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The terms “onboarding” and “orientation” are often used interchangeably to refer to the practice of welcoming new employees into your company and getting them up to speed on their job duties, the work environment and your company culture.
Did you know that the two processes (onboarding and orientation) are actually distinct? While onboarding and orientation overlap in some aspects of their efforts and time frame, the processes require separate considerations, planning, and execution strategies to really nail for your new hires. In this post, I’ll define the difference between onboarding and orientation and cover the advantages of both, so your company can jumpstart its organizational socialization.
To define the differences between onboarding vs orientation, let’s begin with what connects the two processes. Organizational socialization is a concept defined by the Oxford Handbook of Organizational Psychology as “a learning and adjustment process that enables an individual to assume an organizational role that fits both organizational and individual needs.” Organizational socialization is “a dynamic process” that occurs when a new employee is able to fully embrace their new role at a company.
Onboarding and orientation are the two key sub-processes that occur within the overarching process of organizational socialization. In other words, in order for a new employee to really feel comfortable in their role (and benefit your company while they’re in the position), they need to be both oriented to the company and onboarded within their role.
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Orientation is the generally brief process that is usually characterized by several defined steps: introducing employees to their team members, ensuring they know how to use the equipment they’ll need in their role, getting them acclimated with their physical environment, and so on. These steps will look different between companies and the positions they offer, and can even differ from employee to employee.
Onboarding is a longer-term process that may not be totally structured from A to Z. The onboarding process allows for more interaction with the employee, their learning styles, and their skill sets. You can think of onboarding as the responsive, feedback-filled push-and-pull that occurs as an employee learns what is expected of them and how they can meet those expectations.
While orientation may carry the reputation of a planned “welcome week,” onboarding is a slow ramp-up and encompasses background processes of learning and socialization that can take up to a year to finalize. When an employee completes orientation, they’ll know the basics of how to exist in the company and where to turn for help. When an employee completes onboarding, they’ve proven they understand their role and how to succeed in it.
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Orientation is a crash course in existing at your company. It provides new employees with the information they need to feel welcome and comfortable getting started in their roles. An effective orientation process benefits both your business and its new employees. Some of the finer points of this are:
Orientation reduces the nerves involved in starting a new job.
Orientation boosts employee confidence, helping them adapt faster to their new role.
Orientation cuts down on the administrative burden of dealing with new employees who don’t know where to turn for help.
As we’ve discussed, onboarding is a “slow burn” that can take months (or up to a year) to fully complete. Just because it takes time doesn’t mean that onboarding needs to require a huge expenditure of resources. A well-developed and defined onboarding process can take place in the background as your new employee grows their efficiency and productivity. Here are some of the advantages of a comprehensive and thoughtful onboarding process:
Onboarding boosts employee retention; employees who have been supported in their transition to a new role are more likely to feel comfortable in their job and genuinely enjoy it.
Proper onboarding improves employee productivity and engagement; employees who have been afforded a thorough onboarding experience will be familiar with the tools they have to succeed.
Onboarding strengthens your workplace culture by improving the internal reputation and cohesiveness of the company.
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At Axcet HR Solutions, we serve small businesses and lean organizations that are focused on growing and scaling their core business. Axcet is a full-service Professional Employer Organization that can develop a comprehensive onboarding process unique to your business.
For all things employee relations, recruitment, retention, compliance, and more, the human resources experts at Axcet HR Solutions have you covered. Onboarding and orientation are just the beginning of what we can help with at Axcet. To find out how we can help your small business, reach out to our experts today.
Written by
Jeanette Coleman, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the Director of Human Resources at Axcet HR Solutions, where she has contributed her expertise for over 21 years.
As a leader in the HR industry, she holds advanced certifications as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). Jeanette oversees HR strategy and operations, ensuring Axcet delivers exceptional HR services that help small and mid-sized businesses stay compliant and grow.
With a Master’s degree in Human Resource Management from Keller Graduate School and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Kansas State University, Jeanette is well-equipped to lead and support clients in navigating complex HR challenges.
Throughout her 15-year tenure as Director of Human Resources, she has been instrumental in positioning Axcet as the Midwest’s largest and premier Professional Employer Organization (PEO). Her previous roles at Axcet include Director of Employee Benefits and Senior HR Consultant, where she gained extensive experience in HR outsourcing, payroll administration, and employee risk management.
Jeanette’s leadership reflects her deep commitment to helping businesses thrive through strategic, compliance-driven HR solutions. Through her writing, she shares insights on HR strategy, compliance, and best practices to help employers confidently manage their workforce.
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