New Hire Orientation: 10 Ideas to Welcome Your Employees

After cracking multiple interview rounds, a person is enthusiastic about joining their new job. They wake up with excitement and anxiety on the joining day and reach the office on time. But, soon, they realize they have no idea where to go, who to talk to, and what their day will look like. Nothing is prepared, no one knows even knows they are starting.

And there it goes: The first doubts are coming in - right on day 1.

"If this is how my first day is, I wonder how this organization treats me in the future," they murmur to themselves.  

Suppose your new hires go through something similar at your company. In that case, you need to make massive improvements in your new employee orientation and onboarding process. As per research, 93% of employers agree that a good onboarding experience is critical in influencing an employee's decision to stay longer. 

But who is accountable for ensuring that a company's orientation process is excellent?

Many companies run a monotonous and boring orientation process, as People Ops teams are busy - and swamped with other tasks. 

In this article, we will discuss new hire orientation ideas that will make the job for HR easier and create an engaging experience for new employees. 

🧭 What's new hire orientation?

New hire orientation (also called new employee orientation) is the process of welcoming new employees to an organization. It's the formal introduction of new hires to 

• the company,
• its policies, 
• and its culture.  

It's an opportunity for employees to know their new environment and coworkers, understand their roles and responsibilities, and become familiar with the available benefits.

The goal is to help ensure that employees feel comfortable, have what they need to do their job well, and know whom and how to ask for help.

The orientation is part of the onboarding process, and it happens during the first or initial days of joining. 

❓ Why does new hire orientation matter?

According to a Digitate's survey, new hires who experienced a negative onboarding are two times more likely to search for other jobs. Since a new hire orientation is an integral part of the onboarding process, it plays a massive role in the retention and engagement of your new employees. 

A successful employee onboarding process can make or break their perception of their new company and is an opportunity for HR to make a good impression. 

Moreover, a well-executed and planned orientation makes an employee feel an integral part of the team and vice versa. Once they become an essential part of the team, it becomes easier for them to catch up on their tasks and goals, making them more productive and less likely to make mistakes.

💡 10 ideas for your new employee orientation

While having a plan for your orientation process is vital, it doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. There are many ways to make your orientation process fun and informative for new hires. 

Here are new employee orientation ideas that HR can use to run an engaging program:

1. 🪄 Welcome with style
2. 📈 Explain the company's mission, structure, and culture
3. 📝 Describe the company policies
4. 🏢 Give an office tour
5. 👩 Introduce new employees to the team
6. 📦 Create a welcome gift
7. 📅 Schedule a 1:1 meeting with the manager 
8. 🗺️ Provide a roadmap for the upcoming weeks
9. 🥘 Take new hires for lunch
10. 👬 Set them up with an office buddy

🪄 Welcome with style

Welcome each new hire with a welcome beverage or snacks like muffins or donuts.

While it's great to offer these traditional snacks, not all employees may prefer muffins or donuts. Some might appreciate healthier options. So, consider also catering some meals packed with protein, such as sandwiches with lean meats, veggie wraps, or smoothies with a protein boost. Offering a broader range of food choices show your employees that you value their different dietary needs and preferences.

If your company culture allows it, maybe you can greet a new employee with a glass of champagne.

Send a snack or gift box for remote employees using gifting services like SnackNation or Snackmagic. 

Doing this will make the employee feel special and thrilled to join your company. 

Before going over policies and procedures:

1. Ask open-ended questions on topics like how their commute was and if they had any trouble finding the office.
2. Use this time to introduce yourself and share your positive experience within the company.
3. Give employees an overview of the next few days (ideally, you should send the orientation schedule before the joining date).
   

It will help put the new employee at ease.

📈 Explain the company's mission, structure, and culture

Introduce the new hire to the company's mission, the values it stands for, and the organizational structure. Explain to them how different departments and roles are interlinked and what their career progression could be like within the company. 

Briefly introduce them to the company's culture and tell them how it differs from or is similar to other organizations'. 

For example, if your organization has a culture of addressing everyone by their first name, tell the new employee not to call anyone "Sir/mam." Informing them of such things will deepen their understanding of the new environment and make them feel inclusive.

You can watch the video of the Amazon Logistics Onboarding Program given below to take inspiration for your orientation program. 

Fancy a useful template for your orientation presentation? We got you covered.

📝 Describe the company policies

Each organization functions differently, and some might have policies unique to them based on the type of industry. For example, a consulting firm like McKinsey & Company that grants employees access to confidential client data may have stricter policies on data confidentiality than a toy manufacturing company like Lego. 

The leave policy and benefits vary across companies too. And new hires might be hesitant to ask you questions about leaves on the first day. 

