7 Unwanted Outcomes of a Subpar Employee-Orientation Program

Starting a new job can be overwhelming and intimidating, even under the best circumstances. There is so much information to absorb and so many variables, new faces to recognize and new buildings to navigate. It’s the employer’s responsibility to make new employees feel welcome, familiarize them with their new surroundings, and give them the tools they need to succeed in the new job. Many companies use employee orientation to begin accomplishing all of these goals.

The problem is that not all employee-orientation programs are created equal. In some cases, an employee orientation program that is full of less-than-satisfactory material, presented in a less-than-stimulating manner, can cause more damage than not having one at all. In fact, if you find that your new employees are falling short of your expectations, in addition to looking at your management team, it might be a good idea to also take a look at your employee orientation program to see what changes and improvements can be made.

Quite often, the following problems are a direct result of a subpar employee orientation program.

1. Unsatisfied employees. People prefer to work in an organized environment. We tend to appreciate a workplace where roles are clearly defined and well-planned systems keep everything running smoothly. If you do not offer an employee-orientation program or if the one you have is insufficient or ineffective, your new employees are likely to be unprepared to operate (and succeed) in their new roles. If employees feel like they’re failing, you’ll see an increase in disruptions, a general sense of frustration among your workforce, and a decrease in desired results.

2. Lack of motivation. Typically when new hires show up to employee orientation, they are excited, energetic, and motivated. After all, they are embarking on a new position at a new company and they are looking forward to positive changes in their life as a result of joining your team. Remember, aside from the often-intimidating interview process, your new employee orientation is your opportunity to make a good first impression. A long, boring, and irrelevant employee orientation is the fastest way to turn off new employees and leave them feeling unmotivated about beginning the new chapter. A sense of dread and lack of motivation is the absolute last thing you want when someone walks through your doors to start a new position.

3. Your employees aren’t producing the results you expect. It can be argued that your employees are only as good as you allow them to be. If you want to have successful, high-producing employees, you need to empower and enable them to succeed. That process begins at employee orientation. If your employee-orientation program is unorganized and boring, you can bet that your employees will be equally lacking. When new employees join your team, you are more likely to scrutinize their every move, and early poor performance is often a direct result of the training, or lack of training, you’ve provided.

4. Additional training will be needed. As your new employees emerge into your workplace and attempt to fulfill their new responsibilities, you will be able to determine, sooner rather than later, if they are not performing up to your standards. Although you might not be able to trace this lack of execution to insufficient information and training during employee orientation, you’ll still probably have to invest time and resources to additional training in hopes of increasing their productivity and success levels. The more holes you reveal in your employee orientation and training program, the more time and money you’ll need to spend to put your new employees through additional supplemental training programs.

5. Wasted wages. Depending on the laws in your state, you may be responsible for paying your employees while they go through orientation and training. You will also have to compensate the personnel who prepare and conduct your employee orientation. If your employee-orientation program isn’t producing stellar employees, you’ve been wasting money. Although it might be discouraging to start over from scratch, the real question is: Can you afford not to? Do you really want to continue wasting money on to put new hires through your existing orientation program if it’s not meeting your needs?

6. Uninformed or unaware employees. Employee orientation is meant to deliver information that all new hires need to know. If your employee orientation focuses too much on individual job responsibilities, you may be creating a workforce with little or no regard for others. To keep everything running smoothly, your employees should have (at minimum) a basic understanding of the organization’s culture, mission, vision, and values, as well as some understanding of what each department is responsible for. This information will empower your new hires to be considerate of others and seek assistance through the correct avenues.

7. Turnover. Turnover is one of the most expensive costs any business can incur and should be met head on. When new employee orientation is done correctly, it leads to higher job satisfaction and commitment, decreased turnover, better performance levels, and less stress. The opposite is also true: When new employee orientation is done incorrectly, it leads to decreased job satisfaction and commitment and increased turnover.

You can save yourself, your company, and your employees a lot of time, money, and frustration by investing in a well-organized and effective employee orientation program.