EMPLOYEE GENERAL ORIENTATION

Guidelines

• It is critical that all employees of the hotel are oriented about the hotel’s culture and way of doing business; that they become familiar with, integrated into, and committed to the Princess D’Annam so that they know what is expected of them.
• All new employees will start work either at the very beginning or middle of the month. They will attend the hotel’s General Orientation programme on their first day of work.
• The HR Manager is responsible for conducting the General Orientation programme.

Recommendations
• Prior to starting work, the Training Manager will send a letter to each new employee to invite him/her to the orientation programme, which s/he will conduct.
• An HR Officer will use the Employee Orientation Preparation Checklist to make arrangements for the Orientation Day.
• The new employees will report to the Human Resources Department when they arrive on their first working day, and an HR Officer will take them to the orientation room for the orientation programme.
• The Employee General Orientation Day will last a full day, and will include:

Greeting and Welcome
The programme introduction includes a warm welcome to the new employees. The Trainer will emphasize that the programme is intended to be a relaxed and enjoyable day, and will invite employees to interact with the programme as much as possible. All essential information, such as the location of the nearest toilets, instructions about break and lunch arrangements, will be highlighted here and at the close of the morning programme.

The History and Background of the Princess D’Annam

Presentation on the Princess D’Annam Departments and Team Leaders
A PowerPoint presentation with photographs of the team leaders is included to support the programme.

Human Resources Policies and Procedures
The Trainer will present the Human Resources Policies and Procedures and the Employee Handbook. The presentation of HR Policies and Procedure should be brief and precise. Details of the topics, which will be included in the presentation, are listed in the Trainer's Guide. After reviewing the Employee Handbook, each participant to sign the acknowledgement receipt and return it to the Trainer.

Training on Product Knowledge

Critical Success Factors, Vision and Values
An overhead slide presentation will introduce to the new employees the Princess D’Annam’s Critical Success Factors, vision and values, and help them to relate them to their own jobs.

Training & Development Presentation
An overhead slide presentation will describe the direction and focus of the training programmes.

Fire & Safety Regulations
This section is vitally important to all employees. The presentation on fire and safety regulations is comprehensive, and a safety booklet/handout will be presented to every employee to study in his/her own time.

Tour
Before the tour, the Trainer will highlight the tour itinerary to make it as constructive as possible. For very large groups, there will be separate tours so as to intrude as little as possible on the departments visited. At the end of the tour, the Trainer will prompt questions, which could develop into group discussion, as well as provide useful feedback on the Orientation Programme.

• On the following day, each employee will take a simple written test on the content of the General Orientation programme before starting work, in order to ensure understanding, and to make it clear that the hotel considers it important that the employee remembers what was discussed. If a new employee fails the test (80% is the pass mark), s/he will take it again a week later. Before the second test, the Department Head must assign the employee’s Buddy to help the employee revise the contents of the General Orientation programme. If the employee fails the test again, the Department Head will give the employee another chance, and inform the employee that s/he must pass the test in order to pass the probation period. The employee’s Department Head will sign to acknowledge that the employee has passed the test.
• Each employee will sign the General Orientation Checklist for the Employee’s Records at the end of the General Orientation programme to acknowledge attendance at the programme, and reasonable understanding of the topics taught.

Departmental Orientation
When the new employees arrive at work on the second day, they should report to the Human Resources Department, where they a Personnel or Training Officer will ask them to take a written test on the content of the General Orientation programme the day before.
• After the test, an HR Officer will take the employee to the employee’s work area for the Departmental Orientation, which should start that day, but may be spread over 1 working week depending on the level of business.will take half a day. Each section is important, and must not be skipped over.
• The Departmental Orientation includes a large range of topics that will deepen the employee’s understanding of and feeling about the hotel’s vision, especially the core values.


• On the employee’s third day, an HR Officer will inform the employee’s Team Leader about the employee’s test results. The Team Leader will ask the Buddy to go over any incorrect answers with the employee. If the employee has failed the test, the Buddy will coach the employee to pass the test at the second attempt a week later. The Team Leader will ask the staff to encourage and assist the new employee to help him/her pass.
• When the employee has passed the test the second time, the Department Head, Department Head, Team Leader and staff should congratulate the new employee.

Informal Follow-up Meetings in the Employee’s Work Area After One Week and Two Weeks
• After an employee has been working for one week and two weeks, the employee’s Department Head will meet the new employee informally on the job to find out how well s/he is settling down, and whether there is anything the Department Head can do to help. Before this meeting, the Department Head will speak to the employee’s Team Leader and Buddy to ascertain how the employee is settling down and developing in the team. Encourage the new employee to ask questions about anything, which is puzzling him/her.
Formal Follow-up Meeting After One Month
• After one month of each new employee starting work, the employee’s Department Head will arrange a meeting with the new employee to find out how well s/he is settling down, and whether there is anything the Department Head can do to help. Before this meeting, the Department Head will speak to the employee’s Team Leader, Department Trainer and Buddy to ascertain how the employee is settling down and developing in the team.
• Encourage the new employee to ask questions about anything, which has puzzled him/her during the first month with the hotel.

• Review the employee’s achievements over the month, but not in the style of a
traditional performance appraisal. The purpose is not to criticise or coach, but to reinforce, motivate, and to encourage team behaviours. Emphasise the employee’s and the team’s positive behaviours. Discuss what is working well
in the team, and what is not. Reinforce the employee’s positive actions and behaviours, especially those, which help the team. Help the employee to learn from the month’s experience, and to see how s/he can further help the team and him-/herself to improve and develop.
• Reinforce that we care about the employee by building up the person’s confidence.
• Review the contents of the orientation with the employee, and clarify the expectations of both the employee and the Department.
• Emphasise the hotel’s commitment to standards of excellence.
• Make sure that the Buddy relationship is working, and that the employee is happy with the training being provided.
• Record the employee’s comments in the General Orientation Checklist for the Employee’s Records.
Formal Follow-up Meeting After Two Months
• The Department Head will conduct another meeting with the employee after 2 months of the employee starting work in the same way as after one or two weeks. Record the employee’s comments in the General Orientation Checklist for the Employee’s Records.
• If there are any behaviours or actions, which may affect the confirmation of the employee’s employment at the end of the three-month period, they should be pointed out more strongly in this meeting; but the emphasis of the meeting should still be on reinforcing the employee’s positive actions and behaviours, on helping the employee to learn from his/her experience at the hotel, and to see how s/he can further help the team and him-/herself to improve and develop.