Chapter 8: Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
Chapter 8:
Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
Learning Outcomes
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1. Explain the concept of onboarding and socialization.
2. Identify the three stages of employees’ progress through as they learn organizational
culture.
3. Identify the purpose and key personnel involved in new employee orientation.
4. Explain the purpose and essential contents of an employee handbook.
5. Explain the ADDIE model of training design.
6. Outline a variety of employee training methods.
7. Describe the methods and criteria involved in evaluating training programs.
8. Explain the purpose of employee development and methods used.
9. Discuss the term organizational development and the role of the change agent.
10. Explain the term learning organization.
11. Explain issues critical to international training and development.
Chapter Overview
Fred Keller didn’t start out intending to move bus stops, his goal was to help the unemployed.
After two disappointing attempts to create “welfare-to-work” programs at his manufacturing
company, he found that getting jobs for the long term unemployed didn’t always mean that they
stayed employed. He discovered that many low-income and chronically unemployed people
didn’t understand the rules of middle-class culture that were necessary to keep jobs, so his
company developed a program to teach them. And move bus stops to make it easier to get to
work.
This chapter provides an overview of methods used for employee orientation, training, employee
development and organizational development. Special topics include the role of employee
handbooks, change agents, training and development evaluation, and the concept of “learning
organizations,” as well as issues relevant to international training and development.
Additional features of this chapter:
Exhibits
8 – 1 Best Practices for Onboarding.
8 – 2 A Sample Employment Handbook Disclaimer.
8 – 3 Determining Training Needs
8 – 4 What Adults Remember
8 – 5 Lewin’s Change Process
Boxed Features
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Chapter 8: Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
These features are located within the text and address current issues in HRM within the context
of the relevant learning objectives. They are short and thought provoking with thought questions
at the end providing a great opportunity to provide a break in class lecture to check student
understanding. Questions may be posed to students individually, in small groups, as quick
cooperative learning assignments or as large group discussions.
Tips for Success Orientation Checklist on page 175 recommends that a checklist be
created for new employee orientation sessions, to make sure that regardless of who
administers the orientation, the new employees are exposed to the same information.
Real HR Encounters – HR’s Role in Creating and Sustaining Culture page 175
advice from an HR professional on developing culture that supports communication and
participative decisions.
Diversity Topics – Training, Development and EEO page 177 involves EEO’s
application to the training process, noting that equal training opportunities must exist for
all employees.
Tips for Success – Becoming a Trainer page 180 Training is a growing area of HR and
this feature explains some of the skills and employment opportunities.
Contemporary Connection – Training Expenditures page 183 discusses the amount
spent by U. S. companies annually on employee training and development.
Making Concepts Relevant in Your Classroom
In addition to the activities provided in the lecture notes, these suggested activities help students
apply chapter 8 concepts:
Students enjoy sharing their experiences with orientation. There are a wide variety of
approaches taken, since this is an area that is not regulated and allows a lot of creativity
on the employers’ part. In many cases, there is considerable room for improvement. A
good discussion focuses on why many employers do not do an effective job of orientation
(lack of awareness, time and other costs, lack of resources) and what the costs are of not
doing a good job.
A good outside-of-class project is to have students critique an existing orientation
process. They can focus on one they went through or interview managers and employees
at a local organization to obtain information on the process.
Bring in sample brochures for commercial training and management development
programs. Have students review the information, noting the objectives, methods and
costs involved. Discuss how they, in their future roles as managers and business owners,
would decide whether to attend or whether to send employees to a particular program.
How would they evaluate the need for and effectiveness of the program described?
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Chapter 8: Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
Have students discuss observations they have made at work or as customers, which
indicate a possible training need. (They may describe poor university teaching skills, for
example or poor service at a restaurant). Then, discuss some other factors which may
have led to their observations; i.e., low motivation, poor selection. How does a manager
determine that training is the solution to organizational problems? What type of program
would be effective for the problems they have observed?
Chapter Outline And Lecture Suggestions
Introduction Slide 3
Onboarding, socialization, orienting, training and development are all used to help new
employees adapt to their new organizations and become fully productive.
Ideally, employees will understand and accept the behaviors desired by the organization,
and will be able to attain their own goals by exhibiting these behaviors.
Onboarding Slide 4
Learning Outcome 1: Explain the concept of onboarding and socialization.
Onboarding or Socialization is the process of adaptation to a new work role as an
employee goes through the passages of coming from outside the organization to inside
the organization.
Why is Onboarding Important?
Half of all hourly workers leave new jobs in the first 120 days.
