Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia
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Workplace Tour
Outreach is a constant but rarely recognized part of HR work. You need to reach out to future potential employees and to the community you are a part of. Hosting a workplace tour is one way to accomplish both of those goals. Let's look at how to plan and facilitate a great tour of your company's facilities.
What Is a Workplace Tour?
A workplace tour is an activity that helps your organization engage with the community and potential employees. It brings candidates—generally students—to a workplace to learn more about a company and its industry, observe employees in their work routines, and ask questions. During the tour, employees can demonstrate the equipment and technology while highlighting the core skills and knowledge they apply in their jobs.
Benefits of Workplace Tours
Workplace tours benefit both your organization and the students who visit. There are a number of reasons why workplace tours are beneficial. For example, you can find new candidates and build relationships with them, allowing you to open a dialogue with candidates within your industry and community. It may also be an avenue to improve public relations with your community. Benefits for the Workplace
- Students are exposed to job opportunities within your organization.
- Provides students with experiences and perspectives that cannot be duplicated in a classroom.
- Provides an opportunity to develop career readiness skills, including communicating effectively and appropriately (speaking, professional etiquette), personal responsibility, etc.
- Many employees find it very satisfying to share their work experience and mentor students.
Benefits for Students
- Students can gain insight into what it is like to work for a particular industry (e.g., education, health care) and for you specifically.
- Students are able to meet with professionals, gaining insights into jobs and careers.
Who to Invite to Tour Your Workplace (and How)
Schools, colleges and universities strive to help their students close the gap between what they learn in the classroom, lecture hall or lab and the skills they will need to apply for a job. Our workplace tour program is a wonderful opportunity for them. You may contact the schools directly, by phone and/or email. High schools, vocational schools, community colleges and universities: think about all the schools that teach courses or offer degrees related to your industry. Use all of your communication channels to get the word out about your workplace tours to employees and outside potential employees: eblast campaigns, website content, and flyers. . And of course social media can reach a large audience with a few clicks. In addition, your employees are also a great resource. Empower your employees to help identify and approach potential workplace tour partners, as many are parents of students.
How to Organize and Lead a Workplace Tour
Successful workplace tours require collaboration, communication, and preparation by several stakeholders. The process involves preparing your visitors and arranging the tour at your facility. When planning and implementing a workplace tour, you want to consider the following: Before the Tour
- Identify the participants needed to assist with the implementation; for example, school staff and employees within your organization.
- Decide the basics with those participants, such as the date, time and focus of the tour, and number of participants.
- Determine the career interest of the participants. Based on the interest of your participants, identify those employees best suited for the tour. Students should be able to observe and interact with employees within different levels of the organization.
- Collaborate with school officials to identify activities that will meet the goals of both the school and your organization.
- Plan structured activities before, during and after the tour to ensure a meaningful, engaging experience.
- Work with facility staff to arrange entrance, parking or any security measures that may be appropriate.
During the Tour
- Provide a Q & A session.
- Ask all participants (students and employees alike) to fill out evaluations so you can continue to improve your tour program.
- Be sure to document your tour with photos or videos.
- Thank everyone and recognize the time and efforts of your employee hosts.
Topics
Wendy N. Kelly, MSHRM, PHR, SHRM-CP
Wendy is an HR professional with over 10 years of HR experience in education and health care, both in the private and non-profit sector. She is the owner of KHRServices, a full service HR management agency. She is also SHRM and HRCI certified, serves as a HRCI Ambassador, and voted 2021 Most Inclusive HR Influencer.
Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
Eddy’s HR Mavericks Encyclopedia
Workplace Tour
Outreach is a constant but rarely recognized part of HR work. You need to reach out to future potential employees and to the community you are a part of. Hosting a workplace tour is one way to accomplish both of those goals. Let's look at how to plan and facilitate a great tour of your company's facilities.
What Is a Workplace Tour?
A workplace tour is an activity that helps your organization engage with the community and potential employees. It brings candidates—generally students—to a workplace to learn more about a company and its industry, observe employees in their work routines, and ask questions. During the tour, employees can demonstrate the equipment and technology while highlighting the core skills and knowledge they apply in their jobs.
Benefits of Workplace Tours
Workplace tours benefit both your organization and the students who visit. There are a number of reasons why workplace tours are beneficial. For example, you can find new candidates and build relationships with them, allowing you to open a dialogue with candidates within your industry and community. It may also be an avenue to improve public relations with your community. Benefits for the Workplace
- Students are exposed to job opportunities within your organization.
- Provides students with experiences and perspectives that cannot be duplicated in a classroom.
- Provides an opportunity to develop career readiness skills, including communicating effectively and appropriately (speaking, professional etiquette), personal responsibility, etc.
- Many employees find it very satisfying to share their work experience and mentor students.
Benefits for Students
- Students can gain insight into what it is like to work for a particular industry (e.g., education, health care) and for you specifically.
- Students are able to meet with professionals, gaining insights into jobs and careers.
Who to Invite to Tour Your Workplace (and How)
Schools, colleges and universities strive to help their students close the gap between what they learn in the classroom, lecture hall or lab and the skills they will need to apply for a job. Our workplace tour program is a wonderful opportunity for them. You may contact the schools directly, by phone and/or email. High schools, vocational schools, community colleges and universities: think about all the schools that teach courses or offer degrees related to your industry. Use all of your communication channels to get the word out about your workplace tours to employees and outside potential employees: eblast campaigns, website content, and flyers. . And of course social media can reach a large audience with a few clicks. In addition, your employees are also a great resource. Empower your employees to help identify and approach potential workplace tour partners, as many are parents of students.
How to Organize and Lead a Workplace Tour
Successful workplace tours require collaboration, communication, and preparation by several stakeholders. The process involves preparing your visitors and arranging the tour at your facility. When planning and implementing a workplace tour, you want to consider the following: Before the Tour
- Identify the participants needed to assist with the implementation; for example, school staff and employees within your organization.
- Decide the basics with those participants, such as the date, time and focus of the tour, and number of participants.
- Determine the career interest of the participants. Based on the interest of your participants, identify those employees best suited for the tour. Students should be able to observe and interact with employees within different levels of the organization.
- Collaborate with school officials to identify activities that will meet the goals of both the school and your organization.
- Plan structured activities before, during and after the tour to ensure a meaningful, engaging experience.
- Work with facility staff to arrange entrance, parking or any security measures that may be appropriate.
During the Tour
- Provide a Q & A session.
- Ask all participants (students and employees alike) to fill out evaluations so you can continue to improve your tour program.
- Be sure to document your tour with photos or videos.
- Thank everyone and recognize the time and efforts of your employee hosts.
Topics
Wendy N. Kelly, MSHRM, PHR, SHRM-CP
Wendy is an HR professional with over 10 years of HR experience in education and health care, both in the private and non-profit sector. She is the owner of KHRServices, a full service HR management agency. She is also SHRM and HRCI certified, serves as a HRCI Ambassador, and voted 2021 Most Inclusive HR Influencer.
Frequently asked questions
Other Related Terms
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