By Michele Shauf

Although these sessions should be welcoming, orientations for new employees should also be more than a feel-good gesture. They should also be more than an instructional session that provides essential human resources, benefits, and payroll information for new employees. The most effective orientations help new employees understand what will be expected of them and prepare them for the organization's work culture.

Orient the expectations of new employees

Managing expectations has long been a mantra of salespeople, account executives, and others whose responsibilities are focused primarily outside the organization. Expectation management falls on human resources managers as well. Managing expectations can start as early as during new-employee orientations.

In new-employee orientations, the HR manager is essentially bringing new employees' expectations in line with the organization's expectations. Accurately aligning these sets of expectations in the first weeks of employment helps employees become productive more quickly and ensures that they enjoy greater job satisfaction throughout their tenures. Some studies suggest that well-executed new-employee orientations can also:

• Lengthen the time that employees stay with a company.
• Enhance staff cooperation and communication.
• Improve client-customer relations because staff members have better work attitudes.

Communicate the organization's big picture

Where is your organization going? Even if your company has not made a formal strategic planning document, it has communicated some important long-term goals. Too often, however, these goals aren't shared with new employees whose efforts help determine whether the organization's goals are met. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that employees, even entire departments, sometimes operate under disparate assumptions about the company's priorities and objectives.

All new employees, from entry-level staff members to senior executives, should view themselves as members of an organization-wide team working toward a defined and united goal. Certainly new employees need to understand their specific roles, but first they need to understand the big-picture objectives of the organization, including objectives such as:

• Is the organization striving to be an industry innovator?
• Is the organization working to develop an international presence?

Whatever the objectives, new employees should be given a brief introduction to your organization's goals. If you can, provide a copy of your annual report or a company brochure that explains your organization's goals. With a bigger-picture perspective, employees are better equipped to understand their specific role as it relates to long-term objectives.

Describe the unspoken company culture

Company culture can't be fully captured in job descriptions or employee manuals, because culture is both explicit and unspoken. Most employees determine what behaviors are acceptable as the organization evolves. However, an effective orientation can help new employees transition more easily into the unique culture of your organization.

Even in highly conventional corporate cultures, it's preferable to share the unspoken aspects of company culture to ensure that all new employees understand their work environments. Don't make the mistake of assuming that cultural nuances are obvious or that new employees will raise questions if they're unsure about what to wear or when to arrive at work.

Some unspoken aspects of company culture to share are:

• Dress code   What's the norm for the dress code?
• Internal communication   Is vertical communication encouraged or frowned upon?
• Phone etiquette   Do employees routinely forward their phone calls to voice mail?
• Parking   Are there any unspoken rules about where employees can park?
• Lunch   Do most employees eat in or out? Are there good places to eat nearby?
• Work hours   Are work hours fixed or flexible?
• Extracurricular activities   Are there groups of employees that get together outside work?
• Attitudes   Are work teams more cooperative or more competitive?

Share the routine details

As a seasoned HR professional, you probably already use a comprehensive checklist to ensure that new employees receive and complete all required documentation, from W-4 forms to insurance forms to e-mail account requests. Unfortunately, the sheer volume of this paperwork can eclipse the routine information that new employees need on their very first day.

To help new employees get started, be sure that they know:

• The layout of your office or campus   A tour is preferable, but at the very least provide a user-friendly map.
• The location of the restrooms   Inform them of the locations of restrooms near their work areas.
• Names and contact information of two coworkers   Give them the contact information of two coworkers in their department, besides their immediate supervisor or hiring manager.

Outline the employee's specific role

The best way for new employees to become productive quickly is by immersing themselves in their new positions.

Immerse new employees in their jobs   For positions with formal training, immersion is easy. New employees simply pass from orientation to training, often in the same day. For positions without formal training, role immersion can be more difficult.

Too often, supervisors and managers aren't available when new employees start, so employees are left with little more to do than read the company handbook during their first few days on the job. This can be confusing, especially for new employees who are expecting a challenging, fast-paced environment.

Introduce new employees to their jobs   The best employee orientations conclude with introductions to each employee's specific job role. If several employees in a single role have been hired at one time, this introduction can occur in a group setting. Otherwise, new employees should receive one-on-one introductions from their managers or team leaders as part of their orientation.

Orient employees for success

Starting a new job always involves a learning curve, but effective orientations can help new employees make the transition by equipping them with:

• An understanding of company goals.
• An appreciation for the company's unique culture.
• Routine information to get started.
• An introduction to their role within the organization.

Employees who are well oriented to the company and to their jobs are ready to begin making a significant contribution.

About the author   Michele Shauf, Ph.D., is a business consultant specializing in organizational change, strategic communications, and training.