FAQs: How Do I Convert My Employee Orientation to an Online Presentation?

As more and more companies begin to consider the idea of putting their employee orientation online, we find ourselves fielding many of the same questions over and over again. For example, “What do I need to do?” is a popular question, as is “How do I start?” Not to mention the ever popular “Wait. What? Employee orientation can be done online?” We’re happy to answer all the calls and emails and we love to talk to clients and prospective clients, but we thought it might be helpful to answer the most commonly asked questions right here, for everyone to see. And since you already know the top two questions, we’ll start there.

What do I need to do?

If you’re still undecided, we’re here to help! We’ll talk you through the whole process, starting with an overview of your current employee orientation process and a review of your materials. After that, we’ll work together to devise a plan of action.

How do I start?

After you make the initial (and exciting) decision to create an online version of your employee orientation, the next step is to review your current program and decide what content to use in the online presentation. (Tip: Even if you haven’t decided to convert to an online version, it’s always a good idea to periodically review your materials and remove what no longer works and update information that’s out of date.)

Will this really save me time?

Yes! Online employee orientation will substantially reduce the amount of time you’ve been spending making copies, compiling handouts, and collecting forms. Even if you choose a blended approach to employee orientation (offer some information online and host an in-person presentation), the in-person session won’t last nearly as long. Bottom line: However you mesh online training into your employee orientation, you’re guaranteed to have more time to work on other things.

Won’t online training take away the personal interaction?

This is another question we hear all the time—and we get it. New hires need to spend time with their supervisors and co-workers and they need to feel personally welcomed to your organization. We tend to answer this question with some questions of our own, namely “do you really need to gather people together to tell them about time off and health insurance or can that information be disseminated in another way?” Consider this for a second: If your current employee orientation process requires hundreds of new employees to gather for several hours to go over materials, how much personal interaction are you really getting with each of them?

Basically, there are other, better, ways to get to know your new employees than spending time in a room with them while they labor over forms and policies. If you take all forms and policies out of the mix, just think about how much quality time you’ll be able to dedicate to nurturing a long-term relationship with your new employees.

Along the same lines, even if you do a full-blown online orientation program, we still recommend adding some face-to-face interaction to start the relationship-building process. There are so many ways to get facetime with new hires—staff retreats, social events, mentoring programs, on-the-job training.

Can I make online employee orientation interactive?

Yep! For one thing, with an online presentation, new hires can choose what materials they want to read first instead of following along with the facilitator. There will be a table of contents available but, unless you dictate the order in which your employees read the materials, they can start with whatever is most interesting to them and go from there.

In addition to the ability for new hires to “choose their own adventure,” if you will, there are countless other ways to make your online orientation program interactive. eLearning allows for as much creativity as you, and your budget, can handle. For example, we can add links to other resources, downloadable forms, interactive exercises, quizzes, and an eSignature at the end. We can also embed video, add thought-provoking games, interactive maps, and staff pictures that flip over to offer biographical information. If you’re currently asking for feedback after your employee orientation, you can continue to do so with an online evaluation at the end. (Tip: If you’re not currently collecting feedback, it’s probably a good idea to do so.)

Can I add video?

Not only can you add video, we encourage you to do so. Including video in your online employee orientation will make the program more engaging and help you build trust among the new hires. You can add any video you currently have or want to produce. Many companies start their online employee orientation program with a short welcome video, which is a great way to introduce new hires to the company and thank them for being a part of your team. Depending on your budget, you can create and add videos for any number of topics including compensation and benefits, safety procedures, and more.

What will the online employee orientation look like?

We provide our clients with a basic template but encourage creativity. All employee orientation programs can be branded with your logo, custom images, and color scheme to reflect your company’s unique culture and voice. Our template includes a progress bar at the top (so new hires know exactly how much work they have ahead of them) and a table of contents along the left side, but other than that, we’ll work with you to make your employee orientation yours.

Will my employees like online orientation?

We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from clients who’ve chosen to make the leap to online employee orientation. But we know better than anyone that no one likes change. Deciding to make a change can be more difficult than implementing the change. Here’s the good news: Once the mindset around your office has changed and people realize that employee orientation actually doesn’t have to be completed in person, they’ll start to appreciate the time savings and convenience benefits of conducting orientation online. And even better, letting your new hires choose when to tackle the orientation program, and the order in which they review the topics, will empower and engage them more than ever before.

What if my employees don’t have a computer or internet access at home?

A 2015 Pew Research Center survey revealed that 68% of U.S. adults have a smartphone and 45% of adults have a tablet. Along the same lines, a 2014 Pew Research Center survey showed that 73% of U.S. households have a computer with a broadband connection to the internet. That’s good news for online training that can be done on any web-enabled device, whether it’s a computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. A more recent 2016 Pew Research Center survey revealed that only 13% of U.S. adults do not use the internet. While all these statistics lead us to believe that most of your new hires will be able to access online employee orientation at home, we know there’s a chance some will not be able to do so.

To accommodate employees who do not have access to a computer or internet, some organizations make their computer labs or individual computers available as needed. Other options include using a computer at a friend or family member’s house or going to the public library.

How much will this cost?

By switching to online employee orientation, some of our clients have saved as much as 70%.