Employee orientation

Employee orientation is part of a long-term investment in a new employee. It is an initial

process that provides easy access to basic information, programs and services, gives
clarification and allows new employees to take an active role in their organization.

 Introduce new employees to their new environment

 Make new employees feel welcome and comfortable
 Retain a pool of new, capable employees

Benefits:

 Establish clear standards that help reduce disputes and limit liability
 Promote consistent management
 Inform new employees of the company¿s policies
 Demonstrate a commitment to equal treatment of personnel
 Provide protection from claims of discrimination and sexual harassment

In some organizations an employee handbook is available to all employees. The content of

the handbook covers the key topics covered in an orientation session for new employees.

What should employee orientation programs include?

An orientation program helps the employee understand their assigned duties, terms and
conditions of employment as well as the organizational culture. It provides the following
information:

Welcome employee to company

Orientation to business:

 history
 mission statement
 goals and objectives
 organizational structure, e.g. own job description and relationship of position to other
positions
 future plans

Company policies and procedures, for example:

 dress code
 reporting procedures
 smoking restrictions
 expense claims

Legislation

Safety procedures
 Emergency procedures

 operating telephone system,

 who to call for repairs

Explanation of benefit package

 group insurance,
 sick leave,
 holidays

Tour facility and work areas:

 introduce employees
 identify amenities, e.g. washrooms, shower
 explain emergency procedures
 identify safety equipment

Describe job responsibilities and performance expectations

 review job description

 review product standards
 discuss applicable legislation
 provide manuals for operating equipment

Before the Employee Arrives

The new employee orientation process begins before the employee comes to work.
Planning ahead for your new employee's arrival will allow you to spend productive time
on that first day. So, before the employee arrives you should:

 Notify everyone in your unit that a new person is starting and what the person's job will
be. Ask the other staff members to welcome the new employee and encourage their
support.
 Prepare interesting tasks for the employee's first day.
 Make a copy of the job description card, job vacancy listing (JVL), job performance
standards, campus organization chart, and your department's organization chart.
 Enroll the employee in the New Employee Orientation class through the Employee
Development & Training Unit in Human Resources.
 Make sure the employee's work location is available, clean, and organized.
 Make sure a copy of the appropriate personnel policy manual or contract is available for
the employee.
 Have a benefits information package available.
 If possible, identify a staff member to act as a buddy for the first week.
 Put together a list of key people the employee should meet and interview to get a
broader understanding of their roles
 Arrange for a building pass, parking pass, and IDs if necessary.
 Draft a training plan for the new employee's first few months.
 The First Day on the Job
A new employee may be anxious about starting a new job. Try to create a comfortable
environment and remember not to overwhelm the new employee with too much
information on the first day. Orientation is a continuing process, so there will be plenty
of time to give the employee all the necessary information. On the first day, you
should:

 Give a warm welcome and try to reduce any nervousness the new employee may feel.
 Discuss your plan for first day.
 Introduce the employee to other staff members.
 Arrange to have lunch with the new employee.
 Show the new employee around the office.
 Review the job description card and organizational charts with the employee.
 Explain ride-sharing and transportation services.
 Review telephone, fax, e-mail, and Internet use
 Give the employee the New Employee Benefits Packet. Be sure to discuss any questions
or refer the employee to your Department Benefits Counselor. Remind the employee to
fill out and submit benefits forms on time (see Chapter 19, Benefits).
 Inform the employee of the Ethics and Conflict of Interest Briefings for New Employees.
 Explain that University policy and collective bargaining agreements call for most new
employees to complete a probationary period before they become regular status
employees. Discuss what the probationary period is all about and explain how and when
the employee's performance will be appraised during the probationary period
(see Chapter 6, Probationary Period).
 Have the new employee complete all the necessary personnel forms.

