REGENT UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

NAME:

AUGUSTINA O. OTI PEPRA-AGYEMAN

PROGRAMME:

MANAGEMENT WITH COMPUTING

COURSE:

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

COURSE CODE:

LEVEL:

400

INDEX NO.:

0110209

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ORIENTATION

LECTURER: MRS. HANNAH ACQUAH SARKODIE

Orientation is an introduction, a guide to adjust to new surroundings, employment or an activity. It is a course that seeks to introduce a new situation or environment. Thus Orientation can be to two categories of people, that is, the already existing employee or the newly employed.

New-hire orientation provides employees with information about the company philosophy, mission and values. Learning what underlies the business concept and how the company's vision shapes the organization is the most basic part of orientation.

It fosters employee enthusiasm or gives the new employee an insight that makes him question whether he has made the right career decision. If an enlightened employee resigns on his first day upon learning that the company's philosophy is not a good fit for him, the employee orientation is still purposeful. It retains only those employees who are eager to embrace the organization's mission and values.

There is tremendous value in workplace training where policies, procedures and safety are concerned. Requiring mandatory training for employees in these areas is the most effective way to reinforce workplace structure. It also ensures that employees know how to perform their job duties in the proper manner. Workplace safety training is especially important in environments where employees work with dangerous equipment or hazardous materials. Proactive, mandatory workplace safety training can minimize, and possibly eliminate, the incidence of workplace injury or death. Understanding the policies, procedures and processes that are proven to be efficient and effective in the overall business model enhances employee productivity, motivation and morale.

Orientation therefore, depicts an activity with outstanding benefits to an organisation. During an orientation old as well as new employees receive insight, information and new ideas to guide them in their effort to contribute to the mission, goals and values of the organisation. Employee training and employee orientation are both benefits and investments. From the employee's perspective, employee training is a benefit that enables professional growth. Employee training and orientation are investments from the perspective of an employer. Regardless of the classification, employee training and orientation are steps to a successful career and a profitable business. Some of the advantages of Orientation are; y Induction Process y Technologies Refresh y Competitive Forces y Learning Organization Model y Enhanced Long-Term Productivity

First of all with the Induction Process many corporations with well-defined work cultures and best practices believe in fostering employee spirit and motivation. Orientation or Induction training programs imparting skillsbased knowledge and inculcating organizational ethos ease the process of assimilation and prepare employees to tackle their job roles and responsibilities in a focused manner.

Secondly, technological exposure or the dizzying evolution of technologies and IT-based productivity tools calls for periodic employee training. Employees are trained and coached to learn and implement new tools and technologies in the workplace. Newly employed is also introduced to new technology to enhance their productive contribution to the organization. This ensures a sustained competitive advantage position for the organization.

Again, with regards to the Competitive Forces, attendant industry environment and competitive pressures from companies in the same domain keep an organization on its toes. Skills-based training helps in keeping an organization sharp-edged and competitively attuned to the rigors of doing business.

Furthermore, diversity in the workplace, evolving business models and marketplace positions tend to shape the development and maturity of organizations. Becoming learning organizations is possible through timely, intelligently developed and well-channelized training or orientation programs.

Finally, there is the need for organizations to experience long-term productivity gains, sustained performance and overall profitability with well-developed and successfully implemented employee orientation and training programs. Programs such as in house training and real team building events will be of great benefit to the organisation.

In as much as Orientation yields high benefits for the organisation it also brings about a few negative effects that if not well managed can lead to very high setbacks for the organisation.

Firstly, during orientations there is the need to prepare for employees with special needs by providing necessary accommodations. Hearing-impaired employees might need interpreters, for example. Visually impaired employees might need readers, audiotapes or Braille materials that tends to escalate the cost of the orientation.

Again in selecting members of staff for training there is the need to create an inclusive workplace by communicating why particular employees have been selected for training while others have not. Selection can be merit-based or based on particular skills and responsibilities of specific job titles. The organisation will have to provide various types of training throughout the year. It will create an opportunity for all employees to participate in professional development. This creates a sense of pride and motivation in the workplace.

Trainings are more of a hindrance than help when employees already feel overloaded with work assignments. Providing early save-the-date notices for upcoming training helps employees to be ready for taking a few hours, days or weeks away from standard responsibilities by alerting clients, vendors and other relevant individuals that they'll be out of reach for a certain period because of training.