The United States’ multifaceted industry continues to generate many job opportunities that have necessitated practices such as employee onboarding and orientation. Onboarding has become an indispensable part of new hires because it is an effective solution to fit a new employee with the new company, job, and responsibilities.

New employee orientation is a process that helps onboard new employees by introducing them to their new job, the workplace culture, their team, and the company they have joined and for which they will now work.

There are differences in orientation and onboarding, such as

  • In orientation, the focus is placed on the employee’s role within the company, whereas in onboarding, emphasis is placed on the employee’s particular role within his specific department.
  • An orientation period is a one-time event, whereas the onboarding schedule is for several months.

This article on orientation & onboarding tips for new hires will help your company make the new-hire onboarding and orientation process smooth and effective. Let’s start!

  1. Make Onboarding & Orientation Interactive

In order for your new-hire onboarding and orientation process to be effective, the emphasis must first be on making it interactive. You can accomplish this by including icebreaker events, breakout activities, case studies, and more.  Additionally, make sure to incorporate some online team-building exercises.

This strategy will help the new employees engage and feel more comfortable with the workplace culture and co-workers. As a result, the new hires will be able to give better performance in their job.

  1. Keep the Process Positive

There should be a strategy to walk with positivity in order to succeed in any endeavor. Positive thinking gives any endeavor energy and spirit. Because of this, it’s essential to maintain a cheerful atmosphere throughout your recruit onboarding and orientation.

Making a solid first impression on your new employees is essential during new-hire onboarding and orientation. You need to emphasize the company’s ideals and employees’ role in its success. This will lessen employee turnover and make new hires feel good about their choice to work for the organization.

  1. Keep an Orientation Schedule

It is vital to be incredibly organized and to have a clear calendar outlining your expectations for your employees for the upcoming day and week. Make sure to plan everyone’s schedules according to who will be present for the new employee’s orientation.

In order for them to contact people for assistance as needed, you need first to make sure they have their logins for all of your systems and rely on shared documents. Create a helpful task list with expectations and due dates clearly stated.

By making a task list, you can make sure that each worker is given a distinct assignment and that projects are finished on schedule.

  1. Send an Onboard Package Before Starting

Send your new employee an onboarding kit before the onboarding process begins. Ensure they have all the tools they need to work for a productive workplace. Make sure your employee receives a copy of your Employee Handbook. Point them to your electronic manual when it becomes available.

Include an organizational chart to make it easier for them to remember who does what in the business. Moreover, make sure to give them any non-digital training materials they might require. An expectations chart should also be included so that employees know what to expect on their first day.

  1. Add a Lighthearted Ice Breaker

Your new hire onboarding will be more effective if you break the ice on the first day of onboarding with the group. Invite the team you’ll be working with to a welcoming video call. Making the names familiar and enabling their connection is beneficial. The benefit of including a lighthearted icebreaker is that it will get everyone in the room laughing.

Maybe everyone reveals an interesting fact about themselves, such as their favorite TV show or hobbies. This will make it easier for your team members to get to know one another and allow everyone to enjoy meeting new people.

  1. Consider Video Meeting

Make sure to use video for every management meeting. By doing so, you can remove obstacles and improve the onboarding experience. You will learn more about your employee through face-to-face video communication, and the employee will feel more at ease to share any issues or needs.

As a manager, you will be able to read your employees’ body language during video conferences, which will help you learn more about how the job is progressing and how successful it is.

  1. Adjust the Program

During the onboarding program, you need to get feedback from your new employees. By frequently gathering feedback from new hires, you can make improvements and adjustments in the onboarding program if necessary to ensure your new hires are a perfect fit for your company.

Conclusion

Job orientation typically occurs on or before the first day of office after the candidate has accepted the job offer, and new-hire onboarding and exposure are essential. Because they ensure that employees will be productive from their first day on the job, they also allow a company to tailor its employees to suit its structure and business.