The terms “orientation” or “onboarding” are often used interchangeably. Most organizations have one or the other in place, but not both. You might be thinking, “Aren’t they the same?” In fact, they are different (and important) with as many as 15% of new hires reporting that the lack of an effective onboarding process contributed to their decision to quit. Let’s discuss how orientation and onboarding – when paired strategically – increase successful assimilation, time to productivity, and new hire satisfaction, engagement and retention. We’ll explore:

• The distinction of orientation as an event and onboarding as a process
• Crucial onboarding best practices for new hire satisfaction
• How to build an onboarding tool to support new hire engagement and retention