The Importance of Orientation in the Modern Organization Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Orientation in the Modern Organization Essay Employee orientation is perhaps one of the most neglected human resource functions in most companies. Providing new employees with a company manual and tons of documents is insufficient in terms of welcoming new employees to the company (Brown, n.d). Most of the time, new employees complain about a completely boring orientation or that they are left in the dark. As a result, the employee becomes confused and unproductive and will probably leave the company in a year’s time (Brown, n. d). This paper will first take a look at the definition of orientation as well as its functions. It will likewise provide some facts and figures related to employee orientation. Finally, it will present salient points to support the statement: An orientation is an important aspect of HR training. What is an Orientation? New employee orientation is the act of welcoming recruits into the organization. In most instances, the orientation program is facilitated by the Human Resources Department.   It provides information about safety, the working conditions, the job responsibilities, benefits and qualifications, corporate culture, history of the company, the organization structure, and other vital information needed in the company (Heathfield, n.d). In most cases, the new employee is introduced to each of the department of the organization. The new hiree usually undergoes an on-the-job training (OJT) to become acquainted with the functions of each department in the company (Heathfield, n.d). Purposes of Orientation New employee orientation involves more than just introducing benefits and welcoming the new employee to other workers. Orientation is a make or break period for the new hirees. Orientation programs conclude the hiring process and ushers in the start of retention (Heathfield, n.d). Orientation programs are not just about laying the cards down on the table. It provides an important phase of the recruitment and retention process. The vital purposes of employee orientation are (Heathfield, n.d): 1. Proper orientation can help lessen expenses in order for an employee to learn about their job (Heathfield, n.d). 2. Orientation programs can help lessen the anxiety of the new employee. Through orientation, the new employee need not guess about what should be done (Heathfield, n.d). 3. Employee turnover is likely if there is no feeling of job security on the part of the employees. An orientation program is an indication that the organization treasures their employees and is keen on helping them succeed in their jobs (Heathfield, n.d). 4. Orientation programs likewise give supervisors and managers more time for their work because they no longer need to spend time to train their new employees (Heathfield, n.d). 5. Proper orientation provides employees a framework of what is expected of them. It gives them a realistic overview of their job responsibilities (Heathfield, n.d). The Stages of Orientation Programs There are various methods used by companies in attracting new employees to their fold. Providing nice compensation package is a vital component of bringing in new employees to a certain company but then again it does not assure retention. In fact, according to new technologies in the workplace, effective orientation is actually the best means of reducing the time it would take for new employees to improve their productivity and increase the possibility that they would not leave the company and seek for greener pastures (Award Staffing, 2007). There are three basic stages of orientation namely general, department, and job-specific orientation. Each phase of the program contains key components which are aimed at providing the best results (Award Staffing, 2007). General Orientation This phase of the orientation program is conducted by a personnel from the human resources department and must be completed by new employees of a company. The aim of general orientation is to welcome new employees, make them feel at ease with the workplace and make them aware of the different communication channels (Award Staffing, 2007). Department Orientation While the general orientation provides complete information, the department level orientation is more specific. The aim of this phase is to provide the new employee with knowledge about what they will be their roles and job in the department where they will be assigned. The person in charge of this orientation is the head of the department where the new employee would be stationed (Award Staffing, 2007). The department orientation gives the new employee the chance to get to know the members of the department (Award Staffing, 2007). The goals of the department orientation is to help the new employee become familiar with their department such as its relation to other departments, area of concentration, and the location of the job-related requirement in the area (Award Staffing, 2007). Job Orientation The last phase of the orientation program highlights the expectations and requirements of the employee in order to fit in to the job. It should be conducted by an expert in the main responsibilities of a position and can teach new employees the skills that are required to become successful in their job assignments (Award Staffing, 2007). The Importance of Orientation Program Although companies provide handbooks and manuals, employees still feel confused, overwhelmed, and unwelcome. When this happens, employees begin to cast doubts on the sincerity of the firm and their decision to leave their old company. Here are some of the common mistakes of companies when it comes to new employee orientation (O’Toole, n.d). †¢ Delighting the new employees with statistics, names, and faces integrated into a single session. †¢ Showing boring video †¢ Providing long lectures †¢ Failure to make preparations for the arrival of the new employee The importance of an employee orientation program cannot be discounted. Just as clients want to be treated well by a certain company, the same treatment is expected by new employees from their new company and co-workers. Here are some reasons why new employee is very important. 