CHAPTER 6

Orientation,
Socialization &
Placement

Presented by:
Group 6
What is Orientation?
“Orientation is the process of receiving and
welcoming employees when they first join a
company and giving them the basic information
they need to settle down quickly and happily and
start work.” —Michael Armstrong

“Orientation is the process of planned

introduction of employees to their jobs, their co-
workers, and the organization.” —Robert L.
Mathis
“Orientation is a procedure for providing new
employees with basic background information
about the firm.” —Gary Dessler
Purpose of Employee
Orientation Formally welcoming employees
Many organizations view orientation programmes as an occasion
for the management to welcome new employees formally and
procedurally.

Overcoming initial Uneasiness and Hesitation

Orientation could help in quickly overcoming the initial
nervousness and hesitation.

Exchanging information
Orientation provides a platform for the organization to transfer
knowledge about the job, department, organization and people to
the new employees.

Assessing Employees
Although the selection process has already evaluated the training
requirements of the employees, the orientation provides one more
opportunity to do so.
Purpose of Employee
Orientation Acclimatizing Employee
Orientation programmes enable the organization to teach the
employees the basics of the job and the safety measures to be
adopted, and acquaint them with the other facilities available in
the premises.
Controlling the HR Cost
In the absence of orientation programmes, employees are
normally left to learn everything on their own, and this might push
up their learning cost to the organization in the form of resource
wastage and work disturbances.
Developing the Team Spirit
When the orientation programme is conducted for a group of new
employees, it helps in promoting team spirit among the peers.
Socializing Employees
Orientation programmes help in developing the necessary beliefs,
values and attitudes among the employees which should help the
organization in achieving its core business objectives.
 Types of Orientation

General-idea Job-specific Traditional and Modern

Orientation Orientation Orientation
This may also be called The purpose of this In this method, orientation is
overview or summary orientation is to inform the viewed as a ritual and one-
orientation. In this type, some employees about the various time exercise by the
general information about the aspects of the job and other organization. It primarily aims
organization is provided to the things related to it. at engaging the employees on
employees. the first day and helps them
overcome the initial
nervousness.
 Process of Orientation
Program Development
Step 1: Ascertaining the Firm’s Policy
and Expectation
In the first stage, the HR department should
analyse the policy, mission and vision
statements of the organization to determine
what it expects from the employees and also
what qualities and characteristics it wishes to
emphasize among them.
Step3: Determining the Type of
Orientation Programmes
On the basis of its policy or past practices, an organization may
decide to conduct one general programme or several job-
specific programmes. While deciding the type of programme, it
is necessary for the organization to consider factors like the
objectives of the programme, the nature of information required,
and the financial support available for the programme.
Step 2: Determining the Orientation
Programme’s Objectives
An organization can have multiple objectives for
its orientation programme. For instance,
removing employee fear and anxiety, conveying
what the management expects about employee
behaviour and performance, introducing the
employees to their supervisors, peers and
subordinates, providing them information about
the duties, responsibilities and accountabilities
involved in the job and orienting them with the
rules, regulations and policies are a few
objectives.
 Process of Orientation
Program Development

Step 4: Deciding the mode of delivery Step 5: Gathering the

At this stage, the organization should participant’s feedback
finalize its plan regarding the method to be In the feedback process, an organization
adopted for information delivery. Usually, may find out from the participants whether
factors like the number of participants, the they have received satisfactory responses
nature of information to be shared, for their questions. For instance, they may
infrastructure availability, and the category have questions like
of participants are considered for deciding • What are my duties, responsibilities and
the manner of delivery of the requisite accountabilities in the job?
information. • Who should I contact for getting things like
the stationery?
• How would my performance be evaluated in the • What are my office/factory hours,
organization? including breaks and overtime?
• When and how would I get my pay and other • Who are my immediate authorities and
benefits? subordinates?
• Where are the facilities like canteen, parking lot,
restrooms, first-aid room and toilets
located in the premises?
 An Effective Orientation
Programme
Framing Clear-Cut Objectives
The organization should frame the objectives
of its orientation in unambiguous terms. It
should decide clearly whether the orientation
has a single objective or multiple ones.
Determining the roles of Departments
and Personnel
The organization should determine clearly the
department and persons responsible for
conducting the orientation programme. It must
have strong reasons for choosing a specific
department for organizing the programme.
Assessing the new employees’ information
requirements accurately
An effective orientation programme must be able
to fully address the first-day concerns and general
information requirements of the new employees.
Selecting appropriate Methodology,
techniques, and programme content
The organization should also be judicious in
designing the content (curriculum) of the ori-
entation programme.
Creating a positive environment for
new employee
The organization should strive to create a
positive environment for its new employees.
Even before the beginning of the orientation
sessions, arrangements must be made to
receive these employees and guide them to
their predetermined places.
Providing continuous review and effective
feedback
As employee orientation is a continuous process in an
organization, it is necessary to develop appropriate
instruments to evaluate the effectiveness of such
programmes.
 Problems in Orientation
Data Overload Risk of failure and counter-effects
The purpose of an orientation programme is to A well-planned orientation programme is capable
orient the employees with the basic information of enhancing the retention rate of the employees
sufficient for initial survival in the organization. and, thus, reducing the attrition, especially in the
initial years.
Problems of boredom and rigidity Lack of diversity in the Orientation
Performance Expectations
Of Employees & Superiors

