New Employee Orientation

John P. Wanous

New employee orientation occurs in almost every type of organization: schools, colleges, work organizations, government agencies, social/religious/volunteer organizations, the military, and prisons. The common objective is to help newcomers make a smooth transition from outside to inside the organization. Despite the widespread use of newcomer orientation, very little research has been conducted about it when compared with other types of staffing activities, such as interviewing, testing, and recruitment sources. Although most organizations have common objectives for newcomer orientation, the methods used vary considerably both by organization type (e.g., military versus voluntary organizations) and even within a particular type of organization (e.g., work organizations). We begin with a definition of newcomer orientation by comparing it with organizational socialization. Following this comparison, seven recommended principles for conducting newcomer orientation are presented. A definition of newcomer orientation should address four questions: (a) Who is involved? (b) When does it occur? (c) What teaching ...

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