During the new employee orientation, explain the policies that revolve around: 

• Code of conduct
• Compensation & payroll structure
• Attendance and leave policy
• Benefits like health insurance
• New hire and separation policy
• Workplace safety 
  

Describe all the nuances for each category and conduct a Q&A session to address any queries. The orientation facilitator must make the new employees feel comfortable asking questions freely. 

🏢 Give an office tour

We all need access to office spaces like the pantry or the photocopier. But if you don't give an office tour to a new hire, navigating the workplace facilities becomes tedious.

Show your new hires around to give them a feel for what the office looks like, where everything is, and where they'll be working most days. It can make them feel more connected to the organization from the first day.

Welcome your new employees by allowing them to check in using a QR code, providing a positive first impression and minimizing wait times.

If possible, include visiting other relevant locations such as nearby cafes or restaurants where employees often eat lunch. Show newcomers the parking spots, how the parking management system works, and who they should go to with any questions regarding payroll and benefits, etc.

👩 Introduce new employees to the team

The camaraderie between teammates is vital for an effective and productive team. But, it can take time for an employee to build a relationship with every member. You can help the new hires socialize faster by making introductions. 

Try adding some icebreakers to make introductions enjoyable. Here are some new employee orientation ideas for icebreakers: 

• Take a picture: Let everyone in the team choose a picture in their gallery and share a story. 
• Jenga with a twist: Grab the Jenga blocks and use a marker to write some fun questions on them. Assemble the blocks into a Jenga tower and ask every team member to pull a block. If the employee knocks off the tower, they're supposed to answer the question. 

• What's your life song: Ask them to choose a song that resonated with their life so far. Music is a great way to bind with your peers.
  

These are just a few fun ways to make your new hires feel more comfortable with their new team.

Here are 17 more ideas to make employee onboarding fun.

📦 Create a welcome gift

Welcome gifts posts by new hires on LinkedIn are hard to miss. Since the pandemic's start, it's almost become a tradition to onboard employees using gifts. Employers use these kits to show new (and future) employees that the company cares about its workers. 

Gifting things like coffee mugs, stationery, and stickers -- all with the company logo -- has become very common. There is nothing wrong with onboarding employees with company-branded gifts, but how do you stand out?

You customize the gifts. 

Before the joining day, send all the new hires a questionnaire asking about their favorite:

• TV shows and movies
• Snacks and cuisine
• Novels
• Sports
• Interests and hobbies
  

After you gather data about your new employees' favorites, welcome them using customized gifts like:

• A snack box
•  An accessory of their favorite TV show 
•  A book
• Or anything that aligns with an employee's hobbies

You can use the services of companies like Caroo and Swagup to make gifting easier. 

For more ideas on welcome boxes for new employees, read:

➡️ Welcome package for employees - 10 ideas

📅 Schedule a 1:1 meeting with the manager 

A one-on-one or 1:1 meeting with the project manager or team lead allows new hires to ask questions freely without fear of judgment by other employees.

It also enables the manager to give undivided attention to a new team member, making the hire feel respected. Managers can also use this time to share the technical aspects of the job and resolve any doubts simultaneously.

A 1:1 meeting might not be possible on the first day at big companies as they usually onboard multiple people on the same day. But the benefits of adding one are immense. Moreover, a meeting with the manager can help employees start their role on the right foot.

🗺️ Provide a roadmap for the upcoming weeks

A roadmap gives the new hire a plan of action for the upcoming weeks. 

But why share one in the first place? 

A roadmap can help recently joined employees avoid confusion about their responsibilities and thus improve productivity. It gives the new employees direction to work towards their and the organization's goals with enthusiasm. Failing to provide employees with any advice can cause the failure to channel their spirit and energy into the job.

Netflix shares the roadmap for the first week of their new hires. The roadmap is clear, broad, and specific, making it the perfect start for every employee. Their new hires feel motivated to return the next day and perform well.

🥘 Take new hires for lunch

Do you know what's worse than utter confusion on the first day?

It's feeling like the new kid during lunchtime. And it's not anyone's fault.

Most people like to stick to the people they know. But it means the new hire may feel excluded. If many people join on the same day, you can take the new hires to lunch and ask the company's leadership to accompany them.

The idea is to make socialization easier and avoid the feeling of loneliness. And just like the icebreakers, group lunches may also boost friendliness, which is beneficial for your company and the new hire.

And for continuous lunch dates across the whole organization, consider setting up lunch roulettes.

👬 Set them up with an office buddy

Who's a buddy? 

A buddy is an existing employee who understands the company's culture, is at a similar or identical designation as the new hire, and can help the new employee with ad hoc tasks. They can meet the new hire on their first day, show them around the office, and help them with their doubts about the work and the company. 

