Make your New Employee Orientation Program Effective with Technology – 5 Points

new hire training program


Technology is changing the way we live, work, think and most importantly LEARN.
With global Internet penetration at an all time high of 2.27 billion (at the end of 2012), leveraging technology for HR is a great opportunity for companies to drive employee engagement. New Employee Orientation Program is one such HR area. Research by Hewitt Associates revealed that companies who invested the most time and resources in Onboarding, enjoyed the highest levels of employee engagement.
The success of any HR initiative in an organization is a function of proper communication, employee engagement and clear business goals. It is no different for a new employee orientation program. Here are five points to make your new employee orientation program effective with technology.

1. Communication during the Pre joining phase – Let’s Talk

Constant communication with the new hire during the pre-joining phase may prove challenging because of the location of the new hire. VoIP applications like Skype can make up for the missing human contact and help reduce anxiety and prepare them to step in and learn right off the bat. This also gives the hiring manager time to assess the needs of the new hire and be prepared for the D-Day.

2. Onboarding Remote Teams – Default to Communicate

Working remotely is a common aspect of almost all the jobs around the world today. While Skype or any other VoIP application can be used for basic communication, SlideShare, Content Management Systems, Lotus Sametime Notes etc are other tools that can be leveraged during the Onboarding process. Podcasting, ZipCast, YouTube, Live-Stream, Webinars etc can be used to transcend the gap of working in remote teams. HR managers can address the pre-joining phase of remote teams as well with these tools.

3. Employee Engagement – Vital to a New Employee Orientation Program

A well-defined and interesting Onboarding process ensures that the new hire continues to receive enough attention and remains engaged during the Onboarding process. Let us see how technology can bring in some excitement.

  • Gamification – Automating the routine basics of new employee orientation like forms management, tasks management, culture and history of company etc in the form of Word Documents, PDFs, PowerPoint presentations, and Audio Visuals will address the monotony of these activities. Assessments, Progress charts, instant feedback and leader boards will prove to be motivational factors for new hires to engage themselves in onboarding activities and enjoy healthy competition.
  • Impact of Social – The impact of social media on today’s workforce can be used to advantage by providing a space of interaction for the new hires. Social learning platform such as Mindtickle can provide the perfect platform for social interaction, projecting information about the company and to connect with colleagues thus forging invaluable connections.
  • Web based learning can be effective ways of training and teaching as they not only bring in high level of employee engagement but keep the new hires on the path to continuous learning any time anywhere.

4. Analytics – The Power of measurement

Assessment of New Employee Orientation programs has always been a challenge for organizations. Now, owing to technology, internet, gamification and associated analytics, it is possible to measure outcomes. With this feedback, HR Managers can iterate the programs in line with their objectives.

5. Reuse and Repurpose – Save Costs and Improve Productivity

We all learn differently. Customizable computer based training programs offer a flexible way of putting together a suitable package with select modules that suit the specific new hire’s Onboarding needs. HR Managers save time and Organizations benefit.

Technology is at best an enabler and it is important that it does not compromise the human element of a new employee orientation program.

Have you leveraged technology for any of the above reasons?