Follow-Up Meetings
Over the next few weeks, schedule meetings with the employee to discuss the
following:

 Employee's overall impressions. Find out how the employee perceives your
department so far. If there are any problems or concerns, address them.
 Organization of the University. Spend time explaining the University's structure.
Talk about where your department fits in and how it relates to other departments on
campus.
 Mission statements. Discuss the mission statement of the University and how the
goals and objectives of your department help support that mission.
 Performance evaluation process. Explain that you and the new employee will be
developing a performance plan, discussing his/her progress and evaluating his/her
performance. Explain the timing of appraisals and the methods you'll use to measure
progress (see Chapter 7, Performance Management).
 Department work rules. Review your department's work rules with the new
employee. Discuss attendance guidelines, call-in procedures, and requests for time off
(see Chapter 8, Around the Office).
 Controlled substances. Explain that the University does not tolerate the use of illegal
substances or abuse of legal substances on the premises or reporting to work in an
unsafe condition. You are required by law to give the new employee a copy of
the University of California Policy on Substance Abuse.
 Security. Discuss your department guidelines on security, such as keeping doors,
cabinets, and file drawers locked.
 Safety. Review the University's policies and your department's policies on safety in the
workplace with your new employee. Evacuation procedures, emergency preparedness
guidelines, and the escort service should be included in this review (see Chapter 17,
Health and Safety).
 Injuries on the job. Discuss procedures for handling injuries on the job. Tell the
employee to report all job-related injuries to you, regardless of how minor (see Chapter
18, Disability Management).
 Training plan. Discuss your training plan with the employee. Consider incorporating
any changes the employee suggests. Implement any changes that you both agree
upon.
 Other resources. Tell the employee about any other resources that will help get the
job done, Accounting, your department's Personnel Manager, or Mail Services.
 Employee Services. Describe the roles of the Ombudsperson, CARE Services,
Wellness Program, and the Campus Personnel Office (see Chapter 17, Health and
Safety).

Lesson Transcript
Instructor: Kat Kadian-Baumeyer
Kat has a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership and Management and teaches Business
courses.

The function of new employee orientation introduces a new employee to the company, its policies,
the co-workers and the job itself. Its characteristics include introducing the employee to the
company's culture, roles and responsibilities, job description and other important things an employee
will need to know.

The First Day

In this lesson, we will explore the function of new employee orientation and the characteristics, or
features, of bring a new employee on board.
New employee orientation involves the function of introducing a new employee to the company, its
policies, the team and the job responsibilities.
New employee orientation is an important part of human resource management. There are several
benefits to a successful orientation. Employees who are formally oriented into a company will
experience less stress, develop stronger relationships with co-workers, are at less risk of quitting
and learn the job quicker.
What does New Employee Orientation Look Like?
There are several important characteristics to new employee orientation. They include:

 Culture, values and mission of the company

 Employee introductions
 Roles and responsibilities of the employee and others in the company
 Job description
 Systems training
 Job performance feedback and appraisal system
 Facilities tour

Let's take a closer look at how Telly's Call Center brings on new telemarketers using each of the
characteristics. Telly's Call Center employs over 200 people who sell The Daily Bugle, a local
newspaper, over the telephone.
Telly, the call center owner, recently hired Juan. Juan came from a much smaller call center and was
unfamiliar with working in such a big company. It was important that Telly make Juan's first day a
positive experience.
The first thing Telly did was introduce the culture, values and mission of the company. The culture,
values and mission of the company talk about the guiding principles and purpose of the company. In
other words, it talks about what the company believes in and why. Telly told Juan about the history
of the company, the code of ethics and the mission statement.
This also may include showing Juan the employee handbook, a document that describes the
company policies and procedures. Some of the information contained in this document includes:

 Benefits (like insurance)

 Dress code
 Company policies
 Vacation and time off

Telly then introduced Juan to some of the people he would be working with. This is known as
'employee introductions' and involves getting familiar with co-workers on the first day. It fosters good
relationships in the future.
Then, Telly told Juan about the roles and responsibilities of each department and employee. Some
of the important questions Juan asked during the conversation were:

 What are my job duties

 Who are my co-workers
 Who do I report to every day
 What does the organizational chart look like

Telly presented Juan with a job description. A job description is a description of the tasks the
employee is responsible for performing. The job description includes:

 Location or department
 Description of duties
 Tools or equipment used on the job