Does orientation mean you got the job? Orientation can be a good sign that shows you may have successfully gotten the job.
Nobody undergoes the rigorous process of training for a specific job if you are not already approved.
A job orientation is an organised workplace training program held in a classroom style for multiple newly hired employees simultaneously by a company’s manager or the human resource manager before the onboarding process takes place.
Find out all that a job orientation entails by reading this well-detailed article.
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The Phases | Stages Of An Orientation Plan
An organisation’s manager or human resource manager usually plans an orientation program to welcome only new hires who have officially received a job application approval email.
Judging from a management’s perspective, a job orientation should effectively make new employees feel welcome, help them understand how to achieve the company’s goals and help them come to terms with every single essential detail they need to be aware of in order to stay in check in the new workplace.
There is a new approach to orientation in companies today, which is a three-phase orientation plan; the plan includes:
1. The Pre-orientation Phase
If an individual receives a mail from the company he or she had just been interviewed at, it simply means they got the job.
The essence of a Pre-orientation is to instil excitement, enthusiasm and positivity in the mind of the newly hired employee and prepare to give a first impression before he or she shows up for the physical orientation.
The data provided in the Pre-orientation email includes an outline of the company’s:
- History, funding, mission, values, structure and vision.
- Work hours, break time, leisure time
- Code of Conduct and dressing
- Punctuality standards and off days policy
- Security, health and safety policies
- Unethical work behaviour consequences
- Probation durations.
- Vacation/Off hours or days/Holidays policy
- Salary compensation & employee prerequisites policy
2. The Job-site Orientation Phase
This orientation phase occurs on the job, usually during the first two days of work.
The essence of a job-site orientation phase is to officially welcome recruits and to ensure that misunderstood policies and guidelines provided in the pre-orientation email are well explained.
The main purpose of conducting a job-site orientation phase is to:
- Introduce new hires to the management team and co-workers.
- Take the new hire on a workplace tour to create a workspace/cafeteria/convenience/management offices & first aid emergency kit location awareness.
- Teach employees safety policies and precautions.
- Create an understanding of all departments of the company.
- Create awareness for parking spots, fire exits and mode of communication of the company.
3. The Job Specific Orientation Phase
This is the orientation phase that takes place on the job, usually within the first weeks of work.
A job-specific orientation phase instils knowledge about the goals, expectations, responsibilities, skills, individual qualities, and work performance required of the new employee.
The main purpose of conducting a job-specific orientation phase is to:
- Inform the employee of the specific job responsibilities, skills and individual qualities required to perform the specific job.
- Carry out work ethics training programs and staff development programs.
- Teach new hires about their legal rights under the occupational health and safety policy.
- Inform them on who to ask for guidance when a job duty is misunderstood.
- Inform them of all tools they will be working with
- Provide orientation phases completion documents for the new hire to sign.
How Long Do Job Orientations Last?
Is your company’s job orientation plan a one-hour nonchalant and brief affair of hi there & hello there, familiarise yourself with the manual, sign some documents, take a lunch break, go back to your workspace, and there we go?
Or, is it a one-day plan of making the newly hired employees consistently sign over multiple printed documents and wait afterwards for a job to be assigned to him or her while locked in a small office?
Truth be told, the above scenarios will not sit well with the newly hired employees as they will have a negative impression of the company and may begin to rethink working with the company.
A balanced orientation phase should last for at least three days – one week to ensure that every company policy & job orientation procedure is covered and every document is signed in agreement.
Read Also: Job Performance Goals Examples
The Purpose Of Orientations
Orientation programs are ideal for enabling new hires to experience a positive aura in the workplace, make them understand the responsibilities of their role and come to terms with the equipment, resources and blueprint they will need to get the job done perfectly.
Here are the specific reasons why conducting orientations is important:
1. Familiarity With The Company Culture
By planning a work orientation, an employee will understand all that deeply defines the company’s organisational culture, including the company’s values, workplace ethics, standards, background, and mission.
An understanding of all these will help them further come to terms with the following:
- The missions and values of your company
- Their rightful place in the company
- The job responsibilities expected of them
- The rules and regulations of the company
- The need for ethical behaviours when dealing with clients and co-workers
2. Creates An Awareness For The Company’s Working Principles & Policies
A company’s working principles and policies are basically strict rules on how a new hire should conduct himself or herself when at work.
