An effective orientation programme serves a number of purposes. In general, the orientation process is similar to what sociologists call socialisation. The principal purposes of orientation are as follows:
1. Reduce the start-up costs for a new employee: In most instances, the new employee does not know the job, how the organisation works, or whom to see to get the job done. In fact he/she is a sort of a stranger to the organisation. These start-up costs vary depending on the level of the employee; in the case of top managers it will cost much more than for lower grades of staff. Effective orientation reduces these start-up costs and enables the new employee to reach standards sooner.
2. Reduce the amount of anxiety and hazing a new employee experiences: Anxiety in this case means fear of failure on the job. Hazing takes place when experienced employees ‘kid’ the new employee. For example, experienced employees may ask the new worker, ‘How many toys are you producing/per hour?’ When the employee answers, he/she is told, ‘You’ll never last.
3. Reduce employee turnover: If employees perceive themselves to be ineffective, unwanted, or unneeded, they may seek to deal with these negative feelings by quitting. Turnover is high during the break-in period, and effective orientation can reduce this costly condition.
4. Save time for supervisor and co-workers: Improperly oriented employees must still get the job done, and to do so they need help. The most likely people to provide this help are the co-workers and supervisors, who will have to spend time breaking in new employees. Good orientation programmes save everyone time.
5. Develop realistic job expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer, and job satisfaction: In what sociologists call the older professions (law, medicine) or total institutions (the church, prison, the army), the job expectations are clear because they have been developed over long years of training and education.
6. A typical orientation provides new employees information about benefits, compensations, securities facilities, vacations, working hours, office time, daily routine tour, organizations and operations, personnel policies, promotion methods, safety measures and regulations .
7. Well-oriented newcomers need less attention from coworker and supervisors, perform better and are less likely to quit.
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