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Chapter 8 Onboarding: Employee Socialization and Orientation

Werner

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Learning Objectives

Discuss the content, outcomes, and process of organizational socialization

Define and explain the goals of employee orientation/onboarding

Learn the key elements necessary to design, implement, and evaluate an effective orientation program

Your Experience

Have you ever:

Gone through a formal orientation program for a job you've held?

Been asked to assist in the orientation of a new employee (either as a supervisor or as a coworker)?

Given much thought to how new employees adjust or become socialized into a new organization?

Started a new job, only to discover that what you were told about the job and organization didn't match the way things really were?

If your answer to any of these questions was “Yes,” what was the best (and worst) orientation experience you've ever had? Why?

Exercise

Describe some common problems or issues that new employees face when they start a new job at a new organization.

Problems with Orientation Programs

Too much emphasis on paperwork

Information overload

Information irrelevance

Scare tactics

Too much selling of the organization

Emphasis on formal, one-way communication

No diagnosis or evaluation of the orientation program

Lack of follow-up

Scare tactics (heavy emphasis on failure rates or the negative aspects of the job)

Emphasis on formal, one-way communication

Not giving newcomers a chance to discuss issues of interest or ask questions

One-shot mentality

Limiting the orientation program to only the first day at work

No diagnosis or evaluation of the orientation program

Lack of follow-up

Purpose of Orientation

Critical for the company and the new employees that new employees make a positive start with the organization

Organizational socialization processes and orientation programs are intended to do just that

Starting a new job can be stressful

Newcomers are in an unfamiliar work environment surrounded by people they do not know

New employees must establish relationships and learn new behaviors, facts, procedures, expectations, and values

New employees can also expect surprises

Not anticipating the emotional impact of greater responsibility

Underestimating the difficulty of adjusting to a new work schedule

New employees may also need to “unlearn” things that helped them succeed in previous settings

Orientation Will Affect…

New employee’s satisfaction, performance, and commitment to the organization

Work group’s satisfaction and performance

Start-up costs invested in the new employee

The likelihood the employee will remain with the organization

Costs of replacing the employee if he or she leaves

New employee’s satisfaction, performance, and commitment to the organization

Work group’s satisfaction and performance

Start-up costs invested in the new employee

Recruiting

Selection

Training

Time until the employee is up to full speed

The likelihood the employee will remain with the organization

Costs of replacing the employee if he or she leaves

What Do Newcomers Need?

Accurate Expectations

Insiders normally know what to expect of the situations

Knowledge Base

Insiders have the knowledge base from history and experience in the setting to make sense of the surprising event

Other Insiders

Insiders have coworkers with whom to compare their judgments and interpretations of organizational events

Accurate Expectations

Insiders normally know what to expect of the situations

There are fewer surprises to confront them

Newcomers' expectations are likely to differ from organizational reality

Knowledge Base

Insiders have the knowledge base from history and experience in the setting to make sense of the surprising event

Newcomers generally lack this knowledge

Other Insiders

Insiders have coworkers with whom to compare their judgments and interpretations of organizational events

Newcomers have not yet developed these relationships

Expectations

A belief about the likelihood something will occur

Can encompass behaviors, feelings, policies, and attitudes

How they will be treated

What they will be asked to do

How they will feel in the new organization

…among other things…

Newcomers' expectations can affect their:

Satisfaction

Performance

Commitment

Tendency to remain with the organization

Organizational Roles

Three dimensions

Inclusionary

A social dimension

Functional

A task dimension

Hierarchical

A rank dimension

Three dimensions

Inclusionary

A social dimension

Examples: outsider, probationary status, permanent status

Functional

A task dimension

Examples: sales, engineering, plant operations)

Hierarchical

A rank dimension

Examples: line employee, supervisor, middle manager, officer

Group Norms

Norms are the rules of conduct (typically unwritten) that are established by group members to influence or control behavior within the group

Indicate the behaviors that insiders agree are appropriate

Learning group norms is not always easy…

Behaviors can be:

Pivotal

Behaviors essential to organizational membership

Relevant

Behaviors that are desirable but not essential

Peripheral

Unimportant behaviors

Organizational Socialization

The process by which an individual acquires the social knowledge and skills necessary to assume an organizational role

Preliminary Learning

Learning about the organization

Learning to function in the work group

Learning how to perform the job

The process of adjusting to a new organization

A complex, lengthy process (weeks, maybe months)

What is expected from them on the job

How to behave to be accepted by peers

Preliminary Learning

Discovery

Learning will be necessary

What to learn

Whom to learn from

Learning about the organization

Including the goals, values, and policies of the organization

Learning to function in the work group

Values, norms, roles, and friendships within the group

Learning how to perform the job

Necessary skills and knowledge for a particular job

Personal learning

Learning from experience with the job and organization, including:

Self-identity

Expectations

Self-image

Motivation

Successful Socialization

Newcomer develops:

Greater knowledge of the organization and work group

Behaviors that lead to personal and organizational effectiveness

Attitudes that make performing, fitting into, and remaining with the organization and work group possible

Unsuccessful Socialization

Results in:

Unmet expectations

Dissatisfaction

Lack of commitment

Turnover

Two Common Approaches

Used to benefit both the individual and the organization

Realistic Job Preview (RJP)

Employee Orientation

The Realistic Job Preview

Provides recruits with complete information about a job and an organization

Recruit is given both positive and negative information

Timing of RJP is Critical

When candidates can be selective about offers

When the selection ratio is low

The organization has many more job applicants than positions available

When recruits are unlikely to have enough information available to them to develop realistic expectations, such as with entry level, complex, or “unique” jobs

When replacement costs are high

As early as possible

Before job offer

Use multimedia to communicate realistic information before hire

Save more expensive processes for later

Self-screening will have reduced applicant pool

Discussion

Why might some managers resist using a realistic job preview? What evidence could you offer to convince such managers to use one?

