What Do You Do for New User Orientation?

An anonymous reader asks: "What do you do for new user orientation? I started at a company as part of a very small help desk / MIS department. Part of my job is to give orientation to all new computer users for the entire company (no more than 10 new users a week). Right now I have to sit with each user, go over logging in, passwords, email, outlook, Microsoft Office, and so on. This takes between 30-45 minutes. What do other IT departments do? I was thinking of a Flash presentation or website, and maybe even a short orientation movie. What ideas have you tried and how well did they work?"

Large turnover

[LiquidCoooled]

Maybe you are swaming them with stuff they don't need.
Large numbers of new users every week can mean immense expansion or they are really put of by your new user orientation meetings.

If its turnover, perhaps it would be easier to skip the email/office stuff until they need it.

New Users

[notaspunkymonkey]

The Company I work for try to bunch together new joiners and run a full 1 day computer introduction training session in one of our dedicated training rooms, on their second day (with first day being the usual this is your team, this is the fire regs etc). New Joiners get the benefit of meeting other people starting at the same time as them - and then get the run through on how our systems work - with more structured training for specific applications they may have to use carried out later that week. Its fairly informal but also gives us the chance to go properly through our computer use policy etc. we are finding that fewer people need these intro's as time progresses, however you still get the odd person who is mystified by the whole thing.

Set up a wiki

[Max Romantschuk]

A wiki is probably the most flexible way to set up something like this. It can serve both as an introduction (think pages linked one after another) and as a general documentation tool.

And unlike a flash presentation it's searchable and less of a pain in the rear end to update.

PS. Wikis can be read only for regular users too...

Re:Set up a wiki

[simm1701]

and get the new starter to expand on the wiki anything they found the wiki did not explain well enough for them, after they have learnt it the hard way

I did the same after starting here - added a wiki page of all those things I wished I had known during the first few weeks here (new company, new country) so jotted them down to try and save the same pains for anyone who joined after me. A few other brit contractors have already sent me an email thanking me for putting it together

Re:Set up a wiki

[jascat]

And what average user is going to go dig in a wiki? They don't want to go find the answer for themselves. They want to and will call the helpdesk if it is available. Trust me, I know. Tried a similar approach.

On a side note, orientation isn't going to do anyone good unless it really grabs people's attention and a movie or flash is just going to put them to sleep. They don't care! I have to do all sorts of annual training for my job, from fire extinguishers to information assurance, all of which I click or fast forward through to get to the test at the end.

If it doesn't have anything to do with pay and/or benefits, either make it live and fun or skip it altogether. They can pick up standard operating procedures from their supervisor.

Various things

[digitalhermit]

"Buddy" programs can be effective. Have the newbie work with another employee to teach them the basics such as how to access the important intranet sites, where to rent projectors, good eating spots, how to change/reset passwords, etc.. Presentations don't seem too useful, and are probably driven more by HR's CYA policy than anything (i.e., an ethics class is mandatory so people know what they can't do).

That's closer to ideal.. In reality most people get an email. I've heard that a near one-on-one instructor/student training class is optimal.... I've also heard that there's a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. I'm still waiting for both.

New Employees

[wonkavader]

New Employees need:
    To know things (rules, passwords, techniques, etc.)
    To feel things (comfort with the people around them, a small sense of 'at home')

If you get the second one, the first will take care of itself. Spend time with the person. Actual "Face" time. Teach them something (anything) about the company, so they get in the learning mode -- they'll pick up a lot in between the lines of any topic you pick. Make the rules of the company (dress codes and crap like that) as small a part of the conversation as possible, but provide them with a document on it. Play the rules down. You want them to feel free, so that they'll talk and learn and grow on their own.

Take 'em to lunch. Do it as a small group -- not necessarily the whole team, but more than just Boss and hire. Get them to be social and see people around them as lunch partners.

Then GIVE THEM A TASK WHICH WILL REQUIRE COMMUNICATION WITH THE GROUP. After they've got plugged in, the assimilation process will take care of itself.

The idea that you'd want to give them a movie or something suggests that you're not interested in spending time talking with people. I don't want to work at your company.

Re:Not the Flash presentation!

[Eivind]

I guess so, comes down to your silly system of liability once again I guess.

If someone behaves in an unacceptable way towards you at work, and you notify your supervisor about this -- but nothing happens -- then I agree it's reasonable to hold the company responsible.

But there's a long way from that and to require companies to hold "sensitivity training" or similar stupidity to avoid liability for what is clearly not their fault.

It also seems to me the US workplace is amazingly intolerant. Personal expression is restrained a *LOT* more than is required for a nice workplace. To me, it's even *desirable* that people can be themselves at work. Personal attacks or disrespect for the limits of others (be they sexual or other) is unacceptable anywhere, but that doesn't mean one should behave as on Disney-TV, it would be nice if one could atleast assume we're dealing with adults -- capable of saying so if something doesn't fit them.