Why is the first day on the job often the worst?

June 24, 2013 | 15:16
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New employees tend to be greeted with stacks of benefits paperwork, technology hassles and dull presentations about company culture.


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But some companies - hoping to create a first impression that really counts -are turning to orientations that seem more collegiate than corporate, complete with co-worker networking sessions, time for new employees to tout their skills and even office wide scavenger hunts.

It is the latest attempt by firms to make onboarding - the process of absorbing new hires and getting them up to speed - more effective.

A bad or underwhelming start in a new role may lead to higher rates of quitting because many workers decide whether to leave or stick with a company in the early months, studies show. The first few weeks on the job are the first time the employee has the ability to look at a job from the inside.

Most orientations emphasize corporate values, culture and strengths. But a growing body of research suggests that encouraging newcomers to demonstrate what they bring to the company - rather than a lecture on the company mission - may lead to better retention and performance.

Benefits paperwork does get done at some point; Facebook Inc., among others, sends new hires key documents to complete before their start date.

That frees employees to do other important things, such as getting to know colleagues. New workers stay on the job longer when they’re plugged into a social group early on.

Google Inc., which onboarded some 5,000 new hires in 2012, has experimented with its orientation procedures to help new staffers, dubbed “Nooglers,” make more social connections and get up to speed more quickly. For instance, the company has tested whether the size of an orientation group affected how new workers assimilate.

Google’s finding: Workers who went through orientation in cohorts of about a dozen people felt more comfortable and created stronger social bonds than those put into larger groups. But the group size didn’t seem to have a significant effect on productivity, Google found.

Source: forbes.com
Source: http://www.navigossearch.com

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