14 Placement and Induction II

Dr Anurodh Godha

1. Learning Outcome:

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Understand in depth about the induction procedure

• Develop a model employee induction programme

• Point out the benefits of good induction programme for an organization

• Come across the points to be avoided while implementing induction programme

• Understand the various problems arising during Induction and their solution

  Know about the various induction guidelines

• Go through the various induction training practices prevailing in India

2. Introduction: Induction Procedure

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Organizations always want to put best efforts to make integration of the individual into the organization in a smooth and anxiety free way. Depending on the size of the organisation and the complexity of the individual’s new work environment, this could be achieved through a formal or informal placement orientation programme. There is no model induction procedure developed till date. Each industry develops its own induction procedure as per their needs. The procedure should have the following steps:

(1) The new person should be given a definite time and place to report.

(2) It is very important that the supervisor or the immediate boss meet and welcome the employee to the organisation.

(3) Administrative work should be completed as early as possible. Information about vacations, probationary period, medical leave, suggestion systems etc. should be conveyed to the employee.

(4) Departmental orientation can be conducted. This should include a get – acquainted talk with other employees, introduction about the department or work place, explanation of the functions of the department, job profile & instructions and to whom he should look for help when he has any grievance.

(5) Verbal explanations are, usually, supplemented by a wide variety of printed material, employee hand book, employee manuals, house journals, picture stories. pamplets etc., along with short guided four around the plant.

Orientation programme generally covers things like compensation benefits, personnel policies, employee’s daily routine, company organisation & its operations, safety measures and regulations. The new employee’s supervisor is often given an orientation checklist and the supervisor must ensure that he covers all the necessary orientation steps.

3. Employee Induction Programme

In socializing the new employees the Induction programmes play an important role. It begins after the newcomer has agreed to join the organisation, which is the period during which the newcomer finds out what the job and life in the organisation are really like. Through Induction Programme the organization wants to familiarize new employees with company rules, policies and procedures.

According to John McGillicuddy, “One of the first and most lasting impressions new employees have of their employers is how they are greeted and treated on their first day of work.” Ideally, induction programme should follow the ‘assessment-designing-implementation- and evaluation’ framework. The framework of induction programme is described below:

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3.1 Determination and Assessment of Induction Programme Content

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Every organisation has an obligation to make integration of the individual into it as smooth and comfortable as possible. Small organisations may do it through informal orientation by the employee’s immediate supervisor whereas large organisations usually develop formal orientation programme. In general, induction programmes typically cover information about the company as a whole, which may be provided by the HRD staff, as well as job- specific information, which would be provided by the newcomer’s immediate supervisor.

The topics covered in employee induction programme may be as under:

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(i) Company’s history, philosophy and operations

(ii) Products and services of the company

(iii) Company’s organisation structure

(iv) Location of departments and employee

(v) Personnel policies and practices

(vi) Employee’s activities

(vii) Rules and regulations

(viii) Grievance procedure

(ix) Safety measures

(x) Standing orders

(xi) Terms and conditions of service

(xii) Benefits and services for employees

(xiii) Opportunities for training, promotions. transfers etc.

3.2 Designing the Induction Programme

In designing the induction programme, HR manager must deal with various different basic issues. These are as follows:

(i) Interaction between the newcomers and their supervisors, coworkers, and other organisation members: The interactions are the primary vehicle through which socialisation occurs. Hence, the frequency of these interactions must be decided.

(ii) Duration or length of an induction programme: Obviously, the more material that it wants to new employees, the longer the induction will need to last. The length may vary from a few hours to several days to periodic sessions scheduled over several months.

(iii) Who will conduct the Induction Programme?: Generally, it is either the HR manager or an HR representative who conducts this programme. Often it is an entire team like a group of management trainees who are exposed to this.

(iv) Developing the Procedure: There is no model induction procedure. Each organisation develops its own procedure as per their requirement.

(v) Corporate or departmental Levels: At corporate level the new employee is keen to learn about the organisation as a whole, and at departmental level they want to see their place of work, meet their new work colleagues and learn something about the job itself.

