Job or Work Orientation is the process whereby new employees are integrated into an organization by making them aware of their place of work, team members, their immediate reporting managers/supervisors, the organization in general, the policies, working hours, etc.
A job orientation needs to be given to every employee to ensure that he or she fits in smoothly with the working principles of the organization and starts contributing towards the short-term and long-term objectives of the organization. An effective orientation makes the new employee aware of all that is needed to perform the job efficiently. It helps with employee motivation, employee retention, and job satisfaction. Thus, proper orientation of employees benefits the organization.
It is a rare occasion when newly hired employees are capable of fully performing their job duties. In fact, even experienced employees need to learn about the organization—its people, its policies, and its procedures. They may even need training in order to perform satisfactorily. During the orientation period, new employees will form their initial impressions of the organization. What starts on a positive note will often continue that way. But a negative first impression often carries over to an employee’s performance.
Although orientation and training are expensive in terms of time and money, we at Elijah M. James Consulting (EMJC) believe these costs to be a sound investment in the human resources of an organization. The purpose of this article is to outline the benefits of an orientation program to an organization.
The Benefits
An orientation program has certain definite benefits resulting from its effect on employee behaviour. A well conducted orientation lowers the employees’ feelings of isolation, apprehension, and anxiety. New employees are able to become part of the family of the organization more quickly, and they feel more secure and more like they belong. With less anxiety, they are better able to learn their new duties. Teasing by peers or criticism by supervisors can be kept in proper perspective since properly oriented employees have more realistic job expectations. As a result, new employees need less attention from coworkers and supervisors, perform better, and are less likely to quit.
These benefits occur because the orientation program helps an individual understand the social, technical, and cultural aspects of the new work environment. The process by which people adapt to an organization is called socialization. Socialization is a critical step toward acceptance by others in the organization. As new employees are accepted, they become a part of the social fabric of the organization. The orientation program helps speed up the socialization process and acceptance into the work group.
Conclusion
An orientation program is designed to integrate new employees into the organization and make them more comfortable in their new work environment. Although a properly run orientation program may be costly in terms of time and money, the benefits to the organization are likely to outweigh the cost several times.
