Orientation: Letter from a New Hire

03/06/07

Tomorrow I start my new job with your company. Naturally, I’m a bit nervous, and I hope my supervisor will help me get both my oars into the water. I’ve worked for other companies that had no real orientation at all. They just tossed people into their jobs and left them to sink or swim. It wasn’t much fun.

So what do I hope for tomorrow? I hope my supervisor believes in the value of orientation and that your depart-ment has trained him to do it well. More specifically, I hope that my new boss will:

1. Go over my job description thoroughly. We discussed it during the interview, but since then I’ve thought of a few more questions I’d like to ask. And I’d surely appreciate it if my boss doesn’t assume I know too much. Despite my past experience, no two jobs or companies are alike. I hope he doesn’t expect me to know everything from day one.

2. Walk me through the department and introduce me to each of my coworkers. When we meet, I’d like to have some personal information about them such as hobbies or other outside activities. That would help me get to know them on a personal level. Everybody’s a little anxious about fitting in and being accepted by a new group.

3. Explain important policies and procedures. Your department will probably cover these when I arrive, but it would help if my boss went over them again from my department’s point of view. I’d hate to get into trouble because I didn’t understand the rules.

4. Show me how my job and department fit into the entire organization. A simple organization chart might do the trick. I’d have a better idea of how my work affects the work of my team and department and how my department contributes to the company as a whole. A picture is worth . . . well, you know the rest.

5. Tell me why I got picked over all the other applicants. What did I say or do that set me apart from them? What special qualities made me stand out? It would make me feel good to know what they were.

6. Pair me up with a coworker who’ll help to show me around and teach me the ropes. It’s easier to ask people certain questions when they’re on the same level as you. You’re not as worried about sounding dumb or inept.

7. Make it easy for me to ask questions. There’ll be lots of things I won’t know during these first few days. A boss who assumes I understand or says things like, “Isn’t that clear?” or “This should be self-explanatory” makes it tough for me to admit that I’m confused.

8. Show me where I might go from here. I’m glad I got hired for my present job, but I’m ambitious, too. I hope my boss will encourage me to take advantage of your company’s inhouse training, tuition reimbursement programs, or other things I can do to improve my skills and qualify for promotion. It’s good to have a supervisor who cares about my future, not just what I can do for him today. I know I’m probably asking quite a bit. No doubt my boss has lots of other irons in the fire besides helping people like me get their bearings. But then again, the fact that I’m on your payroll means we’ve made a mutual investment in each other, and we should both want it to pay off. I promise to give you my best efforts. I hope you’ll do the same. See you in the morning!