What is Hiring & Orientation?
How can you make sure there is a smooth and efficient transition for the new employee? This is where a well thought out Hiring and Orientation plan comes in. It's that crucial time from when they accept the job to when they start and through their first few weeks. In their first few days they will be signing all the employment documents and gaining the necessary tools to do their job. It goes beyond signing paperwork though! This time is all about introduction to the culture of your organization.
Why is it important?
First impressions are everything and a great hiring and orientation process makes a great first impression. It provides a comprehensive experience that will have impact beyond the initial orientation by helping the new employee really get to know and become part of the organization's culture. It's a time to set the tone by ensuring they understand where they fit in; that they are part of the puzzle. All of this will help them know how to succeed, and as a result, you will find greater engagement and alignment with your organization's strategy and mission.
General Guidelines
This can start as soon as possible after they accept the job. Once their first day is scheduled, you can get to work with your administrative functions, like HR, so that you have plenty of lead time to prepare. If there is a fair amount of time between the new employee accepting the job and their start date, it can be a good idea to keep in contact with them so that you can communicate excitement about them joining the team and make sure they don't have any logistical questions for their first day. This is also a good time to consult your department's Reasonable Accommodation Policy and make sure to begin the interactive process as soon as possible if applicable. It's important not to ask for the employee to do anything job related to any of these communications, however, as we want to make sure they aren't working before their official start date.
Once the employee begins work a great way to respect them as a person is to find out how they like to be referred to (a nickname they prefer, pronouns, etc). The first few days after the employee starts is also a great time to schedule a meeting to go over the organization's mission, vision and goals.
This is also the perfect time to think about accessibility. It's helpful to include instructions for the new employee on how to make accessibility requests and this is also a great time for ergonomics evaluations of their workspace.
