Top 10 Reasons to Switch to Online Employee Orientation

There’s no shortage of information out there about how to craft a successful employee orientation program, but there’s significantly less information for companies that are interested in transitioning their current in-person employee orientation program to an online version. We’re here to change that—and to change the way you think about online employee orientation. That said, here are our top 10 reasons to switch to online employee orientation.

10. The exact same information will be presented every time. When it comes to employee orientation and training, consistency is key. Online employee orientation ensures that every employee receives the same information, delivered in the same manner, every time.

9. The content is customized to meet your needs. It’s your orientation so you determine the flow, the tone, and all the content. Transitioning your employee orientation to an online platform also gives you a great excuse to review your current materials and make whatever changes, updates, or improvements are necessary.

8. New employees can take employee orientation as soon as they’re hired. The onboarding process can be costly and time consuming for everyone involved. Offering your employee orientation online will let new employees begin the process right away which will save the employees (and the company) time, money, and frustration.

7. You don’t have to wait for enough new people to be hired to justify an employee orientation presentation. One of the main complaints that Human Resources departments have during the hiring, onboarding, and training process is that they have to wait until they’ve hired enough new employees to make hosting an orientation worthwhile. Online employee orientation eliminates that problem because each new employee can go through the process immediately, without having to wait for enough people to meet in person.

6. It’s easy to keep track of who has reviewed the orientation materials. One of the most overlooked benefits of an online employee orientation program is that you can run up-to-the minute reports to see who has (or hasn’t) reviewed the materials. There are a number of reports available that will show who has logged into the system, when they logged in, and what they’ve completed. Depending on how the process is set up, you can even arrange to receive notifications when employees complete the materials.

5. Interactive exercises keep everyone focused and engaged. Another one of the main challenges faced by everyone who conducts employee orientation programs is keeping their new hires focused on and engaged with the material being presented. Let’s face it: A lot of the orientation material is dry (maybe even boring at times). Interactive exercises and quizzes can be added to online employee orientation programs to keep newcomers engaged and focused on the important information you want them to retain.

4. Orientation materials are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. There’s no way around it—we’re all busy, and free time is a priceless commodity. Some companies hold new employee orientation sessions prior to the employees’ first day on the job, only to find that some (perhaps many) of the new hires are unable to attend. This is especially true of people who work multiple jobs and are expected to attend orientation sessions scheduled during the hours they’re working another job. When the orientation materials are available online, employees have the ability to review them when and where it’s convenient.

3. Your HR staff will have more time to work on other projects. By moving your orientation online, you free up your human resources staff to work on any number of other tasks and projects. They can still be available to new employees who have questions about the orientation materials but they no longer have to host the hours-long employee orientation sessions or spend weeks preparing the materials.

2. Your new employees will thank you for letting them review the materials when it’s convenient for them. Employee orientation is your first chance to make a good impression, and allowing new hires to review employee orientation materials when they have the time do so will make an awesome first impression. Early risers can read the materials first thing in the morning while everyone else is still asleep, and the night owls can do it in the middle of the night when they’re feeling energized.

1. And the number one reason to put your employee orientation online: It will save you money! By abandoning the in-person orientation process and switching to online employee orientation, some companies have saved as much as 70% of their annual employee orientation costs.