A buddy program is a great way to make the new hires feel comfortable and reduce the anxiety associated with joining a new workplace. 

Companies like Microsoft consider having a "buddy program" a significant part of ensuring a positive onboarding experience. 

Want to know how to create an onboarding buddy program?

Read: How and Why to Create an Onboarding Buddy Program (Free Template + Checklist)

❌ 6 Mistakes to avoid during new hire orientation

A new hire orientation is not just about what you should do but also what you must avoid. All your effort will go wasted if you commit these mistakes in your new hires' orientation program.

Disorganization

Nobody likes chaos, especially in a new company. If the processes and schedules are always a mess, the employee will feel like that's how the company functions. And no one likes to work in a chaotic environment. 

New hires will feel valued and prepared for the role if the company's orientation is well-prepared. Have a plan for new hire orientation, stick to a schedule, and send employees the orientation schedule before the joining date.

Poor first impressions

First impressions matter. 

If the HR manager is late, it will communicate that the company doesn't emphasize punctuality. Or suppose the team and HR managers act rude or busy in the first interaction; in that case, the new hires will feel unappreciated. And it might affect their enthusiasm for their work and reduce their productivity. 

Aspire to deliver the best orientation experiences to new employees. 

Making assumptions

Even though you may assume that experienced professionals would know how things work around your office, it's vital to start every orientation by explaining how your business operates. Describe your operations in detail so that new employees know what's expected of them.

Lack of clarity about the expectations

Orientation is a great way to lay the groundwork and be honest about the job's full scope. If you're unable to share clear goals, it may leave the new employees confused, and that's not the best way to channel their enthusiasm. 

And clarity is not the only crucial factor. Don't understate or exaggerate an employee's responsibilities in contrast to what the company communicated during the hiring rounds. Miscommunication is known to hamper team productivity and bonding. 

Overflow of information

It's tempting to speed up the orientation so that new employees can start working at the earliest. But an excess of information can cause new hires to feel overwhelmed and confused.

Planning an all-day event may result in your new hires zoning out by lunchtime. And, who can blame them? No one wants to sit through an entire day on their first day attending presentations.

So, instead, break up the day into several shorter sessions spread over several days. 

Go slow and give them time to settle. Take a few days to complete the orientation process rather than speeding through it in one day.

Neglecting to collect feedback

For a good reason, many people stress the need for feedback. It helps you iterate and make the process better. Whether it's candidate experience or the orientation for new hires, it's crucial to know whether it's effective or not. 

How would you know if your process is outdated?

By asking for detailed feedback. 

At the end of orientation, ask the new employees for their input and what things could have been better. Ask the facilitator to speak briefly with each new hire to understand their opinions about the orientation process. 

⏱ How often should you change your new hire orientation?

If the feedback consistently suggests changes, you need to look at your processes deeply. If the input is good, there is no need to change the orientation process significantly. 

Many professionals might have joined your company after working at a competitor's. Use this opportunity to understand how employee orientation and onboarding are done at other successful organizations and improve accordingly.  

Keep updating your orientation process based on the latest trends and data. If something promising catches your eye, implement it. 

Since you've integrated feedback into your process, you can see how effective each activity is for the engagement of your new hires.

❤️ Create an onboarding experience your people will love

Are you also wasting hours inviting every single new hire to their respective orientation events - depending on their location, starting date, department, etc?

With Zavvy, you can set up your orientation events once - and invite new hires on autopilot.

• Based on the exact criteria you set
• And with data from your HRIS system
• Along with engaging journeys for preboarding and onboarding.

Learn how Zavvy's orientation event scheduling software works

Zavvy also lets you deliver unique onboarding experiences on autopilot. With its time-saving features for HR professionals, you can onboard, train, and connect with your new hires on autopilot.

Boost and channel your new hires' enthusiasm, eagerness, and productivity through our tried and tested software. 

❓ FAQs

How Is employee orientation different from onboarding?

Employee orientation is a subset of employee onboarding and is used to officially welcome an employee to the organization. The goal of orientation is to communicate an organization's mission, culture, and policies to a new hire. It's also an opportunity for an employer to clarify any doubts about payroll, benefits, and the general code of conduct. 

Orientation is the first phase of onboarding and usually happens on the joining day and ends within the first week.

Employee onboarding is a long process compared to orientation and includes training and bringing the employee up to speed. Onboarding starts with an employee accepting the job offer and continues for many weeks or even months in some cases. 

Who is responsible for conducting a new hire orientation?

Ideating and coordinating a new employee orientation is primarily the HR department's responsibility. But every stakeholder (from project manager to a buddy) should take ownership of it by working together to create a welcoming experience for every new employee.