Optimizing Employee Orientation Programs for Efficient Onboarding

Dear Seniors,

Good morning!

I have recently joined a new MNC and need to create a new orientation program where we will conduct orientation sessions twice or thrice a month for all new joiners. This approach will save time for department heads as they can induct a group all at once. We can gather all new joiners in the conference room and schedule departmental heads according to their availability in the conference room.

Can anyone please advise me on how to proceed and make the orientation program more effective? I would appreciate any guidance on the format and any sample templates you can share.

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Sandeep Saini

Dear Sandeep,

The idea is good. Induction and orientation should be done immediately from the day the employee joins. Leaving him alone and conducting orientation after a couple of days will not be right, as the employee will automatically gain a lot of information about the organization and will become friendly introducing himself to others. I call that self-induction.

Depending on the nature of the employee's profile, you should design the orientation program. A list of HODs or members from each department shall be made. As the process starts from the HR department, the Head HR in the morning may brief all details of the organization essential for a new employee to know. Thereafter, based on the orientation schedule, each member or HOD from different departments shall introduce themselves and give brief information essential for a new employee to know.

Each new joiner attending the orientation program shall be given a format with details such as start and end time, agenda, venue, and details of the person who will be briefing, mentioning the designation, department, and some background of the person who will be briefing. After the discussion, the person briefing the new joiner should sign the format to confirm that the new joiner has interacted with the concerned persons of each department. The format should then be kept in the employee's personal file.

After this process, the Head HR or a representative from HR should meet the new joiner as part of the 30th-day induction program where HR will like to understand the new employee's profile and department. Based on any queries, HR may schedule meetings with the concerned department(s).

Warm regards,

Umesh Chaudhary
welcomeumesh@yahoo.com

Thank you, sir, for your reply. Currently, we are having a 7-day orientation programme, and the new joiners have to visit the departmental heads according to the schedule. However, we now want to shorten it to 3 days and conduct it twice or thrice a month. This change will save time for departmental heads, as instead of each new joiner visiting the head individually, a group of new joiners who joined within a certain time period can visit together. I have already prepared the points to be discussed in the orientation, such as roles.

I want to create an orientation plan for this new approach. Please suggest how to proceed.

Thanks & Regards,
Sandeep Saini

In that case, new joiners should be in a group, and that's only possible if all new joiners come on board on one common day, say every Monday. The orientation may be done over three days: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Warm regards,
Umesh Chaudhary
[Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Hi,

When focusing on cost-cutting in orientation and training, it should be kept as concise as possible. On the first day of the orientation program, the first half will be dedicated to completing joining formalities within the initial two hours. Following a tea break, a PowerPoint presentation will be delivered, providing a brief introduction to the company, organizational structure, nature of work, and rules and entitlements. A hard copy of the presentation will be provided in advance.

For junior-level employees, with the high volume of new hires, a standard joining date may be set, such as the first Monday of each month. In the second half of the first day, they will be introduced to their departments and receive job briefings from their respective supervisors. Starting from the next day, they will undergo orientation and training specific to their job requirements.

Senior-level employees, given the urgency of their roles, will undergo orientation immediately upon joining. They will be briefed on their responsibilities, authority, company policies, and will be personally introduced to their counterparts and superiors.

Assigning employees to their departments on the first day not only brings joy to the new employees by familiarizing them with their superiors but also instills confidence in the management by increasing the workforce promptly.

AK MATHUR