You’ve probably heard many terms associated with starting a new employee’s journey to a new job – preboarding, orientation, onboarding, training.
In simple terms, a job orientation takes place either before the new employee’s first day or right when the new employee begins their work at your organization. Common activities that take place during a job orientation include a tour of the office/workplace, introducing colleagues and the team, a company presentation, familiarization with company policies and safety regulations, and more. It’s also a time to sign employment papers like tax and payroll forms for new hires.
This complex process ensures that each new hire understands their role in the organization and has all the resources, technology and instructions to perform the job tasks. Employees can review company policies and meet with management to get started. This will also be a time when new hires engage with their immediate supervisor with regular touchpoints.
Job orientation is usually a single event aimed at welcoming the employee, helping them quickly fit in and navigate their role and company. In contrast, onboarding is a longer, broader process that focuses on the new hire’s ability to accept their role and become a productive member of the team. Orientation can be considered as the first step of onboarding.
The days of throwing a new hire to the wolves and expecting them to make it are over. Today, organizations are taking a lot of time to set their employees up for success.
During a job orientation, employees are paid at their agreed rate.
Setting up a job orientation is important so that each new hire has the opportunity to work on a customized job action plan for long-term success. This activity also helps set expectations from the start, giving employees a roadmap to achieve more. This can be applied to temporary workers as well as volunteers and interns.
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