How Important is Orientation to an Organization?

Orientation

Many of us are aware that most large companies and organizations have some sort of orientation program in place for new hires. Some companies treat orientation as a chore and think that it is not nearly as important as the actual training of a job. The truth is, a large percentage of employee turnover is caused by an unsuccessful orientation program. The first impression of the company that you have just been hired to work for is crucial, and the last thing you would like to feel when you walk in the door is to be uncomfortable.
Make your employees feel as comfortable as possible!

So what difference does it make to have a good orientation program versus an unsuccessful one? There are many benefits that people do not realize are the outcome of a successful orientation program. Successful orientation can reduce the amount of employee turnover, lower anxiety, reduce grievances and develop clear job expectations. Not only can an orientation program develop clear job expectations, but it can ultimately improve overall job performance. If duties and expectations are demonstrated correctly during orientation it is more likely for the employee to do their job effective and efficiently. 

According to "HumanNatureAtWork.com" research studies, with a good orentation plan, 69% of people will remain within the company for over 3 years. Ineffective orientation plans are more likely to see employee turnover as opposed to an effective plan. Below is a link to some detail on how orientation can affect an organization and why it is so important to invest in a good orientation plan.
http://www.enhancedtraining.com/articles/how-does-orientation-affect-job-turnover.html

So what do you think, is orientation worth investing in? 

Here is an additional link that focuses on the importance of orientation.

http://www.smartmanager.com.au/eprise/main/cms/content/au/smartmanager/en/pages/new_employee_orientation_program.html

A Successful Orientation Plan

What Does An Effective Orientation Plan Look Like?


You may be wondering what 
some of the key mistakes are that companies make when it comes to their orientation programs. Well, many will hand their new associate a massive book of company policies and procedures and tell them to familiarize themselves with it on their first day. No new employee wants to read over a huge policy book at 8:00 or 9:00am in the morning! Or anytime for that matter. 

Solution? What companies need to do is implement a plan that is enjoyable and makes the new employee feel welcomed. 


There is no doubt that your first day on the job you would like to be greeted by your superiors and explore your new office. It is extremely important for a new associate to be shown all of the important areas of the facility like the bathrooms and lunch areas as soon as they take a walk around the building. It is always a great idea to give a brief history of the organization to the employee so that they can have a better understanding of the culture. As early as possible, you should be introduced to your managers and fellow associates in your department as well as others around you. Although it may be the least favorite for most of us, it is mandatory that policies and procedures are communicated, but this should not be delivered as overwhelming. Lunch time! It is definitely important to socialize and get familiar with the people you will be working with. A supervisor should show the new hire around and give them time to enjoy their lunch before the second half of orientation takes place. An overview of the position responsibilities and duties as well as salary and benefits should be addressed. Job shadowing or job previews are a great way of displaying to the new associate what an average day on the job looks like. This also gives them the opportunity to ask questions and grasp what is expected of them. 

After a successful day of orientation, the new employee should feel welcomed, comfortable and have clear expectations of their position. 

If you are looking for tips or ideas on how to improve your orientation program, here are some valuable tips.
http://www.bcjobs.ca/hr-advice/5-tips-to-make-your-orientations-successful/

The Benefits of Training

In this day and age we are well aware that our world is evolving at a rapid speed. The global economy is constantly changing and competition is fierce among organizations. Companies are always looking for the perfect candidate for a position they are looking to fill. Sometimes a resume does not reflect the true abilities of a person or display their character. There are many qualified candidates looking for jobs that have exceptional knowledge within a specific field, but this does not mean that they have social or communication skills that are required of them in a business or working environment.

Training is a fundamental process that allows an employee to work effective and efficiently in a diverse environment. You may have just been offered an entry-level position within an organization and have no idea what the culture or atmosphere of the work environment is or what is expected of you. You may not have experience using certain tools or equipment in the facility that you are now required to use on a daily basis. This is where employee training kicks in and is so important. A successful training system is critical for the organization to be prosperous. In what way does training benefit an employee? There are numerous benefits of training and the obvious would be the amount of knowledge and information that an employee will take form the learning experience. Through training, employees can work on self-improvement of their weaknesses, self-confidence, and development. Nobody wants to be placed into a position that requires them to improvise and make unclear decisions about their daily tasks on the job. So what else does training do? Organizations benefit just as much as an employee does through training. Training can be offered to current employees to expand their knowledge and take on new tasks or positions within the company. This can boost the company morale, increase productivity and ultimately lower costs for the organization as they may not have to hire someone new. This creates a great relationship between you and the employer. Motivation is key!

If offered to develop your skills and knowledge on technology or software, would you jump at the proposal? Change can be a positive thing! 

To help you better understand why training is so crucial, below is a link on additional benefits of training and development :

http://humanresources.about.com/od/training/a/training_dev.htm

What type of Training System Should I use?

Training Systems and Principles

Of course not everybody learns the same way. Some learn better through lecture and others can only learn something through hands on experiences. So, how do we choose the best way to train someone for their job? There are many aspects to consider.

The first thing to do is develop a needs assessment and consider each individual. Okay, so now that you have considered the individual needs of each person, you need to think about the learning principles; Participation, Transference, Repetition, Relevance and Feedback. 

Participation: Involving the employee to participate in the activity or task that they are required to do. 

Repetition: Have the employee try something numerous times to make sure they fully understand. Repetition is a great way to memorize something so that it won't be forgotten.

Transference: Make sure that what the employee is being taught is easily transferable to the job they will be doing. 

Relevance: Employees should obviously be trained and taught something relevant to the job.

Feedback: Always give feedback! And always ask for feedback. 

Now that the learning principles have been laid out. It is time to choose what training technique to use. On the job training consists of Job Rotation, Apprenticeships and Coaching. Depending on the position or job, off the job training may work better. Off the job training includes Lectures, Role-play, Simulations and Computer based activities. 

Find what works best for the specific employees that are being trained. Ask questions and make sure you understand their needs and how they learn best.

(Schwind, H., Das, H., & Wager, T., Fassina, N., & Bulmash, J. (2013) Canadian Human Resources Management, 10th Edition)

Occupational Health And Safety

How Much do your Employees Really know About Health and Safety in the Workplace?

Being careful at work is a no-brainer. We all know that accidents happen and we try our best not to get into trouble or dangerous situations. No matter how careful we think we are, sometimes we will find ourselves in a mess. 

Health and Safety isn't taken as seriously as it should be in the workplace. We hear about job-related deaths and injuries constantly on the news or through social media. Why is this such an issue and why does it keep happening? Our employees are not being educated enough and they are not refusing unsafe work when they should be! Many people find it a little scary to refuse work if asked by a supervisor or manager because they do not want to feel like they're not doing their job. Everyone has the right to refuse unsafe work and many of us forget this.

So why aren't companies emphasizing the importance of Health & Safety practices and knowledge? It has been reported that in more recent years, companies have been taking more responsibility. If you know that you could create a safer work environment and avoid injury costs, why would any organization choose not to? Well, that would mean that they would need to plan and  invest money into educating employees about safe practices. The conclusion is that many are unwilling to do so.

Not only are employees being hurt but the companies themselves are creating a negative image of their workplace and their values. What companies need to do is think about the "what if's" and realize that accidents can happen anywhere and employees need to know what to do when they occur. 

How do you feel about working for an organization if you know that they do not educate staff about workplace Health And Safety? 

(Schwind, H., Das, H., & Wager, T., Fassina, N., & Bulmash, J. (2013) Canadian Human Resources Management, 10th Edition)