Effective onboarding or socialization:
Reduces turnover.
Helps new employees make connections with co-workers.
Increases new employee productivity, engagement and success.
Example of Employee A and Employee B on page 171 illustrates the difference
that onboarding can make to a new employee.
HRM’s Role in the Onboarding Process Slide 5
Onboarding begins as soon as job offer is accepted.
Answer new employee questions and concerns.
Prepare package of important and useful information.
Communicate culture.
Onboarding and Socialization Slide 6
New employees evaluate whether recruiting, hiring and onboarding support the
employment brand.
Assumptions of Employee Socialization
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Chapter 8: Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
Socialization strongly influences employee performance and
organizational stability, by providing information on how to do the job and
ensuring organizational fit.
New members suffer from anxiety, which motivates them to learn the values
and norms of the organization. Special attention is needed to put them at ease.
Organizational stability also increases through socialization. When jobs
are filled or vacated with a minimum of disruption, the organization will be
more stabilized.
Socialization needs to be consistent with culture. It is influenced by subtle
and less subtle statements and behaviors exhibited by colleagues,
management, employees, clients and others.
Individuals adjust to new situations in remarkably similar ways. All new
employees go through a settling-in period.
Learning Culture through Socialization Slide 7
Learning Outcome 2: Identify the three stages of employees’ progress through as they
learn organizational culture.
Organizational culture is the personality of the organization, the behaviors that make it
unique.
Culture includes long-standing, often unwritten rules about what is
appropriate behavior.
Socialized employees know how things are done, what matters, and which
behaviors and perspectives are acceptable.
Many employers do this poorly, so students may not have personal experience that
relates. The closest thing may have been freshman orientation and registration at your
college.
Prearrival stage Slide 8
Individuals arrive with a set of values, attitudes and expectations which they have
developed from previous experience and the selection process.
Encounter stage
Individuals discover how well their expectations match realities within the
organization. Where differences exist, socialization occurs to imbue the employee
with the organization’s standards.
Metamorphosis stage
Individuals have adapted to the organization, feel accepted and know what is
expected of them.
New Employee Orientation Slide 9
Learning Outcome 3: Identify the purpose and key personnel involved in new employee
orientation.
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Chapter 8: Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
Orientation
New employee orientation covers the activities involved in introducing a new
employee to the organization and to the individuals in his or her work unit.
Orientation may be done by the supervisor, the HRM staff or some combination.
It may be formal or informal, depending on the size of the organization.
Typically, it will cover such things as the organization’s objectives, history,
philosophy, procedures, rules, HRM policies and benefits, and fellow
employees.
HRM’s Role in Orientation
Coordinating Role: HRM instructs new employees when and where to report;
provides information about benefits choices.
Participant Role: HRM offers its assistance for future employee needs, such as
career guidance, benefit administration, and training.
The CEO’s Role in Orientation
It has become common for senior management to be visible during the new
employee orientation process.
When a CEO is present, the company shows it truly cares for its employees.
CEOs can:
Welcome employees
Provide a vision for the company
Introduce company culture — what matters, convey that the company
cares about employees
Reduce new employee anxieties, and help them to feel good about their
job choice.
Tips for Success – Orientation Checklist page 177 Orientation is often a hit and miss
proposition in smaller organizations. This checklist provides a basic list of must-do
activities.
Real HR Encounters – HR’s Role in Creating and Sustaining Culture page 177
Regardless of how culture develops, maintenance largely falls to HR. This feature
includes advice from a seasoned HR pro on how HR activities influence culture in
important ways.
It’s All in Here: The Employee Handbook Slide 10
Learning Outcome 4: Explain the purpose and essential contents of an employee
handbook..
Handbooks should be written clearly, updated regularly and made easily available.
Why Use an Employee Handbook?
Handbooks provide a reminder and reference for new employees.
Communicates policies and procedures to all employees.
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Chapter 8: Onboarding, Training, and Developing Employees
Commonly contains: Slide 11
Mission
History
Organizational culture
Employee benefits information
Policies
oWork rules
oDiscipline procedures
oAppeals process
oEEO policies
oHarassment
oDrug abuse
oSocial media use
oElectronic communications
oEmployee monitoring
Handbooks should NOT contain statements that: Slide 12
Can be interpreted as providing permanent employment.
Indicate an implied employment contract.
Eliminate the employment-at-will relationship.
Prevent employer from firing employees for good cause.
Exhibit 8-2 A Sample Employee-Handbook Disclaimer page 179 includes a common
disclaimer that supports employment-at-will.
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