Leveraging Orientation as a Cultural Tool

Change is constant in today's best practice organizations, and often the changes are dramatic and swift. Yet changing the culture to support the new organization is a slow and sometimes difficult process. Leveraging the organization's new employee orientation process as a key tool in the change strategy can help to ensure that new employees are oriented to the new positive culture that is being created.

This second installment in this two-part series on new employee orientation explores the recent trend towards leveraging orientation as a cultural tool. The other recent key trend discussed in the first installment, the utilization of online tools in orientation, will be further explored in the context of how online orientation can contribute to organizational culture.

"If a company's orientation program does not include discussions and opportunities for employees to learn about the company culture, expectations, norms, and strategic plans, then a critical link in the process of creating a planned culture, with employees aligned with strategic goals, is lost," says Doris Sims, author of Creative New Employee Orientation Programs. [1]

New employee orientation can play a significant role in helping new employees understand the business, learn about vision and values and how they are applied every day, and immersing new employees in the culture. The most powerful new employee orientation programs are designed to not only reflect the organization's unique culture, but also begin to immerse the employee in that culture.

Yet, given the realities of operating a complex business, delivering effective orientation can be a challenge.

A Blended Approach to Building Culture

Consider the paradox of traditional group orientation. Gathering new hires gather for a day of presentations is one of the most popular orientation methods, but also poses significant challenges.

First and foremost, there is often a gap between when new employees start and when they attend orientation, sometimes as much as three months. Group orientation can also be hard to coordinate, with many presenters to schedule. And with so much information to share in limited time, the unfortunate result can be a long day of one-way presentations and little meaningful dialogue. Important messages such as organizational values might be allocated as little as 15 minutes on the agenda.

Yet group orientation has the potential to be a powerful communication vehicle. The very concept of new hires interacting with thought leaders in the organization has incredible merit.

Enter online tools. When orientation is made available to new hires immediately on day one through online orientation, or even before, the introduction to organizational culture can begin immediately.

Of course, online orientation does not preclude a group orientation. What online tools do is begin to instill the culture from the first day upon which a group orientation can build at a later date. In fact, in a survey of organizations that have implemented online orientation, 64% still conduct a group orientation in addition to online components. [2]

When online orientation is used in a blended approach with face-to-face elements, orientation has the potential to become a very powerful tool for not only introducing a new hire to the culture, but to actually build culture through the orientation process.

Online Introduction to Organizational Culture

The process begins with online orientation through which all employees, regardless of their location or start date, are provided with an introduction to the organization.

In terms of culture, through online orientation new employees are introduced to the organization's vision, mission and values. While most online orientations include this type of information in a one-way presentation format, when this combined with interactive learning activities, employees can begin to experience the culture.

For example, by playing an online game on organizational values or participating in a web-conference with the CEO, learning about the organization's culture is deepened. Retention of key principles and philosophies is also increased.

An effective online orientation also provides an opportunity to for new hires to learn about organizational structure, operations, products, policies and benefits. By including these components in an online orientation, the need to deliver these components face-to-face is eliminated - thus freeing up time for more meaningful discussions when follow-up orientation workshops are held.

As online orientation is timely, it is a particularly powerful tool in organization culture change. Rather than being indoctrinated to the old culture by resisters of the change while they wait for a group orientation session or depending entirely upon their supervisor to describe the new culture, with online orientation the new hire 'meets' the new culture immediately. This is especially impactful as new employees are most open to learning when they first start.

Managers play an important role in online orientation through reinforcement and coaching, providing additional opportunities for employees to experience the culture. Training managers in their role is key to success in this area.

Group Orientation as a Culture Building Tool

Participating in a face-to-face orientation session, where groups of new hires meet and interact with key players in the organization, is still the optimum way to immerse new employees into the culture of the organization. Research from Ohio State University has shown that employees who participate in group orientation demonstrate a greater commitment to the organization than those who did not participate. [3]

When a foundation is provided through online orientation, a month or two later group orientation is able to continue the process of introducing new hires to the organization's culture.

In fact, with online orientation in place, group orientation sessions can actually become even better tools for building culture and provide higher value to the organization. For example, if the online orientation is designed in an interactive manner, with building culture in mind, recently hired employees will arrive at follow-up group orientation workshops with a fairly good understanding of the organization's vision, values and ways of doing business. This allows facilitators of group sessions to focus discussions at a deeper level. Group orientation sessions can also be more focused on important content, as it is not necessary to burn up time in group sessions reviewing policies and benefits, as these have already been covered online.

The key in building culture through orientation workshops is to focus the content on issues that contribute to culture - vision, mission, values and current business strategy - and making these discussions meaningful. That means going beyond PowerPoint presentations.

For example, engaging discussion on topics such as, "What does it mean to live our values day to day?" or "How does our customer service differentiate us from our competitors?" deepens learning. A well designed game or experiential activity that involves an exploration of vision and values in depth, in small groups, can be a meaningful activity in building culture. These types of activities are most powerful after employees have worked with the organization for a period of time.

Making the most of senior executives during their participation during group orientation is critical. Avoid locking these thought leaders into making structured presentations. Instead, create an environment where they can talk passionately about the future direction of the organization or to lead learning activities based on key content.

Even if the organization does not employ online orientation, it is possible to build culture through dynamic group orientation sessions. The challenge is in finding innovative and time-effective ways to cover off the basics, and focus in on the cultural aspects of orientation - with sufficient time and interaction.

Orientation Branding That Reflects Culture

A somewhat simpler, but no less important, aspect of introducing new hires to the organization's culture is reflecting that culture through branding of the orientation program.

Fortunately, this is relatively easy to do, and can be achieved through overall design, a mascot or orientation guide and icons. Many organizations use a theme for their orientation program and, carefully selected, such a theme can reinforce the culture.

Ensuring continuity in both branding and messages between all aspects of the orientation program - the online interface, workshop materials and paper-based support tools - is important in reinforcing culture.

Don't Miss the Opportunity

Is your organization missing the opportunity to leverage new employee orientation as a tool for building culture?

"Organizations that skimp on orientation programs not only shortchange the employee; they also miss the perfect opportunity to communicate and help the employee embrace and internalize the organization's philosophy, values, norms and culture," stresses Karen Lawson, author of New Employee Orientation Training. [4]

If you haven't made the connection between orientation and culture, take the time to step back and look at your entire orientation process from an organizational culture perspective. Chances are you'll find plenty of opportunities to make enhancements that will not only introduce new employees to your culture, but will immerse them in what's unique about your organization. Seize the opportunity to begin building culture from day one.