Hello,
I proposed a new hire orientation program that requested managers to have new hires start on the second Monday of every month. This way I could run a week long orientation program (with their help) with a group of new hires versus having multiple orientation programs going on at once, since there is only one of me. I didn't think this would be that big of a deal, but every manager has the excuse that they need their person ASAP and hired before and after the week of orientation. I don't feel my program is as effective if the person is coming in to orientation after being here for a month since they missed the last one or starting their job and then getting pulled into orientation. Does anyone else have a program like this? How do they handle it when people are hired outside of the orientation week or day? I guess I need to be flexible, but I also want my program to be sucessful for the new hires. Any suggestions?

I've seen lots of these programs. I'd have to say that they are very long and tedious for new hires who are anxious to get started on their new jobs.

What tends to work better is to take a look at the first 3 to 6 months and spread some of this information out at a time where it has more meaning and context.

I'd also set up some more informal meetings or even lunches that help people get to meet each other.

I'd also try to capture a lot of what each department typically tells people and put that into some other media so it can be used at any time and is the repeatable message.

I'd say that on the first day, you get your HR stuff out of the way. Give a quick one or two hour orientation and then think how you can embed everything else over time.

A regularly scheduled orientation program is a great idea, but a week-long orientation course is not. Why on earth does it need to be a week long?

I can assure you from a business perspective, most organizations I have worked with would not support an "off the floor" weeklong orientation prior to the person contributing to their department. Nor at the time need for hiring, would managers delay getting their resource for scheduled orientation.

I wish I could say differently, because I understand your challenge, but the facts in orgs I have worked for are that person is needed, now, and we can't have them unproductive a full week- they need to start contributing quickly.

We looked at all our orientation programs, and clearly defined, what is an administrative task (HR paperwork) to be done during an orientation period that is not training, and what is information delivery (Company Background/History) that is not training; these items are taken out of oreintation programs, and made available elsewhere as resources. Also, many of the skills-based training components are delivered on the floor with structured-on-the-job training.

In this manner, our workforce has access to the right resources and performs all admin tasks on time, but we focus on building applicable skills and making that person an "on the floor" productive resource in the best possible time.

Of course, there is one big cultural shift- if managers want that person developed real time, on the floor, they have a bigger role to play in development than if they sent someone "to take training". But, I feel results have shown to be much better with this model.

Thank you to those of who responded to my post.

I should have been more clear on what is contained in the orientation program, but my post was already very long.

I am only with the person or persons working on "orientation stuff" for the couple hours of the first three days. The other times the manager or menor is suppose to be introducing the new hire to the dept, the functions, procedures, policies, etc. of that person's job. Therefore there is on-the-job training going on most of their first week. It is just structured so that it happens, because often times we found that busy managers weren't getting to new hires and they were left on their own. We have combined all of this initial training in our program.

The Friday of orientation week, is meant to tie all of the concepts together and have a more relaxed day with tours, social time with other employees, shadowing other departments, etc. This way the person is emersed in our culture and knows what he/she is getting into.

Going back to my initial "problem" is that if someone is already here for a month or so, they may or maynot have been sitting at their desk wondering what to do, and if they have had some attention than the orientation week is a distraction for them once they have started. Therefore, since it is important (coming from upper executives) that people understand our culture, history and org structure (and more) I feel that we should have the person from the get-go. I think it is just a struggle that I'll have to deal with on a case-by-case basis. I just wondered if anyone else struggled with trying to get managers to hire on the same date/time to decrease the amount of time and work it takes to orient multiple new hires in a month.

Thanks again for your posts.