Introduction
Employee orientation is a strategy used by companies to equip new recruits with necessary job requisites. In most cases, employee orientation attempts to familiarize new staff to the company’s culture, operation methods, dress codes and physical surroundings. However, stiff competition in the global market has expanded in scope of orientation to accommodate training sessions.
This essay outlines various training strategies used by the Hewlett Packard (HP) Company as a competitive tool.
HP Orientation Policy
Hewlett Packard is one of the most successful computer companies in the world. The secret behind its success is vested on its ability to invest on highly qualified human resources, as well as its comprehensive training services. At HP, new employees are subjected to a rigorous training session that aims at producing all rounded staff.
Bohlander and Snell (2007) argue that companies should shy away from investing in training since the longer the training session, the more employees are attached to the company, hence increased performance. HP training involves a two phased process: orientation training and development training.
Orientation training helps employees to understand the company’s internal operation framework, production mechanisms, distribution and logistical portfolio and the company’s global marketing strategy. On the other hand, development training equips employees with leadership skills, management skills, standard of excellence training, and result based training sessions.
HP Forms of Training
HP uses two forms of training to new employees: the classroom-based and the online-based training sessions. Classroom-based training session is mainly used to the newly recruited staff while online training is introduced at an advanced stage. The company hires trained lecturers who are well versed with the company’s operations to facilitate the training services. During the training session, new staff takes notes while at times the facilitator uses PowerPoint presentation to enrich his/her presentation.
A typical training session induces questions and in-depth inquiry of the company’s internal operation and strategic policy. These sessions are highly interactive, such that the tutor allows new recruits to ask questions, seek clarifications and project their personal opinion. Fallon and McConnell (2007) contend that employee orientation mentors employees to potential managers and enhances on-the-job employees’ conduct.
Conversely, HP uses online training to new employee as well as existing employees as a means of enriching the classroom-based training. The ability to conduct an online training unifies the global with similar skills dispositions. Online training provides continuous sessions that are rich in development of employees skills.
For instance, the sessions allow employee to improve their management competencies, inter-personal and communication skills (HP Global Citizenship Report, 2011). Moreover, the online training provides in-depth scope and real life situation that cannot be exhausted during the classroom trainings. While the online training is fairly economical, its ability to reach a huge number of people makes it reliable and more convenient.
Effectiveness of Orientation and Training to HP Employees
Orientation and training used by the HP Company is very effective since it provides employees with the right skills, attitude and love for the company. While orientation helps employees to understand the company operations, training furnishes employees with appropriate skills to achieve in their respective capacities.
The training has been identified as one of the most by which employees are nurtured to become competent managers while training emphasizes on ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions, orientation deals with ‘why’ questions. Thus, both orientation and training molds a holistic person in performance and leadership competencies.
Conclusion
Human resource is an invaluable resource in any company. However, this resource is the most sensitive and it requires sensitive care, tender approach and proper guidance. Each company is compelled to invest in new staff due to growth or retirement of senior staffs.
In order to exploit their full potential, the human resource manager has a role: to provide adequate orientation and training facilities to the new staff. The enormous success and continuity that has characterized HP company is attributed to the new orientation and training policy (HP Global Citizenship Report, 2011). From the onset, employees are equipped with the company’s culture, leadership and strategic plan.
References List
Bohlander G. W., and Snell, S., (2007). Managing Human Resources. Mason: Thompson Learning Publishers.
Fallon, L. F., and McConnell, C.R., (2010). Human Resource Management in Health Care: Principles and Practice. Sandbury (MA): Jones and Barlett Publishers.
HP Global Citizenship Report (2011). Learning Development. Retrieved from https://www8.hp.com/us/en/hp-information/global-citizenship/index.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN