{"id":29017,"date":"2014-08-15T17:10:35","date_gmt":"2014-08-15T21:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/?p=29017"},"modified":"2022-08-22T11:55:44","modified_gmt":"2022-08-22T15:55:44","slug":"new-employee-orientation-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joangarry.com\/new-employee-orientation-process\/","title":{"rendered":"A Slam Dunk New Employee Orientation Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You go to the Apple Store. You meet an army of smiling (not in that Stepford Wives kind of way), diverse and wildly capable Apple employees who are waiting to solve all your problems. Because they all believe deeply that Apple makes products that change peoples\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they\u2019re amazing. How do they find these people? I\u2019ve said it myself — I would hire anyone I\u2019ve ever worked with at the Genius Bar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do they do it? Sure, they hire smart people. But it\u2019s more than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quite simply, they have an amazing employee orientation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t, Apple has a lot to teach you. I\u2019ll lay it all out for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And at the end of this post, I also have a special treat — a detailed plan you can download and implement at your nonprofit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

DO YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION PLAN?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>How well do you orient your new employees? Are they oriented? Or disoriented? Does your new staff orientation look like this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere\u2019s the staff directory. Oh, wait. She\u2019s not here anymore. Oh darn. He relocated to our regional office. Geez, we need to update this thing. Anyway, I have to go to a meeting and we\u2019ll definitely catch up when I get back. Introduce yourself around.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Am I close?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I completely get it. You\u2019re busy. You finally filled that open position (and you\u2019ve been doing <\/em>that job while interviewing) and you just can\u2019t wait to shift all that work to your new hire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So you don\u2019t wait. You start shifting right away because you\u2019re so busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too busy to do one of the most important things you can do to ensure staff productivity and retention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

APPLE’S FIVE STAR ORIENTATION<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This week, a front page New York Times<\/em> offered readers a glimpse into the Apple orientation process<\/a>. It\u2019s called Apple University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, it\u2019s a big deal and expensive. (\u201c\u2026 even the toilet paper in the bathrooms is really nice,\u201d said one employee). But stay with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are five things you can borrow (steal?) from Apple\u2019s employee orientation and implement at your nonprofit right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1)\u00a0Have one<\/strong>. A great employee organization ensures that your new employees know it\u2019s not just a job; it\u2019s a vocation. If you want a data entry person to see a donation as a roof over someone\u2019s head rather than just a piece of paper, you need a great orientation. Think about those Apple employees. Why are they so different from the folks at other retail stores? One reasons is that Apple invests in their employees and we know that makes a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) It\u2019s not just an orientation; it\u2019s a welcome<\/strong>. Demonstrate the new person\u2019s value from the moment they walk in the door. Plan for their arrival. What would you want YOUR first day to look like? You\u2019d at least like to talk to a very senior person who tells you how glad she is to have you on board, right? What materials might they want to read before they even set foot in the office? What do you want your new staffer to say to their partner (or pet) when they get home after day 1? Make that happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) <\/strong>Keep it simple.<\/strong> At the end of the day, it\u2019s all really simple. It\u2019s about the mission. It\u2019s not a laundry list of activities or programs. It\u2019s about an overriding theme that brings all employees together. Make sure that thread is bright red and clear from day 1.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) <\/strong>Communications. <\/strong> One of Apple\u2019s classes is called \u201cHow We Communicate At Apple.\u201d<\/em> Brilliant. Be sure your orientation incorporates the value of clear communication up, down and with peers. Maybe toss in a bit of email etiquette and a bit about the value of direct feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5) <\/strong>What Makes Your Organization Unique? <\/strong>An employee should tell her cat that first night that she feels lucky to have joined your organization. And not just because of the mission. Should be more than that. Whether it\u2019s about how you all work, the culture of your organization, your nonprofit\u2019s core values, whatever it might be. We had a TV in our lunchroom space at GLAAD; many lunch hours included 30 minutes of some cheesy soap opera. Yes, of course it had a gay character that allowed it to pass as work, but it was part of our culture. Take a break, have a laugh and do it with a group of colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A TEMPLATE FOR A NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION PROCESS<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And now for that special treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Download my free EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION GUIDE<\/a>. It will help you create your own employee orientation process that would even impress the Dean at Apple University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pass this along to others. Build some consensus. Let me know where you land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you want to be notified of future tools like this one, make sure you\u2019re subscribed<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An orientation is key to productivity and retention and helps turn a nonprofit job into a vocation. Plus, a detailed plan you can download and implement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":29023,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,29,18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29017","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ceo","category-staff","category-senior-staff"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Slam Dunk New Employee Orientation Process<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An orientation is key to productivity and retention and helps turn a nonprofit job into a vocation. 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