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Onboarding vs. Orientation: What’s the Difference?

employees partaking in new hire orientation

Many employers may believe that orientation and onboarding are interchangeable experiences, but this actually isn’t the case. While the two are distinct HR processes, they are equally important in providing new employees with the resources they need to be successful in their new role.

With more and more organizations embracing a virtual hiring process, it’s essential for employers to ensure their orientation and onboarding processes are informative and engaging. Let’s explore why exactly they differ and small ways to provide your employees with a positive experience during both.

What Is Onboarding?

The onboarding process is a detailed program created to help new hires learn their day-to-day responsibilities. The desired outcome is for them to gain an understanding of what will be expected of them once they’ve fully ramped up into their new role. Onboarding is typically conducted through a series of meetings and job-specific training that can last for a few weeks (or even months depending on the position).

There’s no such thing as over-communication during this time. Remember: a well-designed onboarding game plan can have a large impact on employee retention, increased job satisfaction, and lower turnover rates. Try conducting regular check-ins and collecting feedback so that your new hires feel heard, confident, and supported. If you’re onboarding remote employees, make an extra effort to connect them with their new team members and clearly outline how virtual operations will work.

As the onboarding process phases out, new employees should feel comfortable taking the reins and jumping into their tasks and asking questions when they need guidance.


Related: A Guide for Managing Remote Employees: Tips and Best Practices


What Is Orientation?

Orientations are typically limited to the first week of a new hire’s employment. This is the time to welcome them to the company and provide information about benefits along with your organization’s policies, mission, and values. Orientation can sometimes even help new hires identify how their specific function will fit into the bigger picture—making them feel motivated and a sense of belonging.

If orientation is held on-site, it may be done classroom-style and could include other new employees from various departments across the organization. Because of this setup, it’s important that virtual attendees don’t feel isolated. Activities like icebreakers before HR or company leadership presentations can ease the nerves of those joining online. You may even consider sending out welcome packages with company swag and orientation materials in advance to boost excitement for both groups!

From Onboarding To Productivity: How To Make Your New Hires Successful

How Do They Differ?

In a nutshell, orientations are the employee’s formal introduction to the organization and its culture while onboarding is more strategic with a focus on growth and development. A thorough orientation sets the stage and helps your employees get into the rhythm of their new roles during onboarding. These processes work in tandem to make employees feel committed to their employer and invested in their work.

Prioritizing Both Processes

Despite their differences, both orientation and onboarding are key aspects to the hiring process and should aim to make new hires feel included within the organization and their teams.

If you’re looking to scale your staff and want to ensure you’re hiring (and retaining) quality candidates, check out our guide to hiring employees. It may help to make your search for top talent a seamless experience. But if you’re looking for hands-on assistance, connect with our team of experts to get started!

Need Onboarding Assistance?

Reach out to Insight Global today. We can find you qualified candidates in as little as 48 hours! Questions? Call us toll-free: 855-485-8853