Guest Editorial
by John H. Zenger
Revamping New
Employee Orientation
We should redefine the process as new employee
assimilation, retention, quality and productivity.
A much-overlooked opportunity to boost quality and productivity occurs
the moment people are hired into the firm. This is a time when people are
in transition and new patterns of behavior will be established. Because
it is a time of change, people are at their most malleable state and come
with high expectations about their new company and position.
So what really happens? In most organizations, new hires get herded into
a room. Someone from human resources explains the medical and life insurance
plans. Employees complete the forms to sign up for payroll and benefit programs.
There also may be a message about the history of the company and some homage
to the founders. From there, the new employees head back to their work stations
to begin their new careers.
From my perspective, the company has blown a perfect opportunity to help
employees feel at home, get a clear understanding of their new jobs, learn
about the company's mission, vision and values, and, from day one, understand
the company's standards of productivity and quality.
Sure, some forms need to be signed. But do people really need to know all
about the pension plan and medical benefits? Most of us forget the details
and have to ask or look them up when something happens.
The new employee wants to be accepted and respected, and wants to know what's
expected. Think of your own first days on the job. You wanted to meet the
people you'd be working with. Then you wanted to know exactly what was expected
of you. You wanted to learn whatever you needed to know and not feel inferior
or stupid because the people around you assumed you knew something you didn't.
Most of us want to become productive, contributing members as quickly as
possible.
I propose that we drastically change our thinking about this topic. We should
stop calling it new employee "orientation." That sounds passive,
like we only want to point people in the right direction to the cafeteria
and restrooms. Instead, we should redefine the process as new employee assimilation,
retention, quality and productivity. By renaming this process, we'd begin
to change our own thinking and, ultimately, the components that make it
up.
Fortunately there is a perfect merging of new employees' and the company's
interests. The company wants them to feel comfortable and make friends because
this significantly increases their likelihood of staying with the company.
The company wants new people to learn the job quickly and acquire any technical
knowledge because that pushes them up the learning curve at the fastest
pace. The company is eager to make new employees productive, not only for
their output, but also knowing that productivity will reduce turnover as
well.
We need to see this as an extended process (six-month minimum). While we
know much training is casual and indirect, we shouldn't leave such an important
process to chance. Co-workers train new employees and set the standards
of quality and productivity. So how careful are employers about selecting
the people who team up with the new workers? What do they do to prepare
them for this assignment?
The company must prepare a carefully planned assimilation process for each
new employee. Individuals come with widely differing knowledge and skills.
A personal plan for training and development rounds out flat sides and increases
employees' ability to contribute. As time goes on, newcomers need to meet
with old-timers to hear the stories that define the company's culture and
philosophy.
The assimilation process requires input from the immediate work group, the
department or division, and the total organization. We often forget how
vital the immediate work team and department are to a new employee's success.
Here are the principles that should govern new-employee assimilation, retention
and productivity programs.
Deal with the strongest and most emotionally
compelling needs first.
Provide information "just in time."
Give only the information that people
want or need.
Teach people how to get answers to questions,
rather than trying to answer all their questions.
View this as a long-term process.
Involve the work team, the department
and the company in the process.
Let new employees feel jointly responsible
for their process.
Place special emphasis on what new employees
can do vs. what they can't do.
Make the entire process fun.
Just as we never get a second chance to make a first impression, we also
never get a second chance to assimilate a new employee the right way.
About the author
John H. Zenger is chairman of Times Mirror Training Inc. He is a frequent
speaker at business and trade conferences, and has written numerous training
articles and several books on leadership and teamwork.