(vi) Types of Induction Programme: The HR manager will decide the type of induction programme as per its needs and objectives. These may be (a) General induction programme (b) Specific: induction programme (c) Follow- up induction programme

(vii) Methods and Media: A wide range of media are used in induction programmes. It includes lectures, videos, printed materials, reports, employee handbook, magazines, seminars, and discussions. Some firms use preloaded personal digital assistants to deliver information.

3.3 Implementing Induction Programme

Induction programmes may range from few minute discussions to week-long effort. The HR department may implement the induction programme by ensuring the following items written in the below mentioned checklist:

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Orientation Checklist

1. Word of welcome

2. Explain about the company and overall departmental and its relationship to other activities of the company.

3. Explain employee’s individual contribution to the objectives of the department.

4. Discuss job content with employee and provide him a copy of job description.

5. Explain departmental training programmes and salary increase practices and procedures.

6. Discuss where the employee lives and transportation facilities from that place to the office.

7. Explain working conditions like Hours of work.

• Use of employee entrance and exit.
• Tea Coffee breaks. Lunch hours.
• Overtime policy and requirements.
• Provide a list of important people and their phone numbers. Telephone numbers of receptionist, maintenance, technical support, security, and key colleagues.
• E-mail policy
• Pay days and procedure for being paid.
• Lockers.
• Safety habits and security regulation.

8. Requirement for continuance of employment – explain company standards as to:

• Attendance and punctuality.
• Details about pay, benefits, holidays, leave
• Future training opportunities and career prospects
• Performance of duties.
• Desired Behaviour.
• Handling confidential information.
• General appearance/ wearing a uniform.

9. Introduce new staff member to manager and other supervisors with special attention to the person to whom the new employee will be assigned.

10. Release employee to immediate supervisor who will:

• Familiarise the employee with his workplace.
• Introduce new staff member to fellow workers.
• Begin on-the-job training.

11. Make it fun: Welcome them to their new work area with a basket of gift-wrapped office supplies. This inexpensive gesture can make the first day more like a celebration

12. Clarify doubts: Doubts must be removed by encouraging the employee to come out with questions. Personally call the new employee to answer any questions he or she may have regarding the materials already. sent.

3.4 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Induction Programme

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Gary Dessler states, “Not all new hires react to orientation in the same way. Supervisors should therefore be vigilant and follow up and encourage new employees to engage in those activities that will enable each to ‘learn the ropes’ and quickly become productive.”

A study found that a majority of companies used either a limited system or no formal system to evaluate the effectiveness of their induction programmes. To improve effectiveness of induction programme, the company should make a conscious effort to obtain feedback. One way to ensure adequate orientation is to design a feedback system to control the programme. It can also be obtained through round table discussions with new hires after their first year on the job, through in-depth interviews and through questionnaires. A form could be used to communicate this feedback from the trainee.

4. Importance and Benefits of Induction

When newcomers first join an organisation, they have much to learn about their supervisors and co-workers, the demands of their job, company rules and procedures, and the organisation’s culture and assumptions. A good orientation programme may help newcomers feel part of the company and the team build loyalty, help them get up to speed more quickly, and even reduce early employee turnover. Induction is important for the reasons given below:

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Building Strong Two Way Communication: Induction helps to build up a two-way channel of communication between management and workers. New hires can shake hands with others, exchange notes, mingle freely and open up a bit and run through the organization with confidence

Proper Induction Reduces Employee Grievances, Absenteeism and Labour Turnover: Effective induction helps in reducing the labour turnover. By resigning they can increase the recruitment costs of replacement, costs of training and error correction.

Clarifies Psychological Contract: Induction can clarify what the organisation expects from the new employee in terms of behavioural norms and the values. It provides an opportunity to inform people of ‘the way things are done around here’ so that misapprehensions are reduced.