1. Good orientation programs can increase the retention capability of a firm. New employees have the habit of evaluating the commitment of their future employers within the initial three months of their employment. 2. Orientation programs do not end on the day of the event. They extend beyond the initial week of an employee’s tenure in the company. By providing appropriate orientation and training, companies can improve the productivity of their new employees. 3. Well-crafted orientation programs can help build better attitude and morale, and improve work satisfaction. The Need for an Orientation Program Several studies have underscored the need for companies to put emphasis on employee orientation. New Employee Orientation Practitioner Consensus Survey In a study conducted by the Institute for Corporate Productivity, it was discovered that most companies do not have a new employee orientation program and the main attraction of these firms are branded items bearing the company’s logo. Likewise, the survey revealed that while majority of these companies provide orientation to their new hirees, over one-fifth of these firms do not care to monitor whether the programs are effective (Oakes, 2007). Jay Jamrog (2007), who is SVP for Research of the company believes that the first few days of a new employee are the most crucial as far as building a positive first impression that results to loyal employees. Firms have the tendency to miss out on the opportunity of impressing new employees as well as pouncing on their strengths and weaknesses. This fact is something that companies would need to consider when implementing orientation programs (Oakes, 2007). In addition, the study likewise revealed that 86% of the respondents have established employee orientation programs. Almost half of these programs are conducted in less than a day with 26% concluding their orientation in two or three days. On the aspect of attracting new employees, 54% said that their company relies on handing out items such as pens, folders, binders, etc. while 12% say they do not do anything (Oakes, 2007). On the aspect of effectiveness of the orientation program, 47% of the respondents said that their company relies on employee feedback, 20% on first-year retention, and 17% monitor the performance ratings. It is odd to note that 22% of the respondents did not monitor the effectiveness of their orientation programs (Oakes, 2007). Moreover, 81% of companies delegate the task of administering orientation programs to the human resources department, 23% involve several departments, and 21% include the department where the new employee will be assigned (Oakes, 2007).

Improving Procurement Lead Times at Hill Air Force Base Essay -- Busin

Improving Procurement Lead Times at Hill Air Force Base In today’s tough economic times organizations need to seriously look at ways to improve their service level, even in the government. With decreasing military budgets and workforce reductions all government agencies need to streamline activities as much as possible to ensure that the taxpayers’ dollars are being spent wisely and the warfighter is being supported. The National Health Service (NHS) of East Midlands, England has established an excellent website, which benchmarks their twelve steps to process improvement on their Improvement Network (NHS - East Midlands, 2012). The website offers many tools and techniques as well as improvement tools that can be used during the process improvement steps. Although many organizations struggle with process improvements, careful analysis suggests that government agencies can reap the benefits of process improvements just as much as other public and private sectors, especially if they follow an organized approach such as the one identified on the NHS improvement network. Step 1 - Choose a Specific Service to Improve The government procurement process can be a daunting task. Whether the acquisition is competitive or non-competitive, procurement lead times can vary greatly depending on the type of procurement. With news stories of impropriety transpiring among the government on a daily basis more oversight is being required during the procurement process which is adding unnecessary time to the procurement lead times. With the increased oversight requirements it has become more difficult to get the necessary products to the warfighter during their time of need, which greatly affects the ability for government procurement offi... ...though some may argue that making improvements within an organization can be difficult. As long as organizations follow the first four steps in process improvement they should be able to operate more effectively and efficiently. In order for organizations to improve their service levels they need to examine both their internal and external processes and determine the steps required to make necessary improvements. It is essential for organizations to reduce operating costs and improve their service level, even in the government. Works Cited Jacobs, F. R., & Chase, R. B. (2010). Operations and supply chain management. (13 ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. MindTools.com. (2012). essential skills for excellent career. Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/ NHS - East Midlands. (2012). The improvement network. Retrieved from http://www.tin.nhs.uk/

