[ Volume Fourteen ]

Article Overview: Research suggests that employees who have gone through an orientation process that is more than the usual paper-processing exercise feel better connected to corporate strategy and to company culture. This translates years later into increased employee loyalty to an organisation this reducing the cost of staff turnover. This article examines the benefits of a well-constructed induction and orientation process and provides practical examples you can implement within your own organisation.

Elation prevails. Mr Right just accepted your job offer and has agreed to start in three weeks.

Now what?

In a recent survey conducted in the USA by the Corporate Executive Board's Recruiting Roundtable, 89% of new hires said that they were not given the optimum level of knowledge and tools necessary to do their job. If left unchecked, this situation can invoke a wide range of emotions amongst new employees such as disappointment, frustration and sometimes even embarrassment. Worst of all for employers, it can lead to staff turnover. For example, in a January 2003 survey of 5,648 workers conducted in the United Kingdom, 4% of 'new starters' had such a disastrous first day that they never went back.[1]

To gain the highest productivity and the greatest longevity, employers need to engage their new hires through a well-planned and effective induction and orientation process.

The Traditional Approach to Employee Induction

The traditional employee induction program consisted of one day of form completion, stationary and equipment allocation, reiteration of "The Rules," and time spent meeting with a few key executives if lucky.

The perceived benefit of 'rapid fire' orientation programs designed to 'throw people in the deep end' and watch them sink or swim often produce a false economy. Rather than saving time, the end result often costs more in time and money as employees struggle to keep pace. Accordingly, one only has to consider the time and costs associated with hiring new recruits to realise that an investment in an effective orientation process designed to smoothly integrate the new hire into their new role is money well spent.

Employers need to go back to basics and realise that the 'new payroll clerk in the Accounts team' is actually a real person - a person who needs to be made to feel welcomed and part of the team. A person who needs to understand the importance of their role to the company. A person who wants to believe their employer really cares about them. And when they feel that the company really cares - and wants them to stay, this will ultimately result in higher retention rates. But consistently delivering that kind of message takes time - quality relationships are not built in a day. Consequently the days of a 'rapid fire' approach to new hire orientation are numbered.

Orientation - The Objective

The objective of orientation is to build a bond between the employer and employee that is deep, meaningful, and strong. By integrating the employee into the fabric of the organisation, the new team member becomes linked to more colleagues and to more aspects of the business than a rapid-fire induction could ever hope to cover. And while human resource professionals are still involved, particularly at the start of the orientation process, executives, managers, supervisors, and co-workers all have vital roles to play.[2]

Reassurance

One of the fears new hires often have is 'Did I make the right decision?' They wonder, 'Did I take the right job offer for me?' Orientation is your opportunity to reassure new workers that they made the right decision by accepting your job offer over the others.

Other ways to help reassure new hires include:[3]

• An appearance and personal welcome by one of the senior executives.
  
• A comprehensive plant or office tour.
  
• A focus on communicating the significance of the individual's contribution.
  
• Meetings with other employees who have performed that role.
  
• Assigning buddies, sponsors, and mentors.
  
• Have supervisors participate in the orientation process.

Datatel in the USA provides new hires with a 'passport' that they must get stamped or initiated by each of the executives they are scheduled to visit. When the new hire passports are full, they may be redeemed for a small gift with the company logo. Different measures will be appropriate for different companies. Irrespective of how you decide to go about delivering your orientation process, the key is to ensure that the new hire feels welcomed, is set up with all the tools and equipment to enable them to perform, understands their role in helping the company achieve its business objectives, and has the support of both their peers and immediate managers.

In an ever tightening candidate market, an effective new hire orientation process will not only help give employees the confidence and know-how to perform at their optimum level, but will also assist in reducing staff turnover rates.

12 Questions to Measure Employee Engagement [4]

Five years ago, The Gallup Organisation began creating a feedback system for employers that would identify and measure elements of worker engagement most tied to the bottom line - things such as sales growth, productivity and customer loyalty.

After hundreds of focus groups and thousands of interviews with employees in a variety of industries, Gallup came up with the 'Q12', a 12-question survey that identifies strong feelings of employee engagement. Results from the survey show a strong correlation between high scores and superior job performance.

Click here to view the survey:
http://survey.peoplepulse.com.au/display.php?s=5726606d1df962256&page_survey_part_id=&mod=3

References:

1. - Reed Executive / Press Office, www.reed.co.uk
2. - Onboarding for employee retention - Herman and Gioia, 2004
3. - Abid
4. - The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ.

About Regent Recruitment Regent Recruitment is a recruitment consultancy that assists leading Australian employers to attract and retain talented staff on a contract, temporary or permanent basis. Whether we are filling one permanent role or recruiting contract staff for a 400-seat call centre, we deliver an exceptional recruitment service. Unlike other recruitment consultancies, Regent Recruitment is unique in that it combines the capabilities of a large-scale multinational recruitment operation with exceptional service levels typically only associated with small boutique agencies. How can we assist you? We would welcome the opportunity to have a confidential meeting to discuss your staffing needs in more detail. If you are interested, in the first instance please call Howard Mereine, General Manager, on (03) 9909 7150 or e-mail Howard at hmereine@regentrecruitment.com.au. We look forward to speaking with you.

This article was licenced by Regent Recruitment for the Regent Recruitment client newsletter.
Written by Paul Quinn, Quinntessential Marketing Consulting Pty Ltd.


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The views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Regent Personnel Pty Ltd.