Onboarding vs. Orientation, What's the Difference?
By Alejandro Gonzalez Valencia When a new employee joins a company, it's important to provide them with the necessary information and training to help them settle into their new role. This process can be broken down into two main components: onboarding and orientation . While these terms are often used interchangeably, they refer to different aspects of the process. Onboarding refers to the entire process of integrating a new employee into the company. It starts from the moment they accept the job offer and can continue for several months as the employee becomes more comfortable in their role. Onboarding focuses on helping the employee understand the company culture, their job responsibilities, and the resources available to them. Orientation , on the other hand, is a specific component of the onboarding process. It typically takes place during the first few days or weeks of a new employee's tenure and involves introducing them to the company and its polici...