Sometimes people use the words orientation and onboarding interchangeably. Technically, these words mean different things and it is important to use the correct terminology (especially if you want to make enhancements to your onboarding practices).
First, there is orientation, which includes:
- A welcome to the program
- An overview and introduction to responsibilities
- Paperwork completion
It is typically conducted in a lecture format where the new employee is responsible for absorbing lots of information. It usually last between 1-3 days.
Orientation is an important element of an effective onboarding process. Onboarding, however, also includes:
- Descriptions and demonstrations of what success looks like
- An intentional series of activities that build skills
- On-the-job training with coaching and specific feedback
- Goal-setting and action planning
- Deliberate participation in ongoing professional development
As you plan your onboarding process, consider including the following topics:
- Program philosophy
- Team & culture
- Health and safety procedures
- Curriculum & assessment
- Materials & supplies
- Food service
- Documentation/paperwork
- Family relations/customer service
- Building & administrative information
This is a lot of material to cover and we want to make sure that employees retain the information we are sharing with them. Therefore, it is important to consider your onboarding schedule, or how you will cover the topics over the course of a few weeks or even months.
For the main article Investing in New Employees: Effective Onboarding Experiences, CLICK HERE
For the article Statistics about Onboarding, CLICK HERE
For the article Creating an Effective Onboarding Schedule, CLICK HERE
For the article Strategies for Effective Onboarding, CLICK HERE
