Designing a New Employee Orientation Model to Help in Employee Retention in Organizations in Pakistan

Abstract

Employee retention is a major corporate challenge. This study proposes a new employee orientation model for organizations in Pakistan. Face-to-face expert interviews of HRM experts were conducted. Thematic analysis of the data was conducted to identify repeated patterns and meaningful themes. The results indicate that effective and well-documented employee orientation process contributes to employee retention by reducing uncertainty, building confidence, creating organizational belongingness, improving role clarity, increasing satisfaction and commitment, and reducing early turnover intention. The results show that the existing orientation practices in Pakistani organizations are often weak, informal, and insufficiently structured, with limited follow-up, weak supervisor support, and poor cultural integration. On the basis of these findings, the study proposed a phased employee orientation model comprising pre-joining, entry, adjustment, and follow-up and retention stages. The study contributes to the literature on onboarding, socialization, and employee retention by highlighting orientation as a strategic HR process rather than a routine administrative activity.