Being invited to a Walmart orientation means that you have been hired for the job.
It is your first working day, and you get paid for it.
It is a great opportunity to learn more about Walmart, its work ethic, and its values. It’s also great to bond with your future colleagues and managers.
But sometimes, due to unavoidable circumstances, you may end up missing your orientation.
In such a scenario, there’s one question that’s going to be on the top of your mind.
What happens if you miss a Walmart orientation?
Walmart organizes orientation days for new employees and interns to help them know more about Walmart and understand its business.
During the orientation, Walmart shared details about its:
- Brands
- Stores & Operations
- Management & Leadership
There are a lot of fun activities planned on this day around the new employees to help them understand Walmart better, so missing your orientation day could be a bigger loss for you than you can imagine.
Read on to know more about what happens at a Walmart orientation and what you need to do if you miss it.
Walmart Orientation
Walmart puts a lot of effort into organizing its orientation sessions and expects all new employees and interns to attend the same.
While filling out forms and completing them is a part of the activities on your orientation day, a major part of the day is dedicated to helping you discover more about Walmart, its brands, and its stores.
Walmart also lines up its top leaders, who share their experiences working with Walmart. This is more of a motivational session to help you feel proud about working at Walmart.
The orientation day is a great opportunity to meet and interact with future managers and colleagues.
You can also hold discussions with them on what is expected from you in your new role and how you can adapt to the work culture of Walmart.
Orientation Agenda
Depending on the role you have been selected for, your orientation at Walmart could last from 1 to 3 days. Many interactive sessions are scheduled during the orientation to help you familiarize yourself with your new surroundings.
You can also interact with people already working at Walmart to learn how they manage their roles and work days.
The following topics are usually covered during orientation at Walmart:
- Walmart’s history, work culture, and ethics
- Business Lines
- The organizational system and workflow structure
- Safety & Health norms
- Policies and Procedures
- Employee Benefits
- Details about their Training and Upskilling programs
- Dress code
There can also be interactive computer-based training sessions during the orientation on the different aspects of working inside a store and interacting with customers.
For employees who are expected to work in the store, floor visits may be organized to familiarize the new employees with the store layout and facilities.
Missing the Walmart Orientation
While missing the Walmart orientation is not ideal, there could be various reasons/circumstances beyond your control that you may miss.
Walmart considers missing the orientation as a no-show by the employee. In such a scenario, it may even take back its job offer and ban you from further work opportunities within the Walmart group.
This can be disastrous for those who are just starting their career and are looking forward to working at Walmart.
If you miss an orientation session or need to reschedule, you should reach out to the managers who hired you at the earliest opportunity and explain why, or you may lose your job.
If you have a genuine reason and your hiring manager is convinced, they may give you another chance and invite you to the next orientation session.
However, this could delay your joining the Walmart team, as orientations are scheduled every few weeks, depending on the number of employees hired.
Conclusion
A Walmart orientation is not something to be missed.
It’s a great opportunity to learn more about Walmart, its management team, and your future colleagues in a relaxed environment.
Missing your orientation can create a bad impression of your work ethic and even lead to you being sacked from your job without working a single day.
For those of you who may have missed one despite your best efforts, it would be a good practice to reach out to your hiring manager immediately and share the reasons for not showing up.
If your hiring manager is convinced you could not show up, you could be invited to the next orientation session.
Just make sure that you don’t miss the next one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Orientation Day Your First Working Day?
Yes. Your orientation day will be considered your first working day, and you will even be paid for it, even though you may not do any work that day.
Is It Compulsory To Attend the Orientation Day?
Yes, very much. Failure to do so could even lead to you being marked as a no-show and losing your job.
How Long Does the Orientation Day Last?
While paperwork may take 2 to 3 hours, the rest of the day could be used to explain Walmart’s work culture, its policies, etc. Therefore, you should consider that it will last around 7 to 8 hours.
Some orientation sessions may also be spread across a few days, depending on the role you have been hired for and the orientation sessions planned by Walmart.
Can I Apply for a Job Again if I Miss an Orientation Day?
You need not apply for a job at Walmart again if you have a reasonable excuse for missing your orientation day. Instead, please speak to your hiring manager at Walmart and share the reason for missing the orientation day with them.
If they have not hired someone else for your role, you may be invited for the next orientation day, after which you can start working at the store.
