Ideas for a New Hire Orientation

In many workplaces, new employees are shown the ropes at a new hire orientation. Instead of making your orientation process a bland and perfunctory one, spice it up a bit and show your new employees just how enjoyable your workplace can be. By deviating from standard orientation practices just a bit, you make the process of new employee orientation a more worthwhile one for all involved.

Building Scavenger Hunt
1. One of the first things to which new employees are usually treated is a tour of the building facilities. In lieu of this tour, create a competitive activity that accomplishes the same task. Craft a building scavenger hunt for your new employees to complete, asking them to get a box of paper clips from the supply closet, a hanger from the coat room and a package of ketchup from the cafeteria. Reward all orientation members with a prize for gathering the requested items.
Preplanned Modules
2. Instead of moving through your orientation haphazardly, create preplanned modules to guide the process. Divide your orientation into chunks. For example, you could have one chunk dedicated to workplace regulations, another to the operating systems you use and a third to customer satisfaction practices. Create a manual for each section, complete with quizzes and other assessment materials. Print and bind these manuals, and give them to your new employees when they arrive to show them that you have your orientation down to a science.
Shadowing Opportunity
3. Let your new employees see firsthand what working in your organization will be like by starting their experience with a shadowing opportunity. Early in your orientation process, pair your new employees with some old pros. Allow these new workers to follow their partners around for the course of the day, not just seeing what business is like but also potentially making a new workplace friend.
Game Reviews
4. New employees have much to learn during orientation. Make this learning a little more enjoyable by integrating games into your orientation. Conclude each section of learning with a game that allows for review of the material in question. Purchase prizes for your orientation participants to enjoy as a reward for their strong performance.