The Pantheon: Temple Dedicated to All Gods

Pantheon, temple dedicated to all the gods. The Pantheon of Rome is the best-preserved major edifice of ancient Rome and one of the most significant buildings in architectural history. In shape it is an immense cylinder concealing eight piers, topped with a dome and fronted by a rectangular colonnaded porch. The great vaulted dome is 43. 2 m (142 ft) in diameter, and the entire structure is lighted through one aperture, called an oculus, in the center of the dome.The Pantheon was erected by the Roman emperor Hadrian between AD 118 and 128, replacing a smaller temple built by the statesman Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa in 27 BC. In the early 7th century it was consecrated as a church, Santa Maria ad Martyres, to which act it owes its survival (see Architecture). The term pantheon also refers to a building that serves as a mausoleum or memorial for eminent personages of a country. The most famous example is the Church of Sainte Genevieve in Paris, designed (1764) in the classical style by t he French architect Jacques Germain Soufflot.It was later secularized, renamed the Pantheon, and used as a temple to honor the great of France. Built in Rome, AD c. 118-28, in the reign of Emperor Hadrian, the Pantheon is the best preserved and most impressive of all Roman buildings. It has exerted an enormous influence on all subsequent Western architecture. The Pantheon asserts the primacy of space as contained volume over structure in the most dramatic fashion.From the time of the Pantheon onward, Roman architecture was to be one of spatial volumes. The Pantheon was designed and built by Hadrian to replace an earlier temple established by Agrippa (the misleading inscription in the entrance frieze refers to this earlier edifice). The existing structure is an immense round temple covered by a single dome, fronted by a transitional block and a traditional temple portico of eight Corinthian columns carrying a triangular pediment.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS HUNGER OF MEMORY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Throughout the book and specifically in the chapters, Aria, Achievement of Desire, Credo and Complexion, Rodriguez’s insecurities in English, the resultant isolation or separation and the role played by his family and Catholic Church, have lead to a self-absorbed style with a lot of strain flowing. This style brings up a lot of feelings and emotions that got built up in Rodriguez’s mind, in that phase of his life. Due to the separation he firstly suffered in his class, his emotion bordered on the feeling of loss and that got incorporated into the work. Also, this being the bad phase of his life, he distances from it and so uses the style of aloofness in these chapters. Since, Richard is also a victim of cultural clashes; he brings these elements in these parts of the work. That is, while describing how Hispanic background created the obstacles for him and prevented him from socializing with the fellow students, he uses the social analytical style to describe it. He focuses on his separation owing to his inability to speak English in a manner that resembled the language of the society where he led his life. We will write a custom essay sample on CRITICAL ANALYSIS: HUNGER OF MEMORY BY RICHARD RODRIGUEZ or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Role of Perseverance Another theme that is depicted in the book is the role of perseverance in overcoming one’s weakness. The author, instead of succumbing to his shortcomings, works hard to surmount his limitations. The tone used in the work is always on the positive side and do not go on the negative side. Positive side in the sense, the book contains or creates a tone of optimism for struggling humans in particular boys and girls, who get separated from a group. That is, through the positive tone used, Rodriguez discusses how one should be aware of one’s weakness and the reservations or separations they normally face among his/hers group of friends due to those weakness. Then in the advisory tone, he suggests that it should be removed by working on it. Also, he says that by working on the weakness, one could change it into one’s strong point. Through his hard work and perseverance, the author achieves fluency in English and goes on to complete his university studies. While studying in the fourth grade, Rodriguez starts to read voraciously, as an attempt to improve his reading skills in English. His teachers praised and appreciated his commitment towards his reading activities. â€Å"Librarians who initially frowned when I checked out the maximum ten books at a time started saving books they thought I might like. Teachers would say to the rest of the class, I only wish the rest of you took reading as seriously as Richard obviously does. † (Rodriguez 61).