COMM 3020

Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

TO: Stephen Hall, General Manager, James Bay Company

FROM: Leigh Malloy, Human Resources Manager, James Bay
Company
DATE: July 31, 2015
SUBJECT: Informal Analytical Report for Recommendations
on Implementing Orientation Sessions for New Hires

Introduction:
This informal analytical report is in response to the request made by
the James Bay General Manger (London, ON). The response will
address the request for recommendations regarding new hires to the
James Bay Company. Specifically, the report will outline how to help
acclimatize new hires to the James Bay Company business. The report
will analyze the consulted research that examines best practice for
how to implement these sessions so that they may operate most
effectively.
Problem:
The report examines research and relevant data. Four key
recommendations will be discussed in order to guide best practice for
acclimatizing new hires. Inadequate or ineffective orientation sessions
may affect the company at many levels. It will affect the new
employees ability to perform and feel comfortable with their new role
and responsibilities. At the customer level, it may create frustration or
loss of sales and business if the new hire is unable to meet the
expectations of the customer due to lack of effective training. In the
long run, ineffective orientation sessions may end up costing the
company extra time and money. This would be due to the time it would
take to address and rectify issues that could be resolved by
implementing effective on-boarding sessions to acclimatize new hires.
A highly effective on-boarding process will also help to support the new
employees while they are learning their new role within the company.

COMM 3020
Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

This will in turn make the experience a positive one, and they may feel
more confident in their role and ability to perform.

Significance:
Before addressing the recommendations, it is imperative to further
outline the significance of addressing the concern of effective onboarding within the company. The importance of analyzing the best
approach for implementing orientation session is as follows:
- consistent orientation and on-boarding sessions will aid in enforcing
and
maintaining company protocol, practices, and procedures
- improved orientation sessions will reduce conflicting ideas and
perceptions
regarding company policies
- orientation sessions are an effective socialization tool, which will
improve team
dynamics
- uniform understanding and implementation of policies and
procedures will result
in a better customer experience, as it will reduce potential
frustrations of
customers
Research:
As stated by the HR Council, effective orientation sessions will,
increase that employees chances of being successful. This could
increase employee retention which saves the organization time and
money in recruitment in the long run (HR Council, 2014, p.1). To
achieve this, there are three steps that the employer must take before
orientation sessions are concluded:
- advise board members and staff of the new employees name,
position, and start
date
- set up email address, phone extension, prepare business cards, office

COMM 3020
Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

keys, etc.
- add the employee to organizational lists (telephone, email, website
directory)
(HR Council, 2014, p. 2).
The Legacy Bowes Group website suggests that, organizations that
take the time to create and implement interesting and engaging
activities that send a strong positive message to new employees
(Legacy Bowes Group, 2014, p.1).
The site also suggests that, senior leaders who take time to
participate by meeting and interacting with new hires send a very
powerful message about the importance of new employees to the
success of the organization (Legacy Bowes Group, 2014, p.1).
The orientation should not end after the formal training sessions have
concluded. To better acclimatize the new hires, it is suggested that,
set aside time for the new hire to meet with their immediate manager.
Give the manager time to get to know the new team member and let
the new employee know what the ramp-up process will be like in the
first month or two on the job (When I Work, 2015, p.1).
Streamlining the hiring process with a single system is the best ways to
make on-boarding new employees less daunting of a task. The
employer can, use a dashboard-style system that contains portals to
access paperwork, manuals, and other important onboarding materials
from a single place (Staff Masters, 2014, p.1). The website explains
that using these systems can lessen the amount of work required by
new hires as well as the human resource department.
Analysis:
The importance of analyzing this situation is that there are several
benefits. Orientation sessions that effectively acclimatize new
employees will save the company time and money. If new employees
are effectively oriented, then there may be less of a turnover in hiring.
This will save the time and money it would take to train new staff. If
time and preparation is taken to conduct effective orientation sessions,
there may be fewer misunderstandings in the policy and procedures
that the new employee will encounter. They will feel more confident
and preform more efficiently if they feel they have been adequately
prepared and that they are entering a positive work environment that
has prepared for their arrival. Providing a comfortable space with
engaging multi-media for presenting teachable components will allow

