Organizations have to hire new employees all the time, and depending on the type of work to be conducted, those new employees have to learn about the way the company operates through orientations and inductions.
In more typical environments, having your Human Resource (HR) personnel conduct orientations would be enough, but in riskier jobs, team leaders, managers, safety officers, and other types of personnel might get involved.
In this content piece, we will look at the importance of proper orientation measures for new hires in any given workplace setting, and take a look at a few basic things it should cover.
Company Policies, Procedures, and Training
While most companies operate under the same (or at least similar) rules and regulations, their processes and the way they handle those regulations can differ. That means even experienced employees need to be trained regarding safety procedures if they are hired.
From being properly informed about safety procedures to individual work practices, organizations need proper Human Resource Management (HRM) for their employee’s induction, training, and development. Even existing employees need to be regularly trained on elements such as making them aware of emergency exits and placement of the fire alarms, to more specific processes, such as how to properly document and deliver their work.
Why is Proper Orientation and Training for Safety So Important?
In riskier job environments, such as the construction industry, every bit of safety procedure is critical. From the inherent risk of the job to having the personnel working on a project site familiar with the company’s safety rules, even a little bit of negligence or a small mistake can have drastic consequences.
New employees are in the most vulnerable position in these situations. They have to prove themselves and perform exceptionally well to get noticed, so they might want to take more risks and get more accomplished. At the same time, they are also the most unfamiliar with risk and safety procedures.
So, for organizations, training new employees are not just a recommendation, but a necessity.
New employees won’t always be able to follow these to the letter, even if trained. Employees need to be constantly reminded and be provided effective guidelines to be able to adhere to the safety procedures, so these processes need to be consistently improved as well.
What Organizations Can Do to Improve This Process?
There are a few things an employer can do:
- Make the organization’s safety policies and procedures clear
- Document every necessary piece of information
- Make documentation readily available through online training practices
- Note discrepancies, mistakes made by employees, and other elements to continuously improve the training procedures
- Conduct regular risk assessments
- Conduct regular drills on essential safety procedures, such as fire drills
- Review and reflect safety protocols annually
What are the Benefits of Proper Employee Orientation?
Employee orientation, when done right, lays the right kind of foundation for their career. It gives new employees a higher level of comfort and familiarity with the workplace, and they can more quickly contribute to the overall productivity of their peers.
Proper orientation can also benefit productivity because it can help reduce workplace discrepancies, errors, and more. If new employees are familiar with their team, they will be more comfortable cooperating with them, asking for help when needed, and establishing proper communication with their team members.
What Each New Employee Should Be Trained For
Talent management and HR departments at an organization need to ensure that an orientation process is present for all employees. This process must cover:
- A basic tour of the workplace
- An induction on safety measures and workplace regulations
- An overview of the organization
- A summary of the specific job role of the new employee
- An introduction to the team and team leaders
- A summary of organizational policies, employee policies, etc.
These cover the basics of any workplace and should be provided documentation that should always be available for them to view. There can be hundreds of safety procedures or policies, and both new and existing employees might need to brush up on them constantly.
Typically, safety measures should include emergency evacuations in the event of a fire, but employers need to have fire drills every 3-12 months. This helps both new and existing hires understand their roles in an emergency, and how to get straight to the exit to leave the building should one occur.
Additionally, providing employees with training material, such as fire awareness training, health, and safety training, and other guidelines can help significantly improve safety prospects for both new and existing employees.
In Summary
New employees need to be familiar with workplace practices, safety procedures, their roles and responsibilities, and more. In this content piece, we have discussed how employee orientation can be crucial for ensuring workplace safety, performance, and more. Adequate staff training alongside is also a vital step not to miss out.
