Employee orientation

Scope

All workplaces should provide employee orientation to new staff members so that they are prepared and familiar with their responsibilities and coworkers as soon as the job begins.

Regulatory citations

• None

Key definitions

• None

Summary of requirements

Training objectives. The employee orientation should be started during the employee’s first day at the new job. The entire orientation program may be broken up over a period of a few days, but when it is complete, employees should know the following safety and human resource information.

Safety information. The following information should be covered by an employee from the safety department:

• The organization’s safety objectives and goals;
• The function of the corporate safety committee;
• What employees should do if they are injured on the job;
• The procedures for reporting accidents, near-miss incidents, hazards, injuries, and illness;
• What to do in case of an emergency;
• The facility’s use of warning signs and tags;
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) recordkeeping requirements and employee access to exposure and medical records; and
• The safety rules and safe procedures that apply to their jobs (especially for tasks with OSHA-required training).

Human resource information. The following information should be covered by an employee from the human resource department:

• The organization’s polices and procedures.
• The organization’s goals and strategies, and
• The organization’s benefit package.

Training content. All employees should receive some training in the items listed above. Much of the content for these training elements will be specific to each workplace.

Training is an ongoing process, and new employees will most likely be on the job before all of their safety training is complete. As new employees are given more responsibility, they will need more training.

Safety training/orientation. Safety is an attitude that must be conveyed to new hires, rehires, and departmental transfers. While newly hired employees often receive safety orientation training, rehires and departmental transfers are often overlooked because they may not be considered new in terms of brand new to the company. However, over time, policies and procedures change, work processes change, chemicals used in processes change, and the hazards and exposures may vary from one department to another. For this reason, rehires and transferred employees need to be included in the safety orientation program.

The orientation process should be conducted by a safety department representative, and, if possible, include the employee’s supervisor as well. Having a safety department representative present the majority of the time lends credibility to the organization’s safety function and promotes an awareness of the organization’s commitment to safety in general. Having the employee’s supervisor explain how safety is working in production operations presents tangible evidence that the organization’s safety policies are actually being practiced.

Coordinate training efforts. Another consideration is the need to coordinate training efforts with orientation programs in other departments. The employee’s supervisor will want the new employee to become productive as soon as possible. The employee may also need orientation in other areas, such as the organization’s quality program. All of these various trainers need to cooperate and work together to give the new employee the impression that the facility is well organized.

Be prepared. The organization needs to know something about the new employee before starting the orientation. Find out the employee’s job assignments. The employer must know this in order to tailor the training material to the employee’s needs. Find out about the employee’s language skills. Does instructional material need to be translated? How well can the employee read (in any language)? Are more demonstrations and hands-on learning needed for someone who isn’t able to read a handbook? Find out the employee’s scheduled shift and work location to set up a schedule to complete the training.

Be committed. Employee turnover is expensive to an organization; being committed to a good orientation can help to reduce the rate of turnover, and to reduce the number of workplace accidents and injuries. In addition, during the first few days on the job, employees want to sense demonstrated commitment on the part of the organization. They want to know whether they should treat their new job as temporary employment, or as a long-lasting career.

Remember to stay focused on the pre-determined goals of the orientation. A failed orientation is one that:

• Is too rushed,
• Takes more time and effort than is necessary,
• Emits a sense of uncertainty, or
• Fails to assist employees to adapt to their new environment.

Be credible. Orientation programs can become quickly undermined if new employees who are taught one thing during orientation find out later on that, “We don’t do it that way anymore.” If new employees are taught that personal protective equipment is required in certain areas of the facility, is it provided and do employees actually use it? Ensure that the material presented during the orientation matches the practices currently performed in the workplace.

Encourage employee participation. An effective orientation program allows employees to participate in the training process and to practice skills or knowledge. Employees can become involved in the training process by participating in discussions, asking questions, and by contributing their knowledge and expertise. New employees bring a fresh perspective to the workplace;benefit from their suggestions and observations.