COMM 3020
Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

new employees to feel more enabled to ask questions and feel

involved in the learning process and their new work environment.
Spacing out the information that is to be delivered over more than one
session will allow the new hires to reflect and absorb the new
information that they will need to confidently succeed.
Executive Summary:
For the new hire orientation sessions to operate most effectively, I will
specify four recommendations in the form of a four-stage
recommendation plan:
Stage 1. Prior to the first orientation session, management and the
human resources department will prepare the following:
- advise staff of new hires name, position and start date
- ensure employee handbooks/manuals are updated
- add employee information to staff portal, create login,
name tag, create
phone extension, create employee e-mail address,
prepare work station,
prepare keys/card passes, etc.
Stage one will lay the groundwork for a smooth transition and
acclimatization for the new employees. They will see that there has
been effort put forth for their arrivals. It will also allow subsequent
training sessions (on policy/procedure/work place orientation, etc.) to
flow in an effective manner. This will prove effective because the
orientation session leaders will have more time to focus on content and
addressing questions.
Stage 2. The first day of orientation session will be engaging, and the
new hire will experience a comfortable, friendly, and welcoming
atmosphere that has prepared for their arrival in the company. The
following may take place:
- introduction to other staff, management, and board
members
- meet and greet luncheon with other new hires, if
applicable
- tour of entire facilityalso introduce new employees to
their new work
space
- ensure the new hire has adequate opportunity for

COMM 3020
Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

questions. Encourage
discussion and dialogue about the work environment.
This stage does
not focus heavily on policy/procedure
It is important for the new employees to begin to feel acclimatized to
the company by meeting other staff and management. Research
indicates that senior management who take time to engage in the
orientation process send a positive message to new employees
(Legacy Bowes Group, 2014, p.1). This is why it is recommended that
the orientation take place in a comfortable setting where refreshments
are available during the teaching/learning components. This is a great
opportunity to have various management/team members come in to
introduce themselves and/or deliver some of the days content. This is
a better option than having the new employees meet other staff
members while touring the workplacewhich may make the new
employees feel uncomfortable if they are traveling from office to office
being introduced to staff while they are working.
Stage 3. To cover company policy/procedure/job details, the following
should be employed:
- training will be covered in two or more days of sessions
- sessions will employ the use of technology and
multimedia for the
presentation components
- allow ample time for breaks
- provide lunch and/or refreshments
- provide many opportunities for questions
- allow time for dynamic group interaction between new
employees
Team building activities will help the employees begin to build
teamwork bonds with their fellow employees. It is an engaging way to
learn about their new work environment. It is important for new
employees to participate and ask questions while they are learning and
becoming acclimatized. Stage 3 of the orientation training will allow for
this to take place, as they will find themselves in a comfortable,
engaging space that is conducive to dialogue.
Stage 4. Follow-up: one week after the commencement of the new
employees start date:
- set aside time for new hires to meet with their immediate

COMM 3020
Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

manager
- discuss how first week went
- outline what the upcoming month will look like
Stage 4 is an opportunity to check in on the progress of new
employees. The manager will be able to trouble shoot and help resolve
any problems, concerns, or uncertainties that the new employees
have. It is also a chance to begin to build a working relationship, as it is
an opportunity to learn more about each others work styles. It will also
help the new employees to feel prepared for the upcoming weeks as
they continue to acclimatize. They will also understand that there is
support for them from their manager should they need it.

References

Cuma, M. (2014, September 14). Mastering New Employee

Orientations: Common
Flaws and Winning Best Practices. Retrieved July 26, 2015,
from
http://www.legacybowes.com/entry/mastering-newemployeeorientations-common-flaws-and-winning-best-practices-.html
Ferguson, T. (2014). Getting the Right People: Orientation. Retrieved
July 26, 2015,
from http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/right-peopleorientation.cfm
Streamlining Your Onboarding Process. (2014, December 23). Retrieved
July 27,
2015, from http://www.staffmasters.com/2014/12/23/gaffneystreamlining-onboarding/

COMM 3020
Fanshawe College

Leigh Malloy
Language and Liberal Studies

Wormley, R. (2015). 12 Employee Onboarding Best Practices Every

Business Owner
Needs To Know. St. Paul, MN. When I Work Inc.