Employee Training Manual

Orientation to Work

Your first weeks in a job shape how you are seen for months afterward. People form opinions quickly, and reputations — good or bad — are hard to shake. That is why orientation matters.

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Show Reliability from Day One

• Arrive on time.

• Pay attention to instructions.

• Ask questions when you don’t understand.

• Follow through on what you’re told.

It sounds simple, but many fail at these basics. Do them consistently, and you immediately separate yourself from the crowd.

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Learn the Culture, Not Just the Rules

Every workplace has two sets of rules: the official ones in the handbook and the unofficial ones lived by employees. Watch closely. Who carries influence? How do people communicate? Which behaviors are rewarded, and which are punished?

Understanding the culture lets you adapt without losing yourself.

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Don’t Rush to Judge

The workplace may look strange at first. Some rules may seem pointless. Some people may test you. Reserve judgment. Observe first, then act. Early arrogance is one of the fastest ways to damage your reputation.

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Sidebar: Learning What Parents Don’t Teach

Many young workers never had parents who asked them at the dinner table, “What did you do at work today?” or who decoded workplace behavior for them. If that is your situation, don’t feel disadvantaged. Consider this manual your substitute — a source of the lessons many once learned at home.