Job Orientation: the only guide you need for your company

3 of June, 2022

First impressions matter big time in how well the new hire adjusts to the organizational culture of the new workplace. Job orientation is the first step for a good impression and the key to keep new employee’s high expectations. Keep reading and find out what makes a job orientation stand out from the rest.

What is job orientation?

Job orientation, sometimes called induction or onboarding, is designed to introduce newly hired employees to the organization, their supervisors, co-workers, work areas, and jobs. 

The goal is to ensure that expectations and skill sets align with the company’s culture and operational needs. So much depends on integrating employees effectively into their new work.

Job orientation greatly influences perceptions and shapes attitudes in new employees.

Employees should feel that the company cares about their welfare. Without job orientation carried out effectively, there is likelihood of frequent turnover of staff. 

How long does a job orientation take?

It depends on where orientation is taking place, the complexity of the tasks and the requirements of the training program. 

A 2-4 hour program for those hired at a retail store may consist of:

• Filling out forms.
• A tour of the store with an introduction to supervisors and employees.
• A video outlining the tasks and procedures as well as the company’s philosophy and its commitments. 

That leaves out, that for a period of time the new employee will have a mentor constantly teaching and answering questions, while observing performance.

Such job orientation may last a week, even longer if we include a period of mentoring.

Why is orientation so important for new employees?

Considering the challenges of a new position in an unfamiliar organization, a properly designed job orientation increases a smooth transition. 

Without job orientation, employees may feel uncomfortable in the new position and wonder if they had made the right decision to accept the job in the first place. 

First impressions matter big time.

Moreover, there is considerable evidence in repeated studies how a well managed job orientation serves to improve employee performance and retention, besides serving all manner of legal and procedural purposes of HR departments. 

Other benefits include considerable gain in employee confidence in the company, a clarifying of employee expectations and the activation of continuous and much needed internal communication, human resources departments and supervisors. 

The orientation should also project a welcoming attitude to minorities, women, and those with sexual orientation subject to discrimination. 

Employees need to know that the company has their back and that they are protected from harassment.

Tips to make job orientation at your company a success

1. Encourage employees to feel confident. To do this, you need to explain your company’s strategy, history and plans, setbacks and challenges.

2. Explain that by the end of the training program, new hires will be able to carry out their activities effectively.

3. Decide through a task analysis how to put your employees into action in new roles from a performance perspective. This includes critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making necessary to achieve a particular outcome. 

3. Prioritize desired experiences that increase different competencies, while developing agility and grace in carrying out assigned tasks. Experience-based training grounded in performance competency helps ensure engaging and effective learning in a job orientation program.

5. Above all, you need to gather feedback and make changes when needed. Your learning strategy will only be effective with an employee buy-in, and as a result of the information shared by your subject matter experts. 

It should be remembered that information is processed slowly, so employees should not be overwhelmed by information in their first days on the job. 

A final thought

Put simply, job orientation should be led by line-managers, with an input at the very highest management levels, not just relegated to Human Resources, or commercial training organizations. Too much depends on it.

If you want to have a smooth job orientation, you already know that there are many digital solutions out there.

For example, with an onboarding software like Sesame HR you have multiple features that allow you to introduce new employees. The best thing is that you can personalize and create checklists for the tasks you have ahead.