Respectable treatment and thorough communication has significant impact on new employees and greatly affects their job satisfaction and opinion of your organization. A successful orientation goes well beyond the first day and continues to assist new employees as they adjust to their new environment. The better you are able to fully communicate and educate new employees, the more successful you are to satisfy the employees and reduce turnover.

An orientation program should be viewed as more than just filling out forms and finding the break room. If done effectively, it can ultimately boost employee retention and satisfaction. One of the most important components to having proud and motivated employees is to provide them with an informative and motivating employee orientation program. To assist HR offices in achieving this goal, the HR Transformation Team has developed these statewide employee orientation guidelines. These guidelines should be used by HR offices and agency supervisors to assist in conducting an effective employee orientation program. The guidelines ensure that all new employees receive consistent and essential information regarding State of Michigan policies, regulations, benefits, etc., and provides HR offices and supervisors with additional suggestions that may be utilized as appropriate to further enhance the orientation process.

In addition to providing employees with basic essential information and having them complete necessary paperwork, an effective orientation should introduce new employees to various aspects of your agency. The following issues are of significant importance to employees and should be discussed with each employee by the HR Office or supervisor, as appropriate:

Physical Surroundings

• Explain the floor plan of the building, including the location of restrooms, drinking fountains, and exits. Review any fire drill and other emergency procedures.


• Review any safety features or hazardous material issues. Explain procedures for reporting safety concerns or on-the-job injuries or illnesses.


• Explain the telephone system, including employer policies regarding voice mail and phone usage.


• Discuss the computer system and any current employer policy and practice for monitoring electronic mail and Internet use.


• Review any employer policies and expectations regarding the use of equipment such as the photocopier, facsimile machine, and office supplies.

Work Schedule

• Discuss expected work hours including the time and length of rest and lunch breaks.
• Provide information about holiday, vacation, and school participation leave schedules.
• Review rules for after-hours or weekend access to the office.

Payroll Issues

• Discuss when and how paychecks are distributed and when the employee will receive his/her first paycheck.
• Review all time recording procedures, such as employee DCDS time entry, completion of a paper timesheet, or a time clock system.
• Explain the procedure and expected practice for sick days or unexpected annual leave. Let all new employees know how often they are expected to check in with their supervisor when they are sick.
• Review policies about punctuality.

Employee Benefits

• Review the basics of all insurance plans and the retirement plan.
• Review the use of State of Michigan credit cards, travel expense vouchers, etc., as appropriate.

Job Expectations

• Each employee needs to know what is expected of him or her. An informative job description is vital when explaining what the job involves and how it should be approached. Review the job description with the employee, describing the primary functions of the job, and provide the employee with a written copy. It may be helpful for the new employee to have an idea of what other employees' responsibilities are in the department. Depending on the position, it may be helpful to involve other employees in the training and orientation process.
• Explain any applicable probationary period. Discuss job performance ratings/evaluations and invite questions. Discuss the expected date for the employee's first performance evaluation and the factors/competencies that will be used for the evaluation. A supervisor or co-worker might be designated as a "buddy" for the employee and someone to to whom the employee can go with questions.

Training

• Explain the training process, including future opportunities that may develop. Don't make promises, but let the new employee know that there is room to grow. If an employee expresses interest in advancement, explain the skills that are needed for growth. An employee may also be referred to the Employment Information and Career Planning Services Office of the Michigan Civil Service Commission, where information can be obtained on state employment and career planning service.
• Explain education benefits provided for employees and any policies you may have on tuition reimbursement. If the employee is eligible, provide information about the Professional Development Fund.
• People learn in different ways, some by working with peers and some by reading or observing. The easiest way to discover the new employee's preferred style of learning is to ask him or her. Remember that accommodation may be required if the person has a learning disability.

Organizational Structure

• Explain the chain of command for the department in which the new employee will work and provide a copy of the organizational chart. Identify and have the new employee meet his or her immediate supervisor as well as other managers with whom the employee may be involved.

Management Style

• Let the employee know what to expect in terms of the supervisor's management style. If the supervisor appreciates suggestions for improvement, explain the process for submitting suggestions. Discuss the procedures for assigning work and for presenting finished projects. If staff meetings are held regularly, explain what subjects are addressed in those meetings.