Do you remember your first day on the job? Were you nervous? Curious? Confused? Odds are that first day was both exciting and maybe even a little stressful. You probably didn't know many of your co-workers and wondered how you would fit in. In short, you came to your new job loaded with questions and looking for someone who could provide the answers.

It's in everyone's best interest to help a new employee get off to a good start. A well-designed New Employee Orientation Program can make a difference right away.

Regular Hires
Orienting a regular hire is more complex than doing the same for a temporary worker, but the concepts are quite similar. When you welcome the new employee, provide copies of relevant company information. This can include items like newsletters, orientation and benefits brochures, and an employee handbook.

Make sure the new hire understands that they are responsible for carefully reading the handbook because it provides important information regarding company policies and procedures. It is very common to have them sign and date an introductory or final page in the handbook indicating they have received and read the information.

Getting to Know You
A new employee's first day should be spent getting to know co-workers, managers and the company's operations.

Managers should take an active role, sitting down with new employees and discussing job duties and expectations. New employees will likely have a lot of questions those first few weeks. Make yourself available as often as you can to provide answers and guidance. If you are inaccessible during this time, be sure your new hire has a contact from which they can get direction and answers.

Consider assigning a "mentor" or "guide" to new employees. The guide should introduce the new employee to other people in their department, as well as co-workers in other departments. A "guided tour" of the company facilities will help new employees feel more at ease, but this need not be covered on the first day.

New employees may feel lost or alone if they don't know anyone. Going out to lunch is a great way for new employees to get to know everyone on a more personal level. This can either be an arranged, full-department gathering or an informal get-together with immediate co-workers (smaller groups are less intimidating). This "getting to know you" session can make everyone feel more comfortable and allows new employees to get answers to various questions.

Learning the Basics
If your company has specific rules and regulations regarding behavior, building access, personal interaction, security, parking, etc., a brief, to-the-point information sheet can be invaluable to someone new. A sheet such as this is also helpful if the worker will be performing basic tasks with a specific procedure. It is great reference material and can help free up a manager's time.

Instead of trying to cover everything in one day, take your time answering questions and spread the orientation process out over a week. A new hire can't be expected to remember a huge load of information thrown at them all at once. Extending the process and providing a reference sheet gives new employees time to gradually absorb important information.

Temporary Employees
Temporary employees hired through a staffing agency will have already gone through an orientation. They'll know what it means to work for the agency, what the agency expects of them on the job, and other technical aspects. Expect the agency to have informed them of the temporary position's aspects - the what, why and how long of the position, name of supervisor, dress code, etc. If this is a long-time or continuing client, the agency will probably also provide a basic orientation about the client company and its background.

However, the staffing agency can't cover everything. When the temporary employee arrives, a few minutes of direction and information can make a big difference in initial productivity.

When the temporary worker arrives for the assignment, keep it simple. Resist the temptation to show them everything. You can't cover it quickly enough and you may overwhelm them with too much information. Just knowing where the basics are located (elevators, restrooms, specific offices, etc.) will help. If they need to go somewhere new, they'll find it or ask for directions on their own. They have initiative and will use it.

A temporary worker may quickly become confused if you introduce them to everyone from the founding partner on down. Instead, be sure to introduce them to their immediate work group and give them a contact, a department co-worker or group manager to whom they can go to have any question answered. Encourage your workers to exercise their own mentoring skills.

Remember the information sheet for new employees? Temporary workers want to know the same things. Give them a "head start" in learning basic department procedures and company policies by providing a checklist or information sheet. Share this information with your staffing agency. It'll save time and boost initial productivity, helping them get the job done right the first time.

The Benefits
Dedicating quality time to new employee orientations and getting several people involved can be one of your company's best long-term investments. A new employee who gets off to a good start is more likely to stick with the job, get along with co-workers, contribute new ideas, and speak well about your company to others.