by Edgar Arold

Created on: November 22, 2011   Last Updated: November 23, 2011

Many companies have a process that they require their employees to go through called orientation.  The orientation usually takes place before the employee begins working the job that the individual has been hired for.  Companies have different lengths of time for their orientation, but a week is about the average length of time for the process.  There are several benefits of orientation training for the employees.

One of the benefits of orientation training for employees is the process allows the employees to begin work with a good understanding of how the company works.  For example, if a company hires a man, and on the first day, the man is given three tasks to complete with a brief explanation, the man is likely to make more mistakes than if that same man was trained for a week.  Orientation could almost be compared to practice, and the company gives the employees time to learn and make mistakes in a meeting room instead of on the work floor.  The orientation makes the employees feel more confident in their job before they even start, whereas an hour or two of explanation is not ample enough to give the employees that security.  This is one of the main benefits to the process.

Orientation gives the employees a chance to know all of the benefits the company offers before fully joining the company.  For example, when an employee is hired, that employee knows some of the benefits the company has to offer.  However, it will not be until the orientation process that everything will be explained.  It is at this point that the employee may choose to back out if the benefits are not up to the employee's expectations.  This is a real benefit of the orientation process because it allows the employee to know about what benefits will be offered and allow that employee to ask any relevant questions.

The orientation process will differ in every company in some ways, but for the most part, it is very similar.  The benefits are not just for the employer, but for the employee.  Therefore, more companies should consider having this process if they don't already.  The only negative that a company could bring up is that the company has to pay an employee for time that the employee is not working, but rather learning.  However, this negative is well worth what kind of result the company will get in the future. 

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