Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Job orientation
When the best potential employee has been found, the successful applicant must be intro-
duced to the job. Every time someone is hired, the organization is betting heavily on that
person's success. The right start, quick adjustment, and future productivity depend on effec-
tive
job orientation
. At the start, the new employee is more receptive than at any other time
to developing the attitudes necessary to produce a long-lasting and successful career. Texas
Instruments determined that employees who completed their orientation reached full pro-
ductivity two months faster than those who did not do so. Corning Glass determined that
employees were 69 percent more likely to remain with them after three years if they com-
pleted their orientation program. Job orientation involves four major steps:
1.
Introducing the company to the employee
2.
Establishing job relationships and encouraging familiarity with the facilities
3.
Helping the employee to begin the job
4.
Following up and evaluating the employee's adjustment
The fi rst step in orientation is helping the new employee better understand the company and
the job. This is a very important step and the amount of time devoted to it will depend on the
position and the company. A part-time employee in a retail farm supply business may get a
very brief orientation. A new sales hire in a large, complex agribusiness may well have an
orientation program that lasts a full year.
At this point, the history, nature, and scope of the organization, and information relative to
hours of work, pay, benefi ts, rules or restriction, company policies, regulations, overtime, spe-
cial programs, and facilities should be reviewed. Of course, the new employee will not be able
to remember all this information, so it is helpful for it to be written down for future reference.
In a small organization, this may involve a couple of copied sheets in a folder; in a large organ-
ization, it may take the form of an employee handbook. A tour of the entire facility will help to
foster an overview of the organization and an understanding of where the employee fi ts in.
Again, in a larger company, this process may involve an extended period of job shadowing.
The second step is establishing
job relationships
. Here supervisory responsibility should
be outlined. The new employee should be introduced to their new supervisor, if this person
is different than the one who interviewed candidates, fellow workers, and to the union stew-
ard if there is one. The physical layout, parking, washrooms, lunchroom, etc., should be
pointed out. The immediate supervisor should review work-related matters, such as safety
regulations, and job expectations. It is often helpful to assign a new employee a “buddy” or
“mentor” who will help that person get acquainted and feel at home in the new job.
The next step is helping the employee to actually begin the job. Supplies, safety devices,
equipment operation, work accessories, and the like should be discussed, even if the new
employee has previous experience. After these explanations, the supervisor should allow the
new employee to try the job. The speed of this phase will vary according to the level and
complexity of the job and the employee's skills. The supervisor should not try to push too
much information on the new employee at once, but should let learning occur step by step.
The supervisor should be sure to stress the required work habits and the norms and expec-
tations of job performance. Again, a fellow worker assigned as a buddy can be helpful in
giving the new person proper orientation. Managers must recognize that, like it or not, much
of what the new employee learns about how to do the job and about work habits and attitudes
will come from fellow workers. So, if rules are specifi ed on paper but never enforced, the
