Orientation determines the success and retention of a new hire.
It’s a necessary element, says employment law attorney and business advisor Katie Pratt of Berg Hill Greenleaf & Ruscitti in Denver.
“It sets a foundation” of what the firm expects of the new employee and what the new employee can expect of the firm.
It’s also legal protection, because it solidifies the office’s policies as well as the at-will employment status.
A pre-first day visit
Begin the orientation with an informal get-to-know-you session several days before the first day of work, preferably at lunch.
Invite the people the newcomer will report to and work with so there’s a face to go with each name.
Spend the time talking about the “overarching” things such as the practice’s history, the partners’ business philosophy, the office structure, and who reports to whom.
A.M. – policies; P.M. – procedures
The first day of work is the day to “lay the groundwork” of what’s expected.
Give the newcomer a copy of the handbook plus “a little time to read it and digest it.” And then discuss it.
Start with the employment law items such as discrimination, overtime, and at-will employment.
Explain the firm’s rules on personal internet and email use, and emphasize that “there is nothing about your communication here that is confidential.”
Pratt cites one client case where the issue was whether private personal information sent over the employer’s system was privileged. And the answer was no. The employer owns the computer and the information on it and can search anybody’s history and anybody’s e-mails.
Go over the job description and the performance standards the administrator expects the new employee to meet.
Along with that, Pratt says, “pull out the evaluation form” and say “these are the things that will make you a successful employee here” or in other words, “to get an A in this class, here’s what you’ll have to do.’”
In too many offices, she says, expectations “seem to get covered only when there’s a problem.” People need to know up front what’s expected of them so the problems don’t occur in the first place.
General practices also need to be covered. Those are things such as how to ask another staffer for assistance and how to handle new-client inquiries and what to say when a client has a complaint.
Also cover the protocols for dealing with weather emergencies and the evacuation plan for disasters.
Then get a signed acknowledgement that the staffer has read the handbook and understands each of the policies. When an employment dispute goes to court, she says, “the first thing the court asks is, ‘what does the policy say?’” And if the employee has signed off on the policy and the employer has followed it, the employer prevails.
Beyond that, give the staffer a tour of the office and point out all the sights “from where the supplies and the copier and the coffee maker are located to where to sit.”
Also show how to use the phone system and the equipment and the basics of the computer – how to log in, how to set a user name, and so on.
Mentor, desk manual, phone list
Pratt makes three other recommendations.
First, name a mentor for the new employee. And she points out that the best mentor programs are those where the two meet regularly, perhaps monthly or even weekly.
Second, give each new hire – as well as each current employee – a desk manual.
It’s a how-to book that answers the questions people often ask and tells whom to call for assistance in certain areas. It can also include copies of memos that have been sent out about office procedures and equipment use.
The manual can be as detailed as the office wants, even telling the best processes for saving documents and how much space is available on the server.
Third, give the staffer a list of all the employees with their phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and, if the firm wants, their cell numbers as well.
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