New Hire Orientation

What is orientation?

New hire orientation for a job typically starts on the employee’s first day on the job. It’s the process of providing new employees with all the essential things they need to know about the workplace. It includes basic organizational information required to navigate their new team, department, and role within the company.

Using a standardized, company-wide orientation approach helps to ensure a consistent employee experience.

What sort of things does a new hire orientation cover?

An effective new hire orientation must include everything the employee needs to know and understand about their new role. For example, a new hire orientation should include the following:

• Communicate company policies and expectations
• Handle essential paperwork
• Answer any questions or concerns
• Prepare new hires to transition into their new roles
• Provide health and safety information for the role
• Include a tour of the workplace and a chance to meet the team
• Clarify the role and the responsibilities that come with it
• Include meetings with line managers and senior team
• Provide information on benefits enrollment
• Set up tech (including company email, laptop, and communication platform).

Does a new hire get paid for orientation?

Yes—orientation for now employees normally starts on the first day. Employees receive the agreed wage or salary while training.

Some organizations may give bonuses or other incentives when new employees finish orientation or other onboarding milestones. An efficient process is key here, one that's welcoming to newcomers, allowing them to feel at home and hit the ground running.

Does new hire orientation mean the person has the job?

Yes, new hire orientation means the person has the job, but this may be subject to a probationary period.

How long is a job orientation?

According to Gallup, although formal orientation may only last one week, it takes much longer than this for employees to reach their full potential. Onboarding should take around three months to complete.

However, time spent on new employee training can vary. Certain industries require specific training before new employees can fully undertake their core duties.

Orientation vs. onboarding

New employee orientation is part of the onboarding process, but the two activities aren’t interchangeable.

• Orientation  begins on the first day of work and includes first-day introductions and required information.

• Onboarding  starts from the moment a candidate accepts their offer, includes orientation, and proceeds to encompass a longer transition period.

In short, orientation is a  part  of onboarding, but they aren't the same thing.

Why is orientation important for new employees?

New hire orientation is important as it’s the start of the employee and employer relationship.
Ideally, the first day of work affirms a new employee's decision to join an organization.

A BambooHR study revealed that 44% of new hires regret their choice within a week—highlighting how crucial it is for organizations to start things off on the right foot. Orientation also sets the rest of the onboarding process up for success. When new hires receive the information they need on day one, they're more likely to make a smooth transition into their new role.

HR professionals and management can prepare new workers for training by clearly communicating what they expect, the policies in place, and their responsibilities. A comprehensive yet captivating experience at this stage can decrease the likelihood of employee turnover resulting from misunderstandings or unmet expectations. Policies must be clear, ensuring all new employees experience the same process.

New hire orientation ideas

There are countless ways to help your new hire feel at ease in their new role. Take inspiration from our new hire orientation ideas:

• Avoid overwhelming new hires with statistics, charts, and even the number of new people you introduce them to on the first orientation day.
• Make sure new hires have a full office set-up and equipment (this could include a company phone, laptop, email account, and more).
• Pair new hires with a "buddy" who will field questions and show them how everything works.
• First days can be made great with a team lunch and a welcome pack containing branded company memorabilia.
• For on-site workers, provide a tour of the office space, a list of nearby restaurants or conveniences, and other local landmark pointers.
• Share a glossary of company jargon.
• Provide an org chart and discuss how their role fits into the wider scope of the company.
• Invite new hires to offer ideas for improvement on current processes, including onboarding itself.
• Assign new hires a simple project or two to get started on.

Tip: Create a new hire orientation checklist

A new hire orientation checklist—like this new hire orientation checklist template—is a formal process that ensures you welcome new hires into the company in the best possible way. Introducing them to the right people and tools can help them integrate quickly.

We recommend completing any paperwork before orientation so you can make the most of your time. For example, BambooHR provides a self-service platform that employees can navigate independently, including automated reminders to ensure all paperwork is completed on time.