EDM 213 HUMAN RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT

EMERSON L. FERNANDEZ

ORIENTATION

he Acculturation Proces

Think about the first day in your job. You

feel like a kid in the first day of school. Anxiety
grips you. Will they like me? Will I be safe
here? How is my immediate boss? How will
I be graded in my performance? What its like
working in this company? Did I make the
right decision to join this company?
Orienting new employees in the workplace
is one of the most neglected functions in many
organizations. After signing the employment
contract, they are just thrown into work with
little introduction. There may an Employee
Handbook given them to read but for the rest
of the day, new employees are left to sink or
swim.

Anybody put into a new, strange situation

would experience anxiety that if left
unattended would affect adversely his ability to
do the job or learn how to do the job. Proper
orientation helps provide guidelines for
conduct and behavior reducing the stress of
guessing what to do and how to act and
interact with others.
Orientation is the acculturation process to
assist new employees in adjusting to their jobs
and work environment and instill a positive
work attitude and motivation. Properly done,
orientation encourages pride and loyalty and
can create a sense of family belongingness
among management and co-workers. It is a
kind of on-boarding program that assimilates

TEXT DEFINITION OF ORIENTATION

It is the introductory stage in the process of
new employee assimilation, and a part of his
continuous socialization process in the
organization. Major objectives of orientation
are:
1. Gain employee commitment;
2. Reduce ones anxiety;
3. Help the employee understand
organizations
expectations; and
4. Convey what he can expect from the job
and the
organization.

Part of the orientation process includes the

introduction of the new employee to coworkers, giving of information such as working
hours, place of work, performance standards,
benefits and facilities, and names of the
immediate superior and other officers.

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD ORIENTATION PROGRAM

A formal orientation process should include
the following components:
Welcome to the Company
Tour of the Facilities
Introduction to Top Management and Coworkers
Completion of Paperwork
Review of the Employee Handbook
Review of Job Responsibilities

Welcome to the Company

Tour of the Facilities

Introduction to Top
Management and
Co-workers

Completion of Paperwork

Review of Employee Handbook

Review of Job Responsibilities

EFFECTS OF A GOOD ORIENTATION PROGRAM

Aside from getting warm-up and reducing
anxiety, a good orientation program has the
following salutary effects:
1. Reduces Start-Costs
2. Reduces Employee Turn-over
3. Saves time for Supervisor and Co-workers
4. Develops Positive Job Expectations,
Positive Attitudes, and Job Satisfaction

Reduces Start-costs

Reduces Employee Turn-over

Saves time for

Supervisor and
Co-workers

Develops Positive Job Expectations,

Positive Attitudes and Job Satisfaction