5 Tips for Handling Difficult School Employee Orientation Issues

Preparing a school employee-orientation program can be a time-consuming and difficult task that requires a great deal of planning and foresight. Regardless of how much time and effort is put into the planning, HR directors are always left wondering if the employee-orientation program is too long, too boring, too detailed, too…whatever. There are countless issues that can pop up before, during, or after your employee orientation so today we’re going to talk about some of the biggest obstacles you may face and offer tips on how to handle them.

The Problem: Getting employees to actually look forward to orientation.

Not only do employees not look forward to their orientation, in many cases they dread it.

The Solution: Let employees know what’s in it for them.

While you may never succeed in getting all your employees pumped up to attend school employee orientation, you can get them to buy into the fact that it will be worth their while. If you set your employee-orientation program up for success, word will spread and your employees will recognize (and appreciate) your efforts.

The Problem: Making the orientation worth their time and yours.

Sometimes school employee orientation programs are overzealous—there’s just too much information included. While it may seem wise to deliver as much information as possible, this strategy can backfire if the employees get overwhelmed and tune out or immediately forget what they’ve been told.

The Solution: Cut the fluff.

The only way to do this is to make sure you only include useful and relevant information that will empower your employees to be as successful as they can be throughout their time at your school.

The Problem: The content is dull.

Okay let’s face it, school employee-orientation information can be hopelessly boring, and listening to it can feel like trudging through mud. But just because it can be that way, doesn’t mean that it has to be that way.

The Solution: Use creative and engaging aids.

One way to spice up the dullest information is to make it engaging and entertaining. Consider introducing interactive exercises or games focused around each chunk of content. Challenging your new employees in this manner will not just help them retain the information, it will also allow them to have fun while learning. Don’t lose sight of the fact that at least some parts of your employee-orientation program are going to be mind-numbingly boring. If you can find a way to keep it engaging and fun, you’re halfway there.

The Problem: Your employees are moving.

More often than not, employee orientation is offered only to new hires. This could mean they’re coming from another school down the road, from the next town over, or from out of state—all of which can make it difficult for them to attend your scheduled in-person employee orientation sessions.

The Solution: Create an online orientation.

There are numerous benefits to offering you school employee orientation in an online format, the biggest one being that it’s more convenient for everyone. New employees can access the orientation materials from anywhere at any time and administrators don’t have to spend as much time preparing the materials to distribute in person.

It’s easier than you might think to transform your traditional orientation program into an online version, but the same rules of engagement apply. Be sure to keep the presentation relevant and interesting by including videos, visual aids, and interactive exercises or games just as you would in the traditional model. You may also want to include a brief quiz at the end of each section that employees have to pass in order to move on to the next module. Quizzes and eSignatures are a great way to ensure that the materials have been read and understood.

The Problem: Your school employee-orientation program is way too long.

In many cases, school-employee orientations can get bogged down with tons of nonessential details. As previously mentioned, too much information can overwhelm your employees and cause them to lose focus. Bottom line: If your employee orientation drags on too long, it will be totally ineffective because you’ll lose your audience’s interest along the way.

The Solution: Edit your content.

Before you finalize your school-orientation program, review all your materials and determine if anything can be cut out. In other words, eliminate the fluff. Ask yourself if everything is critical to your employees’ success. If not, cut it out.

If you utilize some of these tips, your school employee-orientation program should run smoothly and properly prepare your new hires to succeed in their jobs.