Research has shown that RJPs:

Reduce inflated expectations

Lead to:

Decreased turnover

Increased job satisfaction

Increased job commitment

Employee Orientation Programs

Employee orientation programs are designed to introduce new employees to:

The job

Supervisors

Coworkers

Organization

Focuses on the encounter stage of socialization

Company Information

An overview of the company

Key policies and procedures

The mission statement

Company goals and strategy

Information concerning

Compensation

Benefits

Safety and accident prevention

Employee or union relations

The physical facilities

Overview of the organization’s mission, goals, structure, culture, code of ethics, and products

Mission statement serves to reinforce basic values and the organization’s place in its industry and in society

Compensation and benefits policies should also be explained during orientation

Devote a portion of the orientation period to completing compensation and benefit forms to make sure:

Employees know what they are entitled to

Are enrolled in the appropriate programs

Common Orientation Objectives

Assist the newcomer in learning the organization’s values, culture, and expectations

Assist the newcomer in acquiring appropriate role behaviors

Help the newcomer adjust to the work group and its norms

Reduce the time it takes for the newcomer to reach proficiency (training and break-in time)

Reduce the newcomer’s stress and anxiety

Reduce start-up costs

Reduce turnover

Reduce the time it takes for the newcomer to reach proficiency (training and break-in time)

Assist the newcomer in learning the organization’s values, culture, and expectations

Assist the newcomer in acquiring appropriate role behaviors

Help the newcomer adjust to the work group and its norms

Encourage the development of positive attitudes

Most organizations have orientation programs of some sort

Almost 7% of total HRD expenditures goes to orientation

There is unreleased interest in “rapid on-boarding”

Getting new hires up to speed quickly

Who Should Be Involved in the Orientation

Supervisor

Coworkers

HRD Staff

Newcomer

Supervisor

Plays a pivotal role

Provides factual information and clear and realistic performance expectations

Emphasize the employee’s likelihood of succeeding in the organization

Encourages newcomers’ acceptance by coworkers

Providing (or arranging for) training in job specifics

Buffering the newcomer from demands outside the work group for a period of time to facilitate job learning

Providing challenging initial assignments

Conducting timely, constructive performance evaluations

Diagnosing problems at work that create conflicts

Using the newcomer’s arrival as an opportunity to reallocate tasks or redesign work to improve effectiveness and employee satisfaction with the work system

Coworkers

Provide support, information and training

Help to learn norms of workplace

Discouraging hazing

Acting as “buddies”/mentors

HRD Staff

Designs and oversees orientation program

Produces or obtains materials (such as workbooks and seminar leader guides)

Conducts training sessions

Designing and conducting the evaluation study

Conducts parts of the orientation program itself (focusing on such things as available services, employee rights, benefits, and workplace rules)

Newcomer

Should be the lead role by being active learner

Seek out both information and relationships they feel will help them in adjusting to the organization

Discussion

What do you think a supervisor’s role should be in employee orientation? What could be done to convince or encourage a skeptical supervisor to fulfill this role in orientation?

Supervisor

Plays a pivotal role

Provides factual information and clear and realistic performance expectations

Emphasize the employee’s likelihood of succeeding in the organization

Encourages newcomers’ acceptance by coworkers

Providing (or arranging for) training in job specifics

Buffering the newcomer from demands outside the work group for a period of time to facilitate job learning

Providing challenging initial assignments

Conducting timely, constructive performance evaluations

Diagnosing problems at work that create conflicts

Using the newcomer’s arrival as an opportunity to reallocate tasks or redesign work to improve effectiveness and employee satisfaction with the work system

Designing and Implementing Orientation Program

Set objectives

Interview recently hired employees, supervisors, and corporate officers

Survey the orientation practices of top companies

Survey existing company orientation programs and materials

Set objectives

Form a steering committee

Research orientation as a concept

Interview recently hired employees, supervisors, and corporate officers

Survey the orientation practices of top companies

Designing and Implementing Orientation Program (cont.)

Select content and delivery method

Pilot and revise materials

Produce and package print and audio-visual materials

Train supervisors and install the system

Exercise: Designing a Technology-Enhanced Orientation Program

Imagine yourself as the only HRD professional working at the corporate offices of a 500-person global staffing firm. Your headquarters are in the United States, but you have employees working in many different locations (and even in different countries). Bringing people together in one location for new employee orientation isn’t practical, so you are considering setting up an online orientation program. What specific orientation content would you include in such a program? What training media would you want to use (see Chapters 5 and 6 to review)? What specific computer/technology issues must be addressed to make this program work?