Preface

Although it was a number of years ago, I vividly remember my first experience as a new employee in a business setting. Hired as a management trainee for a bank, I arrived bright and early the first day, eager to start my new career. I reported to the manager of the main office who was nowhere to be found. It was clear that no one had any idea who I was or why I was there. When the manager finally arrived, he was unprepared. There was no workspace available for me and no plan. He managed to set up a table for me in a corner, handed me an enormous banking manual, and told me to start reading. That was the extent of my new employee orientation.

As a direct result of my experience as a new employee and then as an external consultant and training professional, I recognized a need for a process to help new employees adapt and assimilate more quickly and successfully into their new work environments. In my interviews with employees across several organizations and industries, I heard story after story of their unpleasant experiences as new hires during their first days, weeks, and months on the job. I also talked with those responsible for new employee training in their organizations to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t. Based on these interviews, a literature survey, and my background in cooperative learning and interactive training techniques, I decided to design a more interactive and process-driven approach to new employee orientation programs. The result was New Employee Orientation Training, published in 2002. My goal then—and now with this new ATD Workshop Series book—is to provide a resource that can be used to create an effective new employee orientation program in any organization, regardless of size or industry. The agendas and activities are easily adapted to many types of employees and organizations. They can be used as stand-alone programs or as enhancements to existing programs. The step-by-step instructions with all the accompanying tools and resources make it easy for anyone to follow—whether you are a seasoned trainer, a human resources specialist, or a supervisor who must welcome and train new staff in your department.

You will notice that I have used very few slides in the workshop programs. My goal is to make new employee training programs highly interactive and participant centered. Consistent with adult-learning principles and best practice, the participants will learn by doing, not by being told.

I would not have been able to write this workbook without the help of others. I extend my gratitude to my clients and the many participants in my training programs who openly shared their experiences, insights, and suggestions with me. I am also grateful for the support, encouragement, and patience of Cat Russo, who had the vision for this workshop series, and Jacki Edlund-Braun, who helped move me along in the process. As with other book projects, this was a labor of love. I humbly hope that the agendas, activities, and tools in this book will help those who use them and those who benefit from their application to approach their everyday workplace experiences with renewed enthusiasm and a heightened sense of purpose.

Karen Lawson

Lansdale, Pennsylvania

November 2015