Increases Commitment: The new hires after getting acquainted with everything tend to commit less number of mistakes and slip into their assigned roles more comfortably. Induction creates a committed employee who identifies himself with the organisation and who wants to stay with it. He becomes prepared to work hard on behalf of the organisation.

Accelerates Learning: Induction process increases the rates of learning and work progress. It helps new employees to reach the required level of performance.

Develop Sense of Belonging and Increases Socialization: Effective induction helps to integrate the new employee into the organization and to develop a sense of belonging. The new hire begins to build stakes, develop a kind of belongingness as he embraces the organization more passionately. New employees are likely to settle in more quickly and enjoy working for the organisation. Induction improves the social aspects of work. It makes a sound relationship with colleagues and supervisors. It fosters socialisation in the company.

Increase Teamwork and Reduce Initial Shyness: Walking into a new job is often a lonely and confusing event. The newcomer doesn’t usually know what to say or whom to say it to, or even where he is supposed to be. Proper induction facilitates informal relation and teamwork among employee. Friendly relations develop almost immediately as new hires begin overcome their initial shyness and understand the organization, its rules, culture and people.

Saves Time: John Ivancevich states, “Improperly oriented employees must still get the job done, and to do so they need help. The most likely people to provide this help are co-workers and supervisors, who will have to spend time breaking in new employees. Good orientation programmes save everyone time.”

Creates a Positive Attitude: New employees take time to learn the ropes, but a good orientation programme can help make this time a positive experience. The first few days on the job are crucial in helping the employee get started in the right direction with a positive attitude and feeling.

5. Points to be avoided During Induction Programme

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According to the D.C. Feldman in Induction Programme the following things must be avoided:

• Using too much valuable orientation time to complete paper work.

• Giving too much information too quickly.

• Giving Information that are irrelevant to adjusting to the position and the organisation.

• Caring the employee by spending an inordinate amount of time discussing the negative aspects of the job.

• Using lectures and videos rather than methods that allow for two-way communication.

• Limiting orientation to the first day at work.

• Selling the organisation.

Once an employee has completed the initial stages of socialisation, he begins to perform the roles associated with the position he fills in the organisational structure.

6. Problems with Induction Programmes

An orientation programme can go wrong for a number of reasons. The following potential problems with induction have been noted:

• Supervisor who is entrusted the job of induction is not trained or is too busy.
• Newcomers are given too much information too quickly. They have information overload.
• There is too much emphasis on paperwork in induction. Newcomer is loaded with forms to complete.
• Newcomer is thrown into action too soon. Thus, as this will not be shared process so he may develop wrong perceptions and his mistakes can damage the firm.
• Supervisors have one-shot mentality. Induction programme may be considered a burden by the supervisor.
• There is information irrelevance. Newcomer is given general or superficial information that is not directly relevant to the newcomer’s job assignments.
• Sometimes induction becomes too much formal. Thus, there happens one- way communication in which only lectures and videos are used without giving newcomers a chance to discuss issues of interest or ask questions.
• Induction may remain a superficial indoctrination into company philosophy, policies and rules. The likely result is that the newcomer does not feel like part of the company.
• Supervisors adopt scare tactics. They put heavy emphasis on negative aspects of the job.
• Induction may suffer from ‘mickey mouse’ assignment, i.e., small and unimportant tasks. Giving only menial tasks to the new employee might discourage job interest and company loyalty in him.
• Pitching presentations at an inappropriate level
• There is no diagnosis and induction lacks follow-up.

Hence, the induction programme designers and deliverers should be sensitive to these problems.

7. Induction Guidelines

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The induction programme should also become a platform to think about potential problems and address them before they happen. An orientation programme should aim at creating a positive first impression in the minds of the new members and get a “buy into” the organisations culture as these new members are more likely to be loyal, co-operative and interested in the organisation’s success. An effective welcome and new hire integration process can help ensure a better retention rate and thus be highly cost efficient. The following guidelines could help in putting everything concerning orientation programme in place:

• Be open, frank and honest on your value system, vision, mission and integrity definition.

