Implementing and evaluating a New Employee Orientation Program

As part of the public health accreditation process, the Rhode Island Department of Health prepared all required documentation, including the Workforce Development Plan, to meet the requirements of Public Health Accreditation (PHAB) Domain 8, to develop and maintain a competent public health workforce. The Workforce Development Plan was completed in late 2013, and included a goal to develop a new employee orientation program for the Department. Utilizing quality improvement tools, focus groups and analysis of existing methods, a new employee orientation program was piloted and implemented in May 2014. The orientation program was setup as an onboarding process, meant to last for the first year of employment, and included the participation of an Onboarding Facilitator to assist the employee to get acclimated in the organization. The orientation program was meant to be administered to all new employees, including internal transfers and employees transferring from other state agencies.

Upon the first year of the implementation, the program was evaluated to assess its impact, and utilize the findings to make improvements. This presentation will discuss the evaluation strategy used and the initial results of the orientation program, including the feedback received from those who participated, the onboarding facilitators, and management.  Tracking and monitoring the progress of the onboarding process place an additional demand on staff and management, and methods under current discussion include the use of the learning management system.