By: Tim Augustine

Establish an employee orientation program that reinforces your new hire's decision to join the your firm.

Now that you have just spent a considerable amount of time sourcing resumes, interviewing candidates, and hiring a new employee, you can't miss the opportunity to make a positive and long-lasting first impression. A new employee orientation program can do just that, and can help reinforce the decision your new hire made to join your firm.

"Here is your cube and box of office supplies... good luck!"

Providing a workspace and the normal office accoutrements are necessary, but don't go far when considering integration of a new employee into your work environment. Employee turnover within the first two years can be directly attributed to a lack of employee integration. In fact, by instituting a formal integration and orientation program, I was able to reduce our turnover rate by 10%! If you use a standard replacement cost of two times the past employee's salary, a 10% reduction in turnover could save your firm thousands of dollars.

A solid orientation program will not only serve as a formal introduction to your firm, but will also increase productivity while decreasing the learning curve of a new employee. Following are two areas that you should consider when developing your integration/orientation program.

It's the details that count

The period between the candidate's acceptance of your offer and his/her actual start date can often be a good time to reach out to the candidate and his/her family. I have worked with many firms that get very creative; one such idea was sending a box Godiva Chocolates home with a message that reads "You will have sweet success at Atwell-Hicks." In addition to creative ideas, make sure the first day is well organized. Imagine a new employee walking into their new office/workstation on day one and having a personalized nameplate, new computer and phone, new cell phone and PDA, and freshly printed business cards waiting for immediate distribution. This is an inexpensive and easy way to make a positive first impression with the new hire. Whatever you do, remember, it will be the little details that will continue to wow your new employees.

The first 30 days of orientation

To make the process as efficient as possible, I recommend choosing a standard day each month to hold a formal orientation session. Within the first 30 days of employment, a group of new employees will look forward to attending a day-long, high-impact, energized New Employee Orientation. It also is a great way for them to meet some of the leaders and other staff members from different parts of the organization. Facilitated by those employees and leaders who live and breathe your organization's culture, your orientation program should focus on the following topics.

• Company history: Provide the new hire with a company overview and some information about your firm's past. This will provide them with perspective and context as well as an understanding of future expectations.
• Product/service knowledge: Present the new hire an overview of the products and services that your firm provides. Give enough information to answer the question, "What does your new company do?"
• Organizational structure: Describe how the organization is structured. This information will help the new employee understand where he/she fits within the overall framework as well as have an appreciation for reporting structures, internal customers, and internal suppliers.
• Benefits and human resources information: Inevitably, the new employee will have questions about benefits, policies, and procedures. This is a good time to provide detailed explanations and information about how to acquire information when needed.
• Productivity tools knowledge: Provide an overview of your firm's technology tools and applications that the new employee will be expected to use. This could include computer programs, databases, standard operating procedures, quality assurance manuals, timesheets, office supplies, etc.
• Expectations and introductions: Use this time to also review position descriptions and position expectations with the new hire. The supporting leader or hiring manager should be involved in the discussion. This is also a good time to start introducing the new hire to key staff including team members, peers, and additional leaders.
• Career development: Provide an overview of the training and development program within your firm. This could include possible career growth opportunities for the new hire, the performance review process, tuition reimbursement, professional seminars/training, certificate programs, learning opportunities, and additional areas that the new hire could be involved with such as committees, councils, or teams.

Based on my research, a new hire is most influential in the first 30 days and will base his/her decision to stay with a firm long-term within the first 90 days. If you structure your new employee orientation program and include those current employees and leaders who will help the new employee become acclimated to your way of doing things, the return on your investment of time and money will be realized within the first six months.

Learn more about Tim Augustine.