They say your first day at work is the first day of the rest of your life. This is true in a sense. You spend most, if not all your free time with work. On weekdays, even on weekends you have to cater to your work load.
Most of the time, new is always better. Whether it is a new house, new people to become close with, new job, and much more.
However, it is almost always quite overwhelming to settle in and dive right into a new environment. It takes time to adjust and be acquainted with the new surroundings and the new people around you. You have to get accustomed to a whole new culture different from what you are used to and make yourself familiar with the system and all the corporate things. This sometimes becomes very time-consuming and very hard to execute without any proper guidance.
Without any proper guidance, untoward incidents and mishaps take place. People need other people in order to work properly. This does not mean being extremely dependent to another person but sometimes, we all need guidance even though we tell ourselves that we can thrive alone.
People get tired battling problems alone too.
Like other people, different employees face the same kind of problem. Some employees often complain about being too overwhelmed with the new culture they are dealing with but most of it is about their new job. Also, understanding a new job requires too time and effort on both ends from the recruiters and the employees alike. Oftentimes, newly employed individuals may feel that they have to absorb too much information with so little time.
With facing these types of problems, the company must appoint a good leader to guide the new employees through doing their new jobs. Someone who understands what the new employees are going through, someone who can be used by the new employees as stepping stone towards their betterment with their place in the company and above all, they need to understand the organizational values and the goals of the company.
This is where the orientation in the workplace takes place.
Orientation in the workplace occurs when a newly hired employee gets introduced to their roles in the company, their job descriptions, work areas, and the how the work environment flows which includes the company culture, and the co-workers.
It also helps employees ask the exact questions to ask and learn about the corporate world and the company as much as possible.
At what point is workplace orientation important?
Workplace orientations help the employees adapt faster to the new surroundings and environment. It also helps the organization in improving its policies. It does take a good amount of time and commitment, but it usually helps the organization in the long run. Most importantly, it helps the employee to feel more relaxed about their work which in turn increases their productivity and production of good quality results.
Nothing better than feeling welcomed in a new environment with open arms. Feeling relaxed and content in the workplace does really equate to productivity. This is important in a results-based company.
Furthermore, good orientation program gives the employees the freedom to ask and provide feedback about how they feel about their workload. This feedback usually helps the organization in sorting out the problems that the employees are facing. With the feedback in hand, the organization can address the problems orderly and whenever necessary.
During orientation, the policies become known, the employees get familiar with the company and the organization, they also have the chance to understand more their job, workload, and responsibilities, their employee benefits will become evident in the discussion, and mostly help them foster camaraderie among their peers.
If we explain it one at a time, here is what:
1. Explanation of policies - Each organization has a code of conduct for the maintenance of decorum. It is essential to present policies and procedures to new hires. Your policy may include: dress code, good work ethic, restrictions, emergency procedures, and more. Recruits must follow and comprehend them. It helps an organization retain discipline and decorum in the workplace.
2. Understanding their jobs, workload, and responsibilities - As part of the recruitment process, it is essential to discuss the work description. Good orientation helps new employees understand their primary goals and the work they must do. This ensures that they are aware of the organization's long-term expectations. Thus, motivate them to carry out and become active in the work they do.
3. Employee benefits discussion – In this part, the benefits earned by the employees upon employment is discussed. Retirement benefits, as well as regularization benefits are prime examples of this. Provide information about other employee benefits, such as sick leave, statutory holidays and annual benefits. This allows employees to maintain a work-life balance and gives them a better sense of safe and flexible employment.
4. Fostering camaraderie among peers - An orientation program is also aimed at building relationships in the workplace. Once a new employee joins them, they may feel isolated in the new workplace. This requires presentations in the workplace where new employees are introduced to their teams and peers. Good orientation helps new employees get used to being part of their team. This results in more effective work toward a common objective.
In summary, an effective orientation program constitutes an important part of any organization. This depends on how an organization implements the program. The number of employees entering the work force has increased. Without adequate orientation, it becomes difficult for employees to deal with their work.
Workplace orientation somewhat mitigates these shortcomings. And allows the employees to develop their potential at work.
So start today with a good orientation program and look at the positive outcome.