New Employee Orientation

Making a Good First Impression

Your newly hired employee is about to start work. Orientation -- or onboarding as it is called -- is your chance to welcome the new employee and help him or her get off to a good start. Here are some tips on how to make the orientation a success.

Spend some time planning -- don’t just adlib. Failure to plan will ensure that you will forget important information and chances are the time spent will seem endless to both you and your employee.

Provide written information about the office. A handbook is best but even if your paperwork is more informal, it allows the employee to read and review at their own speed important employment facts and protocols.

Cover information the employee needs to get through the next day, the next week. Don’t cover too much -- information overload is an unwelcome by-product of too much information.

Think of orientation as an on-going process. Schedule several sessions, a week or two apart, and introduce your new hire to the work in manageable pieces.

Do your best to ensure co-worker cooperation. Spend some time with staff letting them know about the new hire and encourage them to create a friendly and helpful welcome.

Be present and available during the first few days. You and others in the office need to be close by and ready to explain how things are done and to answer questions.

Share information about your office culture. New employees need to know how work gets done, how to get along, office customs and traditions. Shared expectations about the workplace can help the new employee be successful.

Have the work space set up and ready to go. Computer access, basic office supplies, phone, a tour -- all send a clear message that the person is welcome and needed.

Patience is a virtue. Sometimes the learning curve may be steep but those who take the time to learn and understand end up being the best employees.

Following these suggestions will help you start your new hire off “on the right foot.” The investment is small and the payoff will be significant.

_{Administration Matters July 2011}