Results of an Orientation Evaluation

Everyone knows first impressions count. ButHoward Klein wanted to prove it. So the associate professor of management andhuman resources at Ohio State University conducted a study to evaluate theimpact of orientation programs.

“The Effectiveness of anOrganizational-Level Orientation Training Program in the Socialization of NewHires” was published in the spring 2000 edition of Personnel Psychology.

The title is long, but the conclusion is simple:effective employee orientation matters.

In 1995, Ohio State decided to overhaul itsemployee orientation program. Klein and co-researcher Natasha Weaver surveyed116 people who had recently joined the university in 80 different departmentsand held 70 different job titles. “I jumped on the chance to collectinformation from people who went through the new program and also from peoplewho chose not to go through it,” says Klein.

The university’s new three-hour orientationseminar, available to employees who had been with the university for less thansix months, focused on several areas: Helping new employees feel more a part ofthe organization, helping them to learn more about the university’s lingo andculture, and helping them to understand the university’s basic workplaceprinciples.

It included presentations, a videotaped welcomefrom the president and a video covering the mission, history, and structure ofthe university. Participants also received a notebook of information andparticipated in an exercise to familiarize them with the organization’straditions and language.

“The new program focused on theorganization level, not specific jobs or workgroups,” explains Klein. “It was a ‘hello’ to theorganization that covered things like history, goals, values and language.Previously the orientation program had been only about traditional information,such as physical layout, benefits, and so on.”

The researchers set out to prove two hypotheses:

1. That employees who attend the orientationwill be more socialized than employees who do not attend.


2. That orientation attendance will bepositively related to organizational commitment.

Questionnaires went out to employees before andafter they attended the seminar. Out of 116 employees in the sample, 55participated in the seminar. All subjects received a questionnaire before theprogram and 10 weeks following the program. Those who attended also filled out aquestionnaire directly after the seminar.

After analyzing the results, Klein and Weaverconcluded that employees who attended the orientation were better socialized inareas of goals, values, and history. They also displayed higher commitment totheir employer.

“We found there was a substantialdifference,” says Klein. “Those who attended were better socialized onseveral dimensions than those who did not attend. We also found that those whoattended had formed better relationships with colleagues. We didn’t expect thatlatter result, because they didn’t go to orientation with people they workedwith. We interpreted that it was the result of people being able to join in onconversations and beginrelationships with co-workers sooner.”

The study indicates that the orientation contentis crucial. “Orientation programs are one of those ignored things,”says Klein. “Everybody has them, and most are incredibly ineffective.Companies are missing an incredible opportunity to increase retention andsatisfaction of employees.”