When an organization conducts the orientation programme

programme in a formal and rigid manner, just like People have different levels of learning abilities
a ritual, it may not achieve the purpose of making and perceptual skills. Some people may have
the employees feel at ease. better grasping abilities than others.
Lack of Adequate time and training for Absence of evaluation and follow-up
facilitators
When an organization entrusts the role of They should also promptly follow up the feedback
facilitators of an orientation programme to the process by incorporating the Setting
necessary
Performance

supervisors and line managers, they may not have improvements in the programme to make it up to
Standards

adequate experience and training to handle the date.

orientation programmes effectively.
What is Socialization?
“Socialization means the process used by the
companies to expose new employees to their
culture and way of doing things.” —Randall S.
Schuler and Ian C. Macmillan

“Socialization is the ongoing process of instilling

in all employees the prevailing attitudes,
standards, values, and patterns of behaviour that
are expected by the organization and its
departments.” —Gary Dessler

“Socialization is the manner in which an

individual learns (the) behaviour appropriate to
his positions in a group through interaction with
others who hold normative beliefs about what his
role should be and who reward or punish him for
correct or incorrect actions.” —Orville G. Brim
 Differences
between
Orientation and
Socialization

Orientation Socialization
Orientation is usually a formal and Socialization is typically an informal and
structured process of earning the spontaneous process of learning about the
organizational reality by the newcomer. organizational culture by the newcomer.

Socialization is generally a long-term and

Orientation is a short-term and time- gradual process.
bound activity. The line management normally takes the
primary responsibility for the socialization
The HR department generally takes the process.
primary responsibility for the orientation
process. The aim of socialization is to introduce the
newcomer to the organizational culture,
The aim of orientation is to introduce the attitudes, standards, values, and
newcomer to the organization itself. behavioural aspects. It also involves
introducing the newcomer to the work
environment.
 The Socialization Process
Anticipatory
Socialization
It refers to the values, attitudes and
other behaviours already acquired
by the new employees before their
entry into the organization. They
have acquired these behaviours
through their experiences in earlier
jobs andeducational institutions.
Organizational Socialization
Socialization Outcomes
In this stage, the organization It is the achieving of the objectives
undertakes the necessary efforts to of the socialization efforts. When
gradually expose the new employees the outcomes are positive, the
to the prevailing organizational socialization process is normally
culture. This is done by facilitating viewed as effective.
the employees to learn the relevant
values, beliefs and attitudes.
Organizations may employ a formal
or an informal socialization process
or both to educate the employees
about the organizational culture.
 Dimensions of Organizational
Socialization Strategies

Formal or Informal Strategy

When the organizations use formal training programmes for the
socialization of the new employees, it is a formal strategy in
socialization practice. In case of informal socialization
programmes, the new employees are left to learn everything by
themselves and that too in an informal environment.

Individual or Collective Strategy

When socialization programmes are conducted collectively for a
group of new employees, it is a collective strategy. In contrast,
socialization programmes are conducted on a one-to-one basis in
an individual strategy.

Fixed or Variable Strategy

In the case of a fixed strategy, organizations predetermine the
time and duration for each activity to be undertaken as part of the
socialization programmes. A clear-cut schedule is developed for
carrying out socialization programmes. On the contrary, no such
pre-cise time-table is prepared for socialization in a variable
strategy.
 Dimensions of Organizational
Socialization Strategies
Sequential or Non-sequential Strategy
If the organization requires its employees to complete a
specific stage in the socialization programme before
moving on to the next position in the organization, it is
called a sequential strategy. When the organization does
not insist on the completion of such sequential stages in
the socialization programme while allowing its employees
to move to a position, it is called a non-sequential
strategy.

Serial or Disjunctive Strategy

When the experienced superiors conduct the
socialization programme for the new employees before
they are placed in the organization, it is called a serial
socialization strategy. In contrast, the employee can join
the designated position without even attending the
socialization programme in a disjunctive strategy.
 Dimensions of Organizational
Socialization Strategies
Tournament- or Contest-oriented Strategy
In a tournament-oriented strategy, the new employees
are grouped on the basis of their skill levels and
educational backgrounds for the purpose of socialization.
Separate socialization programmes are then conducted
for each of these groups. In contrast, no such groups
would be made for the new employees of the same cadre
on any basis in the case of a contest oriented strategy.

Investiture or Divestiture Strategy

When the socialization programme aims at reinforcing
the values and beliefs brought in by the new employees,
it is called an investiture strategy. In contrast, the
socialization programme attempts to modify or even
annul the values and beliefs of the new employees in the
case of a divestiture strategy.
What is Placement?
It is the process of finding an appropriate fit
between the people and the positions in an
organization. It is actually the determination
of the job which an accepted candidate is to
be assigned to, and his assignment to that
job.

Once the employee completes the stipulated

orientation and/or training successfully, the
next step is his placement in the job.

Placement is usually the last stage in the

recruitment and selection process of an
organization.
 Challenges in Placement
Cultural and
Behavioural
Incompatibility
In the case of placement,
organizations generally consider
the job requirements and the
employee’s qualifications. They
often overlook the behavioural
requirements in the placement
process.
Level of
Nature of Job
Adaptability
The nature of job can also cause When the employees exhibit a high
problems in placement. Jobs can be degree of flexibility and open-
classified into independent and ness, it can facilitate the process of
interdependent ones. placement.
Independent jobs are the ones
that are performed by the
employees with little help from
others.
Interdependent jobs - like
assembly-line jobs in the
production department and pooled
jobs involving teamwork, job
placement is a difficult exercise.
 CHAPTER 6

Thank You
For Your Attention

Group 6
Members:
Lumabi, Jean Grace
Ratilla, Kimberly
Redota, Joshua
Terrago, Christine Joy