Orientation vs. Onboarding

Orientation and onboarding are two different but related ways to welcome new employees. People often mix them up, but they have very different goals.

Orientation is a short event, often just one day. It focuses on paperwork and rules. It's about filling out forms, learning company policies, and getting a tour.

Onboarding, on the other hand, is a long-term plan. It can last for a few months or even a whole year. Its goal is to fully bring a new employee into the company's culture and work process. A good onboarding program can help keep employees, make them more engaged, and help them become productive more quickly. Any business leader must understand this difference to build a successful and engaged team.

Key Differences Between Orientation and Onboarding

Orientation is an Event, and Onboarding is a Process:

Orientation is a single event for things like signing forms and getting a company ID. Onboarding is a journey that helps a new employee grow and fit in over time.

Focus on Rules vs. Culture:

Orientation focuses on legal and compliance topics, such as the employee handbook and company rules. Onboarding focuses on company culture, values, and building relationships. This helps new hires feel like they belong. You can learn more about how to incorporate company culture into your onboarding process.

Who Leads the Process?

A human resources (HR) team member usually leads orientation. Onboarding involves many people, like the new employee's manager, teammates, and a mentor or buddy.

Immediate vs. Long-Term Value:

Orientation gets a new hire ready to start their job. Onboarding provides the tools, training, and support they need for long-term success.

Passive vs. Active Participation:

In orientation, new employees mostly listen to talks and fill out forms. Onboarding is an active process. New employees must talk with their team, ask questions, and learn by doing.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong:

A bad orientation can make a poor first impression. A poor onboarding process can lead to low morale and high employee turnover. A Gallup study found that only 12% of employees think their company does a great job with onboarding.

Orientation vs. Onboarding: A Quick Look

Best Ways to Onboard New Employees

A good onboarding process does not replace orientation; it builds on it. It takes what was started on the first day and grows it into a full plan for success.

Start Before Day One (Pre-boarding):

The onboarding process should start as soon as a candidate accepts the job. This "pre-boarding" phase is a great way to build excitement and calm first-day nerves. Send a welcome email with key information and a welcome package. This lets new hires complete paperwork ahead of time. This frees up the first day for more engaging activities. You can simplify this with onboarding software.

Assign a Mentor or Buddy:

A great practice is to pair the new hire with a peer mentor or buddy. This person should not be their direct boss. They should be a coworker who can help them with the company's culture and social life. A mentor gives them a safe person to ask questions. This helps the new hire build early social connections, which are key for employee retention.

Provide a Clear Plan:

New employees need a clear path to success. The onboarding program should include a plan for their first 30, 60, and 90 days. The plan should have clear, measurable goals. This gives them a roadmap and helps them know what to expect. Regular check-ins and frequent feedback from their manager are also important.

Go Beyond the Job Description:

Help new hires see how their work fits into the bigger picture. Show them how their work helps the company's mission and goals. Connect them with leaders and team members outside their own department. This makes them feel like a valued part of the company.

Use Technology to Make it Easier:

An onboarding platform can automate tasks, handle paperwork, and be a single place for all new hire information. Using technology makes the experience better for both the employee and your HR team. This lets you focus more on the human parts of the process.

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Top Mistakes to Avoid in New Hire Onboarding

Even with good intentions, companies can make mistakes that harm the new employee experience. Avoiding these common errors is key to bringing new hires on successfully.

Not Separating Orientation from Onboarding:

The biggest mistake is treating the whole onboarding process as a one-day event. This often happens when a company thinks a strong orientation is all it needs. This leaves new hires feeling lost and unappreciated. It can lead to high turnover. A recent study by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found that new hires who went through a structured onboarding program were 58% more likely to stay with the company for more than three years.

Creating a "Fire Hose" Experience:

Giving new hires too much information at once is a bad idea. This often happens on their first day during a poorly planned orientation. Instead of a day full of back-to-back talks, spread the information out over time.

Not Involving the Manager:

The manager's role in onboarding is very important. A new hire whose manager is actively involved is much more likely to stay with the company. If a manager is not ready or is not engaged, the new employee can feel lost and alone.

Forgetting the Human Touch:

Onboarding is more than just tasks and training. It's about making a new person feel welcome and included. Without human connection, the process becomes cold and uncaring. Be sure to include meet-and-greets, team lunches, and other social activities. This helps new employees build relationships.

Ignoring the Remote Experience:

With more people working remotely, it's important to have a plan to welcome new hires from a distance. The same rules apply, but you need to use different tools. A good remote onboarding program improves employee engagement, retention, and morale. Learn more in this blog post on how to handle a hybrid employee onboarding experience.

How Onboarding and Orientation Work in Different Industries

The ideas of onboarding and orientation can be changed to fit the needs of different industries. The main concepts stay the same, but how they are done can change.

Technology Sector:

In tech, orientation might include a campus tour and a talk about benefits. Onboarding is all about technical readiness and culture. New hires often get a "buddy" to help them learn the systems and meet key team members. They get early access to code and tools to start contributing quickly. 

Healthcare:

Onboarding in healthcare focuses more on rules and safety. The orientation covers key training on regulations, patient privacy (HIPAA), and safety rules. This is a must before any patient contact. The onboarding process then gives hands-on training on medical equipment and procedures. This ensures they are fully prepared.

Retail:

Retail onboarding focuses on product knowledge and customer service skills. The orientation might cover company policies and brand rules. Onboarding focuses on hands-on training on the sales floor. This is where new hires learn about products and how to talk to customers. A strong process can help reduce employee turnover and keep your best people.

Creating an Onboarding Plan

A good plan brings both orientation and onboarding together into one long-term strategy. It should include these steps:

Create a Team:

Bring together a team from HR, IT, and management. This team will design the whole program, from the first day of orientation to the first six months of onboarding.

Map the Employee Journey:

Make a detailed plan for the new hire's needs from the moment they accept the offer until their first six months are over. You can find a useful onboarding checklist to help with this step.

Choose a Technology Tool:

Pick a software platform for onboarding. The right platform can automate paperwork for orientation. It can also provide a central place for all onboarding information and training materials.

Create a Training Plan:

Make training materials for new hires and for the managers who will lead the process.

Measure and Improve:

The last step is to use surveys and feedback to measure the program's success. Track key numbers like employee retention and time to productivity. Use this data to make changes and keep improving your process.