Employee orientation
When a new employee enters a company, good orientation is essential for the employee to become a member of the work community and get caught up in the job.
Orientating your first – as all – employees well is important. In doing so you too will learn important things about your business. Set aside enough time for orientation and think in advance about how you are going to orientate your employee in his or her new job.
Below is a list of matters which you should go through with your employee. Make use of this list and build your own orientation programme in accordance with your business’s needs. Write an orientation plan and give your employee a copy. That way you ensure all the essential matters are discussed right at the start of employment. Encourage your employee to ask questions and take initiatives during the orientation.
You will not necessarily get everything done on the first day, so phase the orientation over the first few days or weeks.
New Employee Orientation Checklist
- Strategy: present your business’s goals and operating model.
- Brand and our operating method: say why you exist, what you want to be, what your values are and how you meet your customers.
- Employee’s job description: go through the job description and tell your employee what you expect of him or her. Ask your new employee what he or she expects of the job and what aims he or she has.
- Terms of employment: go through employment matters such as working hours, pay, holiday and leave practices, meal and rest break practices and employment benefits.
- Healthy and safe work: guide your employee in safe, ergonomic working habits and methods for preventing and avoiding occupational disabilities and hazards. Speak about occupational health services and what the employee should do when he or she takes ill.
- Orientation in the work duties: present the machines, hardware and tools used in work in detail and without rush. Explain the key professional terms used on the job.
- Continue orientation on the job: encourage your employee to ask more questions as work progresses. Give feedback. Discuss how successful the orientation was with your employee, say, a few weeks into employment. Make sure that your employee feels he or she can always ask questions in your company and never needs to remain in the dark.
