New Employee Orientation

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.

[Page 1016]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, recruitment methods, and sources of recruits. 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).

This entry begins with a definition of newcomer orientation by comparing it with organizational socialization. Following this comparison, seven recommended ...