Without proper training, the first few days at a new job can be daunting. For employers, every day that a new-hire isn’t performing their job function costs them. This document by Monica Woldring provides some useful ideas and suggestions for speeding up the training and initiation process.
No matter how experienced the people we hire, they all need at least some on-the-job training. The sooner new employees get up to speed, the sooner they’ll become contributing members of your organization.
Assign an existing employee as a 'buddy,' responsible for helping the new hire settle in. The best candidates for buddies are employees that will work enthusiastically with the new employee. Don’t use a departing employee as a buddy, since they’ll probably be more concerned about their own future than with how a new employee will fit into the company they’re leaving.
The buddy should start by taking the new person through the office to give them a physical orientation: the location of restrooms, lunchroom, the supply closet, photocopiers, and so forth. In the process, they should introduce the new employee to other staff members.
Every agency has its own system. Make sure the new person learns the methods of your office in order to feel comfortable doing their job. The buddy should explain the filing system. They should show the new person the computer system and how to use it. They need to explain form letters and the suspense system.
The new person will receive so much information on the first day that they might feel unable to process it all. The buddy should be the person that the new employee can question about the agency, its procedures, files, computer programs, rules about coffee and lunch breaks — anything about which the new hire is unsure.
The second important aspect to helping a new employee become a contributing member of the staff quickly is to give them a written job description when they start. This vital reference lists the major responsibilities of their job, allowing the new employee to see what you expect of them. Providing the new person with an organization chart of management responsibilities will help clarify their questions and define their place in the agency (especially in larger organizations).
Depending on the size of the company, it can take a new employee from one day to several days to feel comfortable in their new workplace. The more comfortable they feel, the sooner you’ll be able to profit from their contribution to your firm!