Contrary to a very common misconception, orientation and onboarding are actually different types of employee trainings.
While orientation training is a one-time session with a checklist-style agenda delivered to everyone in the company, onboarding training is a series of department-specific sessions that take place over a longer period of time. It is strategically created with the goal of enabling new employees to be as successful as they can be in their new roles in the shortest period of time.
Onboarding trainings ideally start on the first day of employment and may carry on throughout the first year as needed. It is prepared by department leaders with the focus of reaching departmental goals and connecting them with overall company objectives. Topics should, therefore, address employee needs and provide them with easy access to information and skills that they need to do their jobs efficiently and maximize employee engagement.
A holistic onboarding training program should focus on more than the technical aspects of a job. It should also offer education on ways to stay engaged and productive at work. A good example of such content is Mindfresh TV, a Uscreen video website that teaches modern mindfulness at work.
Mindfresh TV Online training platform
Through 5 minute online sessions, Mindfresh videos teach anyone who works at a desk to boost body posture, decrease stress levels and increase productivity at work. This type of training is a great educational component to add to your company’s employee onboarding training.
Effective and successful onboarding trainings gradually bring new employees up to speed much quicker than if left to fend for themselves. An effectively executed onboarding training will also free up a lot of leadership time because most answers to questions would be available within the training.