So, taking a new hire on a work orientation will create an awareness of the following policies:
- The company’s dress code
- Scheduled work time
- Importance of work attendance
- Workplace security principles
- Ethical Behaviors such as Anti-discrimination & favouritism
- Respect for the company’s core values
3. A Better Understanding Of The Job Responsibility Will Be Grasped
A work orientation can also make new hires better comprehend their role in the company and their responsibilities regarding their job position.
This way, they will be capable of performing their duties perfectly fine.
4. Guarantees Positive Energy, Collaboration And Productivity In The Workplace
A sudden barge-in of a new employee automatically makes the old employees uncomfortable and clueless, and a work orientation sets the record straight by allowing for a proper introduction and familiarity between the new hire and old employees.
This way, new hires and old employees feel comfortable and safe with themselves, and there will be no unnecessary side talks, concerns or silly questions. Everyone would be productive at work, and their relationships will remain positive.
5. Guarantees Retention Of Employees
In some companies, there is a high rate of employees quitting due to unforeseen circumstances in the workplace.
A work orientation can reduce employee quits because it tends to foster a feeling of acceptance in the new hires, makes them feel welcomed, boosts confidence, keeps them motivated, and will be more committed and satisfied with their job for a long time.
Orientation Vs Onboarding In HR
Orientation and onboarding are two integral concepts that are practised when a new hire becomes part of the workforce of a particular company or organisation. A job orientation usually takes place before the onboarding process begins.
An orientation program still regards the individual as a new/fresh employee who still has the onboarding process to undergo. The individual is cut some slack and pardoned so many times just because he or she is still new to the company.
An onboarding process regards the individual as a fully integrated staff member of the company’s workforce. There will be consequences for certain work mistakes as the person is no longer regarded as a newcomer.
The differences between orientation and onboarding also vary depending on the following:
1. Duration
How Long Does A Job Orientation Last?
A job orientation lasts three days to one week after employment.
How Long Does An Onboarding Process Last?
An onboarding process lasts at least a year after employment.
2. What Is Learnt?
What Does One Learn After A Job Orientation?
A new hire learns so much about the organisational policies, guidelines, employee perks, salaries, work ethics, certain locations in the workplace, all his / her co-workers and the code of conduct after undergoing orientation.
What Does One Learn After An Onboarding Process?
A new hire learns about the specific responsibilities related to the job position earned, how and when to provide feedback related to work, how to help achieve the company’s goals, and gets directions from manager/co-workers and workplace mentors.
FAQ
What Does Orientation Mean For A Job?
Orientation introduces the newly employed to their jobs, coworkers, responsibilities, and workplace.
What Does Orientation Mean After A Job Interview?
Job orientation occurs in the first days of a new employee’s employment. This includes introducing their team, showing them their workspace and administering new recruitment paperwork. Employees typically spend part of their job orientation reviewing information about starting the job, such as dress code, benefits, and salary.
Does Orientation Mean To Start?
Orientation begins on the first day at work and is more general, welcoming new employees and familiarizing them with their new work environment. Onboarding is a much longer process, usually several weeks, and is more job and department specific.
Does Orientation Mean You Get Paid?
Yes. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, employers should pay new employees for time spent in meetings, training, lectures, and other similar activities.
Does Orientation Mean Training?
Orientation training is an educational program for the new employee to get used to the job and adapt to the company.
How Long After Orientation Do You Work?
The orientation takes a few days, but once you’re done, you’ll be given a plan to start work, usually the next day.
Is Orientation The Same As The Start Date?
While orientation begins on an employee’s first day, onboarding typically begins before new hires officially start. This might include sending a welcome email with detailed information or having the new employee complete paperwork before starting work.
Is Orientation The Same As An Interview?
After your application, you will get an orientation call, which means that the company has scheduled you for an orientation interview, also known as an initial or entrance interview.
What Should You Wear To Orientation?
Dress comfortably: You should wear comfortable clothes that fit well for the orientation. Professional and comfortable dresses can help you focus on learning your new role. Wear dark socks: Your choice of socks can affect how people perceive your professionalism. Wear black or grey socks for orientation.
Conclusion
Yes, orientation means you have gotten the job. It is on-the-job training, preparing workers for what they will face and how to go about their jobs.
On receiving an orientation email, it is very safe to assume you have passed the interview and got the job.
In order to be fully prepared for the orientation, here are some useful tips:
- Dress in formal and comfortable clothes,
- Carry a book and pen for taking down notes,
- Listen attentively to grasp important information,
- Ask questions about work policies you may not understand,
- Work in compliance with the company’s ethical values and culture,
- Be respectful and cheerful
- Avoid going late for your orientation.
Congratulations! You are definitely good to go.