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HR MATTERS E-TIPS
THIS WEEK’S E-TIP: New Hire Orientation: Eight Tips for Effective
Integration
Published by Personnel Policy Service, Inc.
"Your Policy and Compliance Experts Since 1972"
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THIS WEEK’S E-TIP: New Hire Orientation: Eight Tips for Effective
Integration
First impressions last a lifetime, and the perceptions formed by your
new
employees are no exception. Find out the eight steps you can take to
ensure your new hires make the transition smoothly and happily into your
workplace. |
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THIS WEEK’S E-TIP: New Hire Orientation: Eight Tips for Effective
Integration
Most employers focus a lot of time and attention on the recruiting
and
hiring process: finding qualified applicants, interviewing, checking
references, and ultimately, crafting an acceptable offer. But, your
job
does not end once the new employee has been hired. The smooth
assimilation of new hires is an essential ingredient for reducing
performance problems and turnover. And, further complicating the
process, you must make sure that all necessary paperwork is
completed
to ensure compliance with the growing maze of employment laws.
Unfortunately, too many organizations become overwhelmed by the
paperwork demands and neglect the fundamentals of the orientation
process. A better approach is to focus more on welcoming and
integrating new hires into the workforce and to pay special
attention to
laying the groundwork for improved performance and retention. Below,
we provide eight tips on how to coordinate both orientation and new
hire
legal compliance into an organized process.
* Engaging a New Team Member *
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An effective orientation program makes the new hire feel comfortable
and introduces the employee to the organization’s culture,
supervisors,
coworkers, and work expectations. Employees who get a positive first
impression and “buy into” your culture are more likely to develop
loyalty,
cooperate with coworkers and supervisors, offer ideas, and take a
personal interest in your organization’s success. While every
employer
must adjust its approach based on size and management philosophy,
the
following eight steps provide a guideline to help you cover the
right
bases.
- Make the new employee feel welcome and part of the group
before work begins. Often, there is some lag time between the date
the
employee accepts your offer and the first day of work. You can
make
your new employee feel more a part of the group during this period
by
having his supervisor touch base with him, for example, to brief
him on
the people he will be working with and any special projects that
are in the
pipeline.
- Be ready for the new hire’s arrival on the first day. Little
things
can go a long way to help overcome first-day jitters. For example,
start
by alerting receptionists and security guards to the new
employee’s
arrival. Make sure the new employee’s workspace is ready and that
keys and any necessary entry codes are provided. Assign an e-mail
address and computer password, if applicable, and add the employee
to
your internal contact lists. In addition, have top officials take
the time to
meet each new hire, or at least send a personal welcome note.
- Provide an overview of all operations. This step should
include a
review of the corporate history and organization chart, a
discussion of
important products and services, and a tour of the immediate
physical
facilities.
- Communicate information about the organization’s goals and
culture. The
orientation process (free policy download) is an ideal time
to educate new hires about your organization’s mission, market
presence, culture, competition, and plans for growth.
- Provide detailed information about the new hire’s position and
performance expectations. New employees should be given a clear
outline of their job description, classification or title, and
duties. In
addition, the supervisor should provide written training and
performance
goals with appropriate benchmarks and expected completion dates.
- Assign new employees meaningful work. Many employers make
the mistake of giving new employees “busy work” when they first
arrive,
such as reviewing training manuals or shadowing other employees.
This
approach is intended to “ease” the employee into the job, but
often
backfires by making the new hire feel unchallenged, or even
unneeded.
- Inform the employee about the organization’s policies,
procedures, and benefits as soon as possible. For most organizations,
the employee handbook is the source of much of the information needed
to be informed about benefits, hours of work, pay policies, and work
rules. Most employers also require new employees to sign a receipt
acknowledging they received and read the handbook and that they
understand they are “at-will” employees, if in fact that is the case.
Some policies, such as
sexual
harassment (free policy download), equal
employment opportunity,
drug and alcohol
use and testing (free policy
download), and safety, are so important that you may want to
conduct
special training for them. (A few states, such as California and
Connecticut, require sexual harassment training, so check state law.)
In
particular, new employees should understand how to make complaints
under these policies.
You also should review information in the handbook regarding benefits
and provide appropriate summary plan descriptions. In addition, if the
employee will be participating in your health insurance plan and COBRA
covers you, you must provide an initial COBRA notice to the employee
and any covered spouse and dependents.
If you have a policy requiring new employees to take a physical exam
or
undergo any medical tests, these typically should be conducted prior
to
the employee’s first day. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), you may conduct any type of medical exam at the post-offer
stage if all entering employees in the same job category must undergo
the examination. However, once the employee has actually started
work, the ADA requires that any medical exam be job-related and
consistent with business necessity.
- Complete necessary paperwork. The first day often is also the
most convenient time to have a new employee fill out required forms.
Some forms, such as the employment eligibility verification (Form I-9)
and withholding allowance (Form W-4), are required by law. The Form I-
9 should be completed within three business days of the employee’s
first
day. The Form W-4, designating the employee’s number of withholding
exemptions for tax purposes, should be completed on or before the
first
day of employment. If the new hire is under 18, you also may need a
certificate of age and a work permit issued by your state to verify
the
employee may work in the particular job. Other forms may be needed to
administer your policies, such as those for benefits enrollment and
beneficiary designations, direct pay deposit authorization, and
employee
emergency contact information.
You also must complete state-required new hire reports for all new
employees. Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity
Reconciliation Act, which establishes a “parent locator service” to
help
enforce child support obligations and child custody and visitation
orders,
you must provide information on your new employees to your state “new
hire directory.” Most states provide new hire reporting forms, and
many
employers give the forms to their new employees to fill out and then
submit them to the state. (You can find helpful information on each
state’s reporting requirements from the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Service’s Administration for Children and Families on the
Internet
at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cse/newhire/employer/contacts/nh_matrix.htm )* Nurture Your Newbies *
There is no question about it – finding, training, and replacing
employees
is expensive. HR experts estimate that turnover costs from 30% to 50%
of an employee’s first year salary. Some suggest that this cost is
closer
to 100%. Clearly, most actions you take to retain new employees are
worth the effort, and an effective welcome and new hire integration
process can help ensure a better retention rate.
Remember, these actions do not have to be elaborate or difficult to be
effective. None of the eight tips suggested above are expensive,
although they do require careful advance planning for successful
coordination and implementation. Your goal should be to provide a
professional setting and make the new hire feel as comfortable as
possible.
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Subscribers to the
Personnel Policy Manual (print/online) and HR Policy Answers on
CD can find more information information on hiring policies and
procedures (including Form I-9 and new hire reporting requirements)
in
Hiring, Chapter 202. For more information on orientation and
training
policies and procedures, see Orientation and Training, Chapter 202B
Not a subscriber? If you would like to order one of our policy
chapters,
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Information provided in HR Matters E-Tips is researched and reviewed
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law attorneys. However, it is not intended as legal advice. Readers are
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