SITUATION

The following is an account of one employee's introduc-tion to a new job:

It was my first job out of high school. After receiving a physical exam and a pamphlet on benefits, I was told by the manager about the dangers Involved In the job. But it was the old-timers who explained what was really expected of me. The company management never told me about the work environment or the unspoken rules. The old-timers let me know when I could take breaks and which supervisors to avoid. They told me how much work I was supposed to do and which supervisor to see if I had a problem.

1. To what extent should a small firm use "old-timers" to help introduce new employees to the workplace? Is it inevitable that newcomers will look to old-timers to find out how things really work?

2. How would you rate this firms orientation effort? What are its strengths and weaknesses?

3. Assume that this firm has fewer than 75 employees and no human resource manager. Could it possibly provide more extensive orientation than that described here? How? What low-cost improvements, if any, would you recommend?