Definition
The new orientation is a process through which new employees are introduced and welcomed in an organization. This process is mainly under the human resource department, and its main purpose is to avail information on general procedures such as safety procedures as well as also to help the task force to be able to familiarize themselves with the organization’s environment. It is also in this particular process that a new employee gets to know his or her role in the organization, and their job descriptions are clearly explained. This process is beneficial as it helps new employees to learn and embrace the company’s operating cultures, learn about the company’s history, and all the relevant information required for an employee to work effectively in the organization (Woods, 2010).
Importance for orientation programs
This process also referred to as on-boarding, is of great importance to a company’s human resource department as this is where and when a company gets a chance to impress its employees and create a first impression. It is through the on-boarding process that new employees gauge their safety and are able to make a judgment on the company’s HR department. A good reputation and gesture are always good for an organization because it creates confidence and a sense of goodwill to the employees, and as a result, employees are more likely to be fruitful.
Effectiveness and ineffectiveness
On-boarding programs are very important for a company to be able to maintain its performance in cases where new employees are hired. Hiring new employees has its downfalls, especially with regard to working experience. Inexperienced employees may not always be able to fit in so easily; hence they may not be able to deliver effectively, but however, on-boarding processes are able to do that and assimilate new employees into the system very fast. Socialization is the process by which individuals or new employees get to acquire the behaviors, attitudes, and relevant information that enables them to be able to fully participate in the company as a complete member.
In most of the company’s, there are norms and working procedures that define each company and distinguish them from each other. These are the norms and cultures that new employees have to learn and embrace in order to be able to work effectively in every organization. Socialization is in many stages, which include anticipatory socialization, encounter socialization, and set in. Anticipatory socialization occurs before new employees hired to start working in the organization. This is where they meet and interact with the company’s officials (Heathfield, 2012). Encounter socialization is when the new employees begin working and receiving training while setting in is where the new members begin to get comfortable and start familiarizing themselves with the rest of the workers.
Expected outcomes
Through the onboarding process, a company seeks to achieve a number of goals, one of them being to synchronize the new with the already existing employees. This is important because it allows the newcomers to blend in and ensures continuity in production or output production. Many companies’ different methods of orientation but the most common are group-based and individual sessions. Some, although not very common, prefer the computer-based format. All in all, the purpose is basically to assimilate new employees in the working system of the organization so that the goals set by the company are not compromised. The group-based orientation is whereby a number of new employees are taken through onboarding processes in groups. These programs involve a group of new employees, while the individual sessions are the opposite of the group-based program.
Implementing approaches
In the individual program, every individual is taken through the orientation independently (Heathfield, 2012). This is more personalized than it is general. The computer orientation program, on the other hand, can be both group-based and individual depending on different organizational preferences. Employees are taught and the company’s rules, regulations, and backgrounds via computer programs. Some of the factors that affect new employees are employee’s preparedness to carry out their tasks. If an employee can not willingly endeavor to learn and be assimilated to the standard working procedures, then orientation will evidently be undermined, and effectiveness will not be achieved. Training programs are there to ensure that new employees are trained and taught how to work behave and carry themselves in the organization (Woods, 2010).
Potential barriers
Unwillingness to learn is another barrier to orientation; hence can hinder the implementation of orientation programs. Designing an orientation program requires expansive research on employee’s behavior and human resource management skills to be able to compose or implement an effective orientation program. Management and organization’s leadership is the key to having and implementing working programs after careful scrutiny of the already available options to find out which works for their organization. Hindrances are inevitable in orientations, so the HR department, which is charged with the responsibility to conduct orientations, should take up the challenge and deal with new employees effectively in a manner that will be beneficial to the Company.
References
Heathfield, S., M. (2012). New Employee Orientation. Web.
Woods, R., H. (2010). Orientation and socialization. Managing hospitality human resource. Web.