SINK OR SWIM IS NOT AN ORIENTATION PROGRAM

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SINK OR SWIM IS NOT AN ORIENTATION PROGRAM

• Elaine Z. Jennerich, Ph.D.
• Director, Organization Development
• and Training
• University of Washington Libraries

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Sink or Swim
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AGENDA

• Introductions
• How was your orientation/onboarding?
• Facts and research
• Thinking and planning
• Timing and content
• Implementation and delivery

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Remember your orientation?
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FACTS AND RESEARCH Background for the voyage

• What do we know about
• employees and orientation?

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DID YOU EVER NOTICE?

• When an employee leaves the ship on good terms,
  we often have a party
• What do we do when a new employee arrives onboard?

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REASONS FOR ORIENTATION

• First days and weeks critical to job satisfaction
• Relieves first day jitters
• Provides consistency of philosophy and policy
• Hiring is costly
• Helps to retain employees
• Provides overview

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ORIENTATION vs. TRAINING

• Training teaches the new employee job tasks.
  Orientation helps the employee psychologically
  join the organization from the first day.

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BEFORE THEY COME ABOARD

• Orientation begins before the employee arrives on
  the job

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Starting as new crewwhat I need

• Expectations met
• Unwritten information
• Feel competent
• Interact with others
• Commonly asked questions

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ORIENTATION PROBLEMS

• Paperwork
• Lack of contact
• No follow-up
• Gung-ho
• One-shot

• Formal, one-way
• No feedback
• Sink or swim
• Overload
• Irrelevant

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THINKING AND PLANNING

• WHATS THE NAVIGATION PLAN?

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GENERAL OBJECTIVES

• Make new hire feel welcome
• Develop positive perceptions about employer
• Confirm the decisionI made the right choice!
• Put new hires at ease

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SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR

• Librarians?
• Supervisors?
• Volunteers?
• Part-time?

• Temporary?
• Student employees?
• Others?

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WHATS THE CULTURE?
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DESCRIBING THE CULTURE

• Communication
• Hierarchy
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Appearance
• Your workspace
• Decision-making

• Private vs. State
• Social factors
• Customer service philosophy
• Bureaucracy
• Other?

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ACADEMIC CULTURE

• What does it mean to be in an academic setting?
• What does it mean to be part of your department?
• Whats the academic mission?

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WHATS IN PLACE ALREADY?

• College or university general orientation?
• Benefits orientation?
• Specific required training?
• E.g., sexual harassment prevention, workplace
  violence
• What do library units do already?
• What about elsewhere in the institution?

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CHOOSING THE CREW FOR DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION
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TIMING AND CONTENT

• PROVISIONING AND TIME TABLES

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TIMING

• WHEN?
• HOW LONG?
• PACING?
• FOLLOW UP?

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EFFECTIVE ELEMENTS
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CONTENT STRATEGY (1)

• BRAINSTORM COMPLETE LIST
• IDENTIFY OVERLAP WITH OTHER PROGRAMS
• SPECIFY CONTENT FOR SUPERVISORS? OTHERS?
• CREATE CATEGORIES OF CONTENT

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CONTENT STRATEGY (2)

• WHO SHOULD DELIVER CONTENT? WHEN?
• CONTINUOUSLY PARE DOWN CONTENT
• WHAT CAN EMPLOYEES FIND FOR THEMSELVES?

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LEAVING THE DOCK IMPLEMENTATION DELIVERY
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CREW MEMBER ROLES FOR THE ORIENTATION

• Administration
• Supervisors
• Co-workers
• Human Resources
• New employees
• Other

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SUPERVISOR ROLE EXAMPLE

• Objectives
• Communicating
• How new employees work fits
• Tasks for first week
• Choose trainers
• Job description

• Model behavior
• Spend uninterrupted time
• Encourage note taking questions
• Relaxed, positive
• Check in and feedback

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INVOLVE NEW MATES!
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INVOLVE NEW MATES

• Reading with quizzes
• Interviews
• List of tasks to accomplish
• Scavenger hunt physical, online
• Interactive games/activities
• BE CREATIVE!

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VARIETY CREATIVITY
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SAFE HARBOR

• You want to create the feeling of a safe and
  exciting harbor for your new crew members.