Orientation programs should be more than just filling out forms and finding the lunchroom.
Done right, they can boost employee retention and satisfaction.

By Jennifer Hutchins

If your first day on the job consists of trying to turn on your computer, wondering if your boss is invisible, eating lunch by yourself, and hoping you'll fit in better on your second day, it's likely that things will go downhill from there. Effective orientation not only gives employees the ins and outs of their job requirements, but also welcomes them into the company culture. ♦ In an effort to standardize orientation training for its worldwide workforce, Bausch & Lomb Inc. is rolling out several new tools for its HR managers. "At one time, orientation was a nice thing to do," says Clay Osborne, vice president of workforce development and diversity for Bausch & Lomb. "Today, most companies see it as critical to success." The global eye-care company and manufacturer has its headquarters in Rochester, New York, and employs about 12,000 people in 35 countries. Within the next few months, it will introduce three orientation tools: an interactive online video, HR managers' guidelines, and a mentoring program. ♦ Bausch & Lomb's HR managers will combine these tools with their own laundry list of items, such as how to fill out time sheets and benefits forms, and tailor their programs for local workforces. The tools seek to promote company values and culture, an approach that moves away from traditional programs. "It's really a philosophical difference," Osborne explains. "The emphasis is on communicating principles and values and how the new employee can participate and contribute. In the past, orientation programs focused on the technical aspects, such as how to get into the 401(k). We believe that it's the culture and the values that determine success at Bausch & Lomb."

New employees can be compared to immigrants, says Howard Klein, assistant professor of management and human resources at Ohio State University. "They need to learn the history, rules, people, language, and culture, as well as performance expectations," he explains. "There are three different levels of orientation. Job issues are at the bottom and organizational issues at the top. In the middle are issues related to the employee's workgroup, division, or unit." While rules and policies are important, Klein adds, it is understanding things the company values that helps people feel like part of the organization they work for. This increases their sense of belonging and their commitment.

Bausch & Lomb's new video and guidelines promote such core values as teamwork, communication, creativity, diversity, learning, trust, and quality. The company wants to instill these ideas into the employees' daily work life, thereby fostering the desired culture throughout the organization. Ideally, employees carry these ideas with them when they move to new job positions, different divisions, or even a new country. The orientation tools were developed by an international team of HR managers and will eventually be offered in several languages.

"It is more true now than ever before that the way people are hired, oriented, trained, recognized, and compensated sends a powerful message about what truly is valued in a company," says Simon Tsang, vice president of HR for Asia at Bausch & Lomb.

By focusing on organizational issues from the get-go, the orientation is designed to quickly integrate new talent. "I think global companies like Bausch & Lomb have a greater need to give employees standardized employee orientation programs," says Osborne. "Many of the principles and values need to be inculcated early, because change occurs so fast.

Building community

Technology is also altering the face of orientation programs. It is no longer necessary for employees to be tied to a physical workplace, yet they still must learn the ropes and share the employer's mission. CDG & Associates Inc. is a virtual organization with 75 consultants scattered around the country. The consultants, who install HRIS systems, are linked through computer networks rather than by location CDG combats the geographic distance by fostering a sense of shared culture and values from the start. "We begin the orientation process during recruitment," explains CDG founder and President Cynthia Driskill. "We have the candidate sign a non-disclosure form and then disclose as much as we can about the company in the beginning. We continue that openness throughout the orientation process and beyond."

New consultants spend from one to three weeks at CDG's main office in Dallas learning everything from how to use their laptops and file expense reports to the ins and outs of the employee stock ownership plan. Psychological profiling helps them to see where they fit into the organization. The orientation process also includes seminars in communication. Consultants are assigned to new-hire partners who can provide guidance once they are out in the field. As a "virtual introduction," newcomers post photos of themselves on the CDG Intranet along with brief bios that include work history and hobbies. This way, colleagues who have been working in different parts of the country recognize each other's faces when they gather at the company's annual meeting.

New consultants also work through a practice application or, in some cases, real-life assignments. Putting employees to work right away is a good idea, says Charles Cadwell, consultant and author of New Employee Orientation: A Practical Guilde for Supervisors (Crisp Publications, 1988). "The employees are looking to show their stuff and not to sit around.

Bill Duncan has been a consultant for CDG for less than a year. During his orientation, he had the chance to work on a major proposal project. He said his colleagues treated him as an equal, rather than as the new guy. He also felt familiar with his company when he went out into the field on his own. Duncan also was impressed that company experts conducted the orientation training. The CFO explained how to report time and expenses, the IT manager presented computer information, the HR manager presented benefits, and so on.

CDG has a retention rate of more than 93 percent, which Driskill attributes to the intensive orientation and the firm's nurturing environment. "The more prepared consultants are before they start their daily responsibilities, the less management overhead they require," she says.

Steps to effective orientation

Employee orientation begins the moment you hire someone and goes beyond the initial introduction, according to Cadwell. It can take up to a year for the employee to be fully integrated into the company. He offers five objectives for orientation.

• Make the person feel welcome. "One thing I always notice is that when an employee leaves there's a party, but when they arrive there isn't," says Caldwell. Why not reinforce the excitement that the new hire has arrived?"

• Develop positive perceptions about the employer. For one thing, the supervisor should be personally involved in orientation, says Cadwell. The boss should be present at the start of the workday, at lunchtime, and at the end of the day. If the supervisor has a lunchtime conflict, she should arrange a lunch partner for the new employee.

• Confirm the job decision. The employee should finish his first day feeling that he has made the right choice and has joined just the type of company he wants to work for.

• Reduce training time. If the employee feels comfortable in his surroundings and has taken care of details, such as signing up for benefits he will be able to focus on training. "Don't spend the whole day doing paperwork and procedures." Cadwell says, "Spread it out and do a little bit each day."

• Put new employees at ease. The experience should make them feel comfortable with their workplace and with their colleagues.
  

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Jennifer Hutchins is a freelance writer based in Rochester, New York