Avoid these mistakes in employee orientation

Good orientation ensures success at work and reduces work-related strain. Poor orientation guarantees dissatisfaction and increases the risk of a new employee leaving the company. The employer is obligated by the Occupational Safety and Health Act to provide sufficient orientation and inform the employee of risk factors related to their work. The employee should be trained on topics such as the use of equipment and safe working practices. You would think that workplaces would do all things necessary so the new employee can get started as soon as possible and commit to the job.

According to research, a lack of time is the main reason for cutting corners during orientation in the workplace. I got to hear a story from real life when I saw my goddaughter who has been working in the service industry for a couple of years. I was eager to learn more about her experiences. What are the orientation practices like at her workplace? How was a new employee received? How did she do as a new employee?

“Instead of being praised, I was blamed”

In the beginning, things didn’t go so smoothly. My goddaughter received a generous one and a half days of orientation, after which she was on her own. The supervisor did not elaborate on the orientation process, nor did they ask how the new employee was doing. They also didn’t have any kind of work reviews, not to mention asking where my goddaughter needs more guidance. It was not easy to approach the supervisor: “It didn’t even cross my mind to ask them for help” my goddaughter commented. Luckily, she is bold and asked her colleagues for help. Although, at times, she was only snuffed at by the more experienced colleagues. Don’t they themselves remember what it was like to be a new employee?

In the grips of working life, the ability to grow a thick skin quickly and bounce back from setbacks is beneficial. You need abilities like these in situations such as the one my goddaughter was in, where she offered to help with an extra shift. Neither the supervisor nor the rest of the work community thought of telling her what in particular should be done during the shift and what was expected of her. She asked her colleague for some tips at the last minute, which she jotted down. She finished the shift honorably, hoping to be praised for coming to work voluntarily to help her colleagues. However, instead of being praised, she was blamed for all the things she hadn’t done or had done wrong. The experience was a disappointment, which might have made a more sensitive employee depressed. A crude example of orientation where no one is happy with the result. The objectives and tasks were not clear at all, which resulted in a sense of failure in the trainee. None of us, especially a new employee, is a mind-reader who can set their own objectives for work they have never done before.

Another concrete example is a task which she didn’t know how to perform. She asked for help from a more experienced employee, who came to do the task for her instead of teaching her how she could do it herself next time. When you’re in such a hurry, you have no time for anything! Opportunities to learn are lost in practice because one has to be so quick and efficient in customer service. However, most people learn best through hand-holding, by first watching someone perform a task, then proceeding to perform it themselves under the watchful eye of someone experienced.

“I’ve tried to think about how I can act positively and be more encouraging”

What good has come from the insufficient orientation of this youngster? My goddaughter, now with two years of work experience, is an old hand herself who can train others. Indeed, she says “I’ve tried to think about how I can act positively and be more encouraging”. She doesn’t want to repeat the same mistakes that were made in her case. She wants new employees to feel welcome, so they feel like they can ask for help anytime. Very smart, since it’s easier to talk about failures and stressful customer service situations in a safeenvironment. And one more thing, my goddaughter makes use of quiet moments to teach new tasks on the job. It’s easy to return to work when time has been taken to show employees how to perform tasks.

What then is the recipe for successful orientation?

The recipe for successful orientation is made up of good communication, systematic practices in the workplace as well as initiative on the trainee’s part. A social network in the workplace and support provided by a supervisor help the new employee cope and support their learning. Workplace practices that have been thought out and established in advance ensure that the newcomer fits the position, orientation is carried out systematically and the trainee gets a good idea of the position and the different tasks. Initiative on the part of the new employee, the trainee, clarifies one’s own role and supports continuous learning. Confidence in one’s own abilities and the ability to learn something new reduces stress in a new role.

It’s also worth noting that the orientation requirement doesn’t just concern new employees. Orientation should resume when the employee is assigned new tasks or when they return to work after a long absence. A clear idea of tasks and objectives and sufficient skills are the foundation of good work ability.

Take a look at the work ability management toolkit on Elo’s website. It has been created to help you and your workplace in work ability management. You can find the employee orientation section of the toolkit on Elo’s website.