• Leverage differences – we believe in diversity; there can be growth and a challenge to grow.

• Be clear and transparent on organisational strengths and improvement areas in terms of culture, leadership and business portfolio.

• Focus on people, rest will follow.

8. Induction Training Practices in India:

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Examples of the induction training programmes followed by a few companies in India are as follows:

At Infosys BPO, they believe that induction programmes have journeyed beyond company overviews and joining formalities. It is now structured as a platform to showcase the competitive advantages and capabilities of an organisation in the industry, thereby providing a window of opportunities for growth to the entrant, empowering them to become a part of the strong and ethical workforce. The evolution in their own process earmarks the shift in focus from information download to providing an experience and partnership in the orientation, stay and growth of the new entrant.

At Sony India, the company does not follow any uniform policy for acclimatisation and there is no specific time frame given to the newcomers. The company, however, gives enough opportunities to them to understand the process, the culture and the systems of the organisation. In the case of junior managers, new recruits are given less time as compared to the entrants who need to supervise, chalk out strategies and delegate work. Overall, Sony tries to bring out the best in a person, thus, allowing the individuals to develop their abilities.

At Patni Computers, according to Raje h. Padmanabhan, executive vice president and global head of hr, “today, induction process is an assortment of knowing about the company and its intent directly from senior management, ice-breaking sessions with other colleagues, participating in trainings and getting warm with the respective teams.” broadly, there are three phases to Patni’s induction strategy – familiarisation, building effective relationships and clear understanding of performance deliverables.

At Maruti Udyog, they have different types of induction programmes for different fields. For engineers the programme is offered in four parts (i) familiarise with various functions and meet division heads (ii) work on shop floor (iii) work at various other departments (iv) work finally in those departments for about 2 months, where they eventually have to work.

At CISCO, the induction is co-owned by the respective business unit along with the hr team. After the first two days of face-to-face induction, they use a variety of online tools to enable assimilation apart from face-to-face boot camps. “web-based training, video on demand, WebEx sessions, new hire website and woos enable faster ramp up,” pointed out by Shiny Samuel, manager, learning and development, CISCO India.

At Tulip Telecom, according to Sandeep Sagar, head hr, he felt that the use of technology in induction programmes will be something exciting and challenging. On one hand, technology won’t be able to replace the human interaction whereas on the other hand, it might even aid in creating a close well-knit information flow process.

At Standard Chartered Bank the bank picks up management trainees from premium b-schools and gives them induction training for about six months. During this period, the trainees spend time in various divisions of the bank to get a brief view of the bank’s operations and get a chance to meet each of the business heads. Afterwards, a two day session on team building is also conducted. After raking charge of the jobs, the new employees have to attend a review session about the job itself.

9. Summary

Employees, no longer, have to wait endlessly to hear a response from the company about their selection so the process must not only much quicker, but also more transparent too. HR personnel should be in touch with candidates even during this phase and keep updating them on the status quo; if not selected, furnishing them with reasons for betterment as well. Similarly, in the interim period while the employee is waiting to get into the company, there is constant interaction between the two parties so that there is no dead air.

Depending on the size of the organisation and the complexity of the individual’s new work environment, this could be achieved through a formal or informal placement orientation programme. The traditional mode of familiarising them is giving information about the company history, hierarchy, evolution, value system, philosophy, goals, strategy, achievements, work culture, ethics, policies, procedures, employee rights and responsibilities. Instead of sitting in a room for hours, employees are nowadays taken for a walk-through through the entire to get themselves familiarised with the place, the people, the functions and the resources. An effective welcome and new hire integration process can help ensure a better retention rate and thus be highly cost efficient.

Ideally, induction programme should follow the ‘assessment-designing-implementation and evaluation’ framework. When newcomers first join an organisation, they have much to learn about their supervisors and co-workers, the demands of their job, and the organisation’s culture and assumptions. A good orientation programme may help newcomers feel part of the company and the team build loyalty, help them get up to speed more quickly, and even reduce early employee turnover.

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