All around the world companies struggle with issues relating to recruiting, retaining, and productivity of new hires. Because of these issues and many others, effective employee orientation becomes more and more important every day. If your employee orientation program has become stagnant or even if you just think it’s time for a change, there are many factors to consider before making massive changes to your existing process. Today we’re going to give you some questions to consider before making sweeping changes.

What message do I want to send to new hires?

We can’t say it enough: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Does your employee orientation adequately convey that you’re happy to have your new hires on board? Some companies go all out and hang handmade posters in a new employee’s workspace. We’re not saying you have to go to that extreme, but you do want to make sure new hires feel welcomed and appreciated. Another way to do this is to tell new employees up front how their work will contribute to your company being successful. Knowing this is especially important to Gen Y employees who value making a difference over many other factors. Make sure employee orientation includes at least an overview of how important their jobs are.

How should I present employee orientation?

We live in a world where just about everything is available online, so why should employee orientation be any different? More and more companies are converting their traditional in-person employee orientation to an online platform, and if they’re not making a full leap to online employee orientation, they’re offering at least some of the introductory materials online.

Arguments can be made for in-person employee orientation—it’s more personal, more “touchy feely” if you will, and management feels more in control. The challenge with classroom-based employee orientation is that new hires need to wait until the next in-person session, hence the biggest argument in favor of online orientation: It empowers employees by allowing them to review the materials when it’s convenient for them, while also communicating from day one that you value their time and their overall well-being.

One way online orientation surpasses its in-house counterpart is that you can store countless pieces of information new employees don’t need right this second but will definitely need later. Every new hire needs tax forms and benefits information right away but what about information on future projects or instructions for using a work credit card? This kind of information can be included in the employee orientation materials so everyone knows where it is when the time is right.

If you’re pleased with your in-person employee orientation program, what’s the harm in using the exact same materials to create an online version for new hires who either can’t attend the in-person session or simply prefer to go over the information on the computer (or a phone or tablet)? It’s only a matter of time before online employee orientation is the norm, and you may just find that your new hires welcome the flexibility of a fully digital or hybrid program.

Is my employee orientation program engaging, interactive, and interesting?

An engaging new employee orientation program can have numerous benefits, to your company and your new hires. These benefits include more productive employees, better knowledge retention, and loyal workers. The bottom line is that, the more engaging and interesting your employee orientation program is, the better prepared and capable your new hires will be.

There are no shortage of ways to make your employee orientation engaging and interactive. For example, you can include tests, polls, and videos. Many, if not most, employee orientation programs are about as interesting as watching paint dry. You know the benefits, so now it’s time to do everything you can to make learning fun and interactive for your new hires.

How will I know if my employee orientation is successful?

Feedback is an essential part of a successful employee orientation program. It’s always a good idea to incorporate a way for new hires to tell you what they liked and didn’t like about your employee orientation program. Employers should seek out new hires’ opinions about each component of the employee orientation program, including their thoughts on the material and the chosen method of delivery. There are a number of ways to gather feedback: from an evaluation form at the conclusion of your orientation program and face-to-face meetings with management to polls, suggestion boxes, and surveys. Once collected, feedback should be reviewed and used as necessary to make changes or improvements to your employee orientation program.

Do I have time to overhaul my employee orientation program?

We firmly believe in the importance of employee orientation so we’re always going to suggest that you find the time to review your current program. Getting off to a good start is crucial to a new employee’s long-term success at your company, so why not invest the time and resources to ensure that your onboarding process shapes that good start?

However you decide to alter your employee orientation program be sure to remember that starting off with a positive impression is the best thing you can do to make your new employees feel welcomed and proud to work for your company.

5 Questions To Ask When Considering an Employee Orientation Overhaul