MANAGER'S TOOLBOX: Orientation for New Employees
Even for an experienced worker, starting a new job can
cause anxiety. For workers without a lot of successful
experience, the uncertainty is even greater. This is your
chance to make a good first impression, to fit the employee
into your organization, introduce him or her to the
expectations for performance, the purpose, provide some
training. How do most managers use this opportunity? We
have generally seen something like this -
"Welcome to the company, Dan. Here is the break area.
You are allowed two fifteen-minute breaks a day. This is
Melanie, " (woman walking by nods her head and keeps
walking), "Here is where you will be working. Once you
finish filling out the paperwork for Human Resources,
Evelyn will walk you back over here to make sure you can
find your way. This is Frank, he's another department
supervisor," Frank shakes hands with the new hire, talks
for a few minutes to his fellow supervisor about schedules,
then walks off. "Here is the bathroom. The lunchroom is
right down that hall. You have 45 minutes for lunch, and
most people take it between 11:15 and noon. Well, this is
Evelyn's office. Be sure to ask me if you have any
questions. I have to run off to a meeting now."
Orientations may vary depending on the size of the company.
Some may have a video. Others hire a group of new employees
at once and have a group orientation with speeches,
sometimes by people high up in the company who drop in for
ten minutes to show how much they care about even the
newest employee - and then disappear, never to be seen from
again.
How to do it right -
Start by preparing for your new employee's first day. Have
a place for her to work, a desk or work station. Have a
name tag, ID badge or business cards made. It makes a
horrible first impression if your new hire has to spend her
first week or two using the corner of someone else's desk
or sharing a locker because you haven't found one for her
yet.
Have a written job description to give to the employee, a
copy of your company policy manual, benefits information
and any other documents.
When a new employee starts work, leave the morning, or at
least the first hour or two, of your schedule empty. Spend
the time going over the employee's job description with
her. Answer any questions she might have. Tell her which of
the tasks listed on the job description are the most
important. Describe what her first month will be like.
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