The first thing you can do to improve your orientation program is to document everything. This ensures that all new hires receive a consistent message from the company, but it also saves time/energy from those for administrating the program (typically HR employees) trying to remember ad hoc what was done last time. Having a well-documented orientation program also helps make sure that nothing gets missed, especially things with legal or financial implications such as not getting a W-2 signed. Because employees even within the HR department are bound to come and go at some point, having a well-documented orientation program prevents any “brain drain” related to the program.
The second thing is to make sure the orientation program reveals more about the company and the job that may not have been relevant or good timing to communicate during the application or interviewing process. A big part of this is easing any anxieties that naturally come with (the new hire) being in a new environment. For some people this is closely related to not knowing the rules, spoken or “unspoken,” of a new environment, so do communicate all of those in writing and verbally.
The third thing is all about settings goals. This is typically done by the specific hiring manager of the new employee. There should be goals set out specifically for the employee to aid with their specific performance, productivity, and growth. But it should also be communicated how those goals fit in with the goals of the employee’s department and so forth; all the way up to the goals of the company overall.
Proper communication about these goals will also reduce anxiety and time spent related to performance evaluations/reviews that most companies do at some point during the year. Get in touch with ACG Resources if you’d like to learn more.
