What is the most effective delivery mode for your orientation program?

1 Face-to-face delivery

Face-to-face delivery is the traditional mode of orientation, where you invite your new hires to a physical location, such as a classroom, a conference room, or a training center, and provide them with information, instruction, and interaction through various methods, such as lectures, presentations, demonstrations, discussions, activities, and exercises. Face-to-face delivery can be very effective in creating a sense of belonging, engagement, and collaboration among your new hires, as well as allowing you to observe and assess their reactions, questions, and feedback. However, face-to-face delivery can also be costly, time-consuming, and logistically challenging, especially if you have a large number of new hires, multiple locations, or remote workers. You also need to consider the health and safety risks of gathering people in one place, especially during a pandemic or a crisis.

3 Blended delivery

Blended delivery is the mode of orientation where you combine face-to-face and online delivery methods to create a hybrid learning experience for your new hires. Blended delivery can offer you the best of both worlds, as you can leverage the strengths and overcome the weaknesses of each mode. For example, you can use face-to-face delivery to introduce your new hires to your organization's vision, mission, values, and culture, and to facilitate networking and mentoring opportunities. You can use online delivery to provide your new hires with self-paced and personalized learning modules, resources, and assessments. Blended delivery can also increase your new hires' motivation, retention, and transfer of learning, as they can benefit from multiple modes of instruction and interaction. However, blended delivery can also be complex and demanding, as you need to design, coordinate, and integrate both face-to-face and online components, and ensure that they are aligned and consistent. You also need to balance the amount and frequency of each mode, and avoid overwhelming or confusing your new hires.

4 How to choose the best delivery mode

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of what is the most effective delivery mode for your orientation program. The best delivery mode depends on various factors, such as your orientation goals, content, audience, budget, timeline, and evaluation. You need to analyze and prioritize these factors, and weigh the pros and cons of each delivery mode, before making a decision. You also need to be flexible and adaptable, and be ready to adjust your delivery mode according to the feedback and results of your orientation program. The most effective delivery mode is the one that meets the needs and expectations of both your organization and your new hires, and that supports their learning and performance outcomes.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?