Companies invest large sums to hire new employees. The typical cost of recruiting a new hire is 1.5 times the employee’s salary. The Caliper Corporation, an organizational development consulting firm founded in 1961 offers a cost-of-turnover calculator to pinpoint the exact cost of replacing a lost employee.
New employee orientation and onboarding programs are designed to ensure that the investment in a new employee pays off by creating a sense of connection between the new worker and the organization.
New Employee Orientation Supports New Hires
New employee orientation programs have long been used to help new hires quickly learn the critical things they need to know to succeed on the job. Traditionally, orientation programs provided:
- an overview of the company’s history
- a description of the company’s organizational structure
- an overview of employee-related policies
- details of employee benefit programs
Freshly oriented employees were released into the workplace where job-specific training usually followed. This approach to orientation met the most basic introductory needs but has evolved to become the first step in a broader approach to connecting new hires to the company culture.
Today’s new employee orientation programs serve as the welcome mat for new hires. In addition to traditional subject matter, contemporary orientation programs discuss company culture, include interactive exercises to reinforce subject matter and emphasize key areas of organizational focus such as quality, customer service or institutional excellence.
Onboarding Creates a Connection to the Company
Helping new employees feel welcome, acclimated and immersed in the company culture are the typical goals of an employee onboarding program. Onboarding complements new employee orientation by providing an ongoing connection to the company, often continuing through the employee’s first year of service.
Many onboarding programs start with a checklist of typical new employee needs. This approach is designed to ensure that the new employee has the tools and equipment needed to do his or her job. A checklist also ensures that important relationships with key coworkers are quickly established.
Onboarding may include a formal leadership check-in at regular intervals, such as the 30, 60 and 90 day post-hire period. This discussion may follow a predefined set of questions to gauge the new hire’s experiences and impressions. Companies use the feedback to improve the individual employee’s situation and to correct any flaws that may cause difficulties for future new hires.
Some companies take the extra step of treating a group of new workers hired during a specific period as a cohort. These individuals may meet together, with or without HR representatives or company leaders, forming a type of support group. Valuable cross-functional relationships may evolve from these new hire groups.
The New Hire’s Role in Orientation and Onboarding
If you are a newly hired employee, treat your orientation and onboarding programs as your opportunity to learn, make connections and help shape the direction of the hiring process for future new employees. Attend every orientation session, pay close attention and take many notes. Save your notes in a binder or transcribe them to electronic documents for future reference.
Be candid and open if you have opportunities to meet with company leaders as part of your onboarding process. Progressive companies welcome new employee feedback as observations from a fresh set of eyes and rely on the information as a way to constantly improve the new hire experience. Your comments will help your new employer continue to attract the best employees, who in turn will become your valuable coworkers.
Lillian LeBlanc - Ms. LeBlanc is an HR exeutive, commercial pilot, skilled public speaker and published author. She holds an MBA.
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