisation.    

[1] Warnich, Carrell & Elbert et al Human Resource Management in South Africa (2015) Cengage Learning.