FHH Consultants are at the forefront of providing personalised plans and processes to enhance the overall strategic and operating model of an organisation. As part of our unique service proposition of Human Resources, one of our sub-sets includes staff induction.
We encapsulate the ever-changing environment with the organisational culture and requirements by solidifying work relationships and workplace forums to enhance the lines of communication.
To begin with, it would be important to understand the core differentiating factors between onboarding and orientation. Onboarding and orientation are two separate but related processes that are used to welcome and integrate new employees into an organisation.
Onboarding is the process of assimilating new employees into the organisation and helping them to feel comfortable and productive in their new roles. This process typically begins when an employee is offered a job and continues for several months or even a year after they start working. Onboarding activities can include training, mentoring, and providing resources to help employees learn about the organisation’s culture, policies, and procedures.
Orientation, on the other hand, is a more specific and shorter process that is typically completed within the first few days or weeks of an employee’s tenure. Orientation activities include providing new employees with information about the organisation, its policies, and its culture. This information is usually provided through a combination of formal training and informal conversations with colleagues and managers. Orientation also includes providing new employees with the necessary information and resources to perform their jobs, such as access to equipment, software, and other tools.
Virtual and online onboarding and orientation are processes that allow new employees to learn about and become familiar with their new organisation, even when they are working remotely. During the pandemic and the new post-pandemic world, new processes and practices are required. The benefits of virtual and online onboarding and orientation include:
- Convenience: Virtual and online onboarding and orientation can be completed at the new employee’s convenience, which can make it easier for them to balance their work and personal responsibilities.
- Cost-effective: Virtual and online onboarding and orientation can be less expensive than in-person onboarding and orientation, as it eliminates the need for travel and accommodation costs.
- Access to information: Virtual and online onboarding and orientation can provide new employees with easy access to all of the information they need to know about the organisation, its policies, and its culture.
- Flexibility: Virtual and online onboarding and orientation can be customised to meet the needs of different employees, which can help to make the process more effective for everyone.
- Time-efficient: Virtual and online onboarding and orientation can be completed in a shorter amount of time than in-person onboarding and orientation, which can help new employees to become productive more quickly.
To implement virtual and online onboarding and orientation, organisations can use a variety of tools such as:
- Online Learning Management Systems (LMS): These systems can be used to create and deliver online training programs, which can be accessed by new employees at any time.
- Video Conferencing: Video conferencing can be used to conduct virtual meetings, which can be used to introduce new employees to their team, and other colleagues.
- Virtual tours: Virtual tours can be used to give new employees a sense of the organisation’s physical environment, such as its offices and facilities.
- Chat or Instant Messaging: Chat or instant messaging can be used to provide new employees with quick answers to their questions and to provide ongoing support as they become familiar with their new organisation.
- Email and file sharing: Email and file sharing can be used to provide new employees with the relevant information that they require to conduct their tasks.
In summary, virtual onboarding provides a flexible, cost-effective, and efficient way to welcome and acclimatise new employees, while also improving engagement and retention.
For more information regarding our in-depth service Human Resource Service offering and how we can tailor-fit requirements according to your organisational processes, contact FHH Consultants today.