Directing the new employee is a necessary, if not exciting, aspect of this new job placement and you need to learn how to prepare for job orientation just incase. These trends usually consist of two main phases – a company-wide approach and a job-specific orientation. The first is necessary to learn about the company’s structure, policies, benefits and office operations. This level of orientation is often scheduled to accommodate a group of new employees and may happen well after you enter the job. Your career orientation usually begins as soon as you start a new job and generally takes the form of one-on-one training with a colleague or supervisor. Be prepared to get as much information as possible from both types of guidance to help you quickly become a productive member of your organization.
Job Orientation understand how your career role fits into the rest of the organization. Many employers will provide you with an organizational chart, a detailed breakdown of your business responsibilities and some information about company history and mission statement. If you were given this information before the orientation period, take the time to review it. Prepare questions related to the department and the organization in general. By getting a “big picture”, you will better understand the importance of your role and how it affects the rest of the business community.
What to expect in a Job Orientation
When you attend a new job direction, expect to meet a lot of people and be prepared to absorb a lot of information. Your employer will likely inform you about daily procedures – such as recording the time and exit, where to place your belongings, and what to wear – in addition to explaining your responsibilities and tasks, and introducing you to the people you will work with. You will also be notified of your salary, benefits, and expected hours of work.
Depending on the size of the company and the number of new employees, you may be part of the group’s orientation or it may be just you. The orientation may be formal with scheduled sessions taking place on one or several days, or it may be more casual without a pre-defined agenda.
Inevitably, you will be asking a lot of questions as a lot of new information is presented to you. While it’s important to be an active listener, don’t be afraid to ask any questions or concerns – but do it tactfully, without interrupting the entire mentoring process
Types of Job Orientation
In order to learn how to prepare for job orientation and directing new hiring, you need to understand that it is not a single event, but part of a larger process, often called employee training. Some see preparation as just a new buzz word for mentoring, but in fact your chance to do more to ensure that new employees become productive and satisfying members of your employees.
Depending on the size of your company and the complexity of the work, the setup program can last from several weeks to several months. It covers training issues, scheduled milestones, mentoring programs, and interactive meetings where employees can ask questions about company or management initiatives
After setting specific training goals, training courses should be scheduled to allow an employee to achieve their goals. The following are typical training programs offered by employers:
- Basic Literacy Training. 90 million adult Americans have limited literacy skills, and about 40 million cannot read much or do not read at all. Since most workplace requirements require a tenth or eleventh grade reading level (and about 20 percent of Americans ages 21 to 25 cannot read even at the eighth grade level), organizations increasingly need basic training in erasing Illiteracy in the fields of reading skills and mathematics for their employees.
- Technical Training. New technology and structural designs increased the need to upgrade and improve the technical skills of employees in white collar and collar jobs.
- Personal skills training. Most employees belong to a team, and the performance of their work depends on their ability to interact effectively with their co-workers. Personal skills training helps employees build communication skills.
- Training to solve problems. Today’s employees often work as members of self-managed teams that are responsible for solving their own problems. Problem solving training has become an essential part of almost every organizational effort to introduce self-managed teams or implement Total Quality Management (TQM).
- Diversity training. As one of the fastest growing areas of training, diversity training increases awareness and builds cultural sensitivity skills. Educational training tries to find an understanding of the need for diversity, its appreciation and its meaning. Skills building training teaches employees about specific cultural differences in the workplace.
How to prepare for Job Orientation
Mindfulness of your direction can ensure that you are as open to learning as possible while you are there. When you arrive, you can show that you’re keen to start the company, which leaves a good first impression.
You can prepare for job orientation by calling ahead and asking if there is anything you want to bring or if you can prepare anything in advance. If they have an employee handbook, you can read it to get to know their internal operations. If you received any documents as part of the interview and recruitment process, review them before starting too.
Unless you wear a uniform or get detailed instructions on dress rules, be sure to look professional. Depending on the nature of the job, you may want to choose comfortable shoes or certain clothing that fits your working conditions. If you are not sure what to do during career counseling, you can contact the person who scheduled your appointment and ask for advice.
Make sure to check your itinerary so you can arrive early to be ready for your appointment. Ask for specific directions so you know exactly where to go when you arrive. You can call in advance to check parking arrangements, as well as ask if there is a specific room or area that you need to report to to guide you.
You can review your notes later and refer to them when you feel comfortable in your new job. Some career guidance is done with large groups of new employees, others are done on a one-to-one basis. Either way, you may have questions that aren’t answered throughout the day and you want to take a note to ask later. You can also write the names of the important people you met, such as department managers or HR representatives.
For some roles, you’ll need to provide proof of your identity, qualifications, or other documents, so make sure you’ve prepared them all. You may be asked to fill in payroll system details, so keep your Social Security number, tax details, and bank information with you as well.
