Introduction
Induction of new staff can be defined as the whole process whereby new employees are helped to adjust and acclimatize to their jobs and working environments and as the final part of the recruitment process. In Human resource management, the induction process is very important, especially to the employees who are joining the organization for the first time. (Taylor 2005).
The process of joining a new organization or a team, for that matter, can be a stressful affair and can either positively or negatively impact the new employee’s future productive ability. During the induction process, the moment is characterized by an unproductive period because the new recruit has a lot to learn and so many people to know and meet. Thus, the process of induction is important because it serves the purpose of ensuring there is an effective integration of a newly hired staff into the organization for the mutual benefit of both the organization and the employee. (Taylor 2005).
Any new employee just into a new job is bound to have some gaps in their skills and knowledge. Such gaps need to be identified with the sole purpose of taking action on them by taking into consideration training and development needs. This will, in turn, empower them, thereby supporting them with clear information, which will determine how fast they “feel at home” and start making the real contribution to the respective organization department. (Rankin, N. 2006).
Why induction training is important in an organization
For any recruitment and subsequent retention of staff to be successful, a comprehensive induction program is necessary. The productivity and retention of any staff are wholly dependent on the first three months of induction.
Staff induction processes are, in most cases, designed to equip the newly recruited staff with the necessary information they need in ensuring that they quickly understand how the organization works. This means that the induction process enables the employee to be productive as quickly as possible whilst playing a key role in knowledge management initiatives. (Rankin, N. 2006).
When new employees enter an organization, they end up finding themselves in a virtually new environment and end up being in a more confused state. The induction process helps the employee familiarize themself with the organizational culture. The management has the sole responsibility of ensuring the new employees feel at home as fast as possible via induction training.
As observed by the renowned motivational speaker Zig Ziglar “Do not ask what will happen if we train people and they leave, instead ask what will happen if we don’t train people and they stay on” Induction training in the organization plays a very significant role of enabling the employees to remain motivated and maintain growth at the same time. The training inculcates the much-needed confidence to make progress that positively impacts the organization. Effective induction training plays the key role of assuring the new employee of the organization’s commitment, making them become comfortable in the new environment set up, a vital step in ensuring early uptake in the newly acquired role. The new employee needs to be integrated into the organization’s culture because this shapes the individual’s disposition and outlook of the work and levels of motivation.
During the induction period, the employee acquires important knowledge about the company’s employment philosophy, values, and culture accompanied by important business processes, including the individual’s responsibilities. This knowledge is vital if the staff is going to survive in the organization.
Induction programs, in essence, help in reducing attrition rates. This is because the first impression created in a newly recruited employee and how you interact with them greatly influences how well they will be able to discharge their future duties. Research has revealed that employees who are effectively inducted turn out to be the most engaged compared to those who are not properly inducted or not inducted at all.
In most cases, employee’s thought of ever leaving the organization occurs at the early stage of induction, especially when it is poorly done. A good induction, in a way, earnestly prepares the new employee to compete effectively in the fiercely competitive environment that makes up the organization.
Content that should be included in the induction training
A good induction training procedure is very necessary if the organization is to realize the full impact of its induction program. This is because the procedure used goes a long way to portray the organization in a positive light and also reinforces the value that is placed on the new employee, who feels highly valued. Therefore, the organization should always strive to design an induction program that is focused and structured, which serves the purpose of introducing the new member of staff to the organization, the existing career possibilities, and the staff support system available.
It is very important, therefore, to design an induction program that covers all aspects of organizations. Its contents need to be precise and simple to understand.
The process of induction for the new employee usually involves the employee meeting and listening to different people from the organization. The organization’s personnel talk and explain further about the various aspect of the business. The process may include various forms of written information, group discussion, and audio-visual aids. (Rankin, N. 2006).
An effective induction-training program should have the following content for it to achieve its set purpose.
- The first important item should be the introduction to the department or business, including the management structure and the personnel that make up the department. (Thomas, 2003)
- The setup of the organization premise includes the building, offices, factory, and the locality of all the departments, thus the entire layout of the building that the organization occupies. (Thomas 2003)
- Another vital content of the induction training is the explanation of the employment contract, which encompasses the employment terms and conditions.
- Discussion and explanation of various relevant organization policies that affect training, personnel, promotion, health, and safety.
- Business roles and procedures
- The various channels of employee communication and involvement.
- Welfare and employee benefits or facilities
- The content of the induction training should not leave out the organizational structure within which the new employee will be operating from.
- Organizational structure- the organizational structure is an important aspect as the new employee gets to understand how the organization is structured and who does what and who reports to whom. (Thomas, 2003)
- Organizational expectations – The employee is made to understand their role in the organization, their position on the organization and what is expected of them, and the parameters used to measure productivity. (Thomas, 2003)
- Code of conduct and practice helps the new employee understand the conduct expected of him in the organization. The code of conduct and practices defines the interaction between the employees with each other together with the organization for a mutually beneficial relationship. (Thomas, 2003)
Role of Human Resource Development in induction programs
At the core of the induction process is the human resource development functions that develop and oversee the implementation of the induction programs. However, it is very important to note that the induction process should not just be a human resources department issue but should be developed in such a way as to involve all the relevant business departments within the organization. This plays a very important role in ensuring that the new recruits get the whole picture about the organization.
The human resource development department plays a very significant role in coming up with a blueprint induction program that covers all aspects of the organization. It’s upon the HRD department to ensure that the design of the program takes into consideration the environment within which the organization operates from.
By designing a comprehensive induction program, the department has the sole role of educating the employees as quickly as possible about the organization’s culture and values and ensuring that the new employee becomes comfortable as soon as possible.
It is important for the department to research and develop a program that is fully acceptable in the particular industry and specifically tailored for the organization. It is the role of the department also of training its line managers of the induction program that ensures uniformity of its implementation within the organization.
By enforcing comprehensive rules and regulations on the induction programs ensure that the program succeeds in all its purposes of bringing onboard new employees, motivating them to fit in and be productive as soon as possible whilst ensuring that the employees are retained. (Deal & Allan 1982).
Importance of organization culture to a new employee
The organizational culture can be defined as the “Personality” that is exhibited by the organization. The organization culture is comprised of “assumptions, values norms and tangible signs of organization members and their behavior.” (Becker & Geer 1960).
Newly employed employees are mostly unfamiliar with the new environment, including the organization processes; induction helps them “into the new way of working thereby “shaping” the new staffs achieve the much needed cultural change.
Organizational culture is very important in the organization because it helps the organization cope with the environment within which it operates. “Organizational culture can be defined as “a set of common understanding around which action is organized… finding expression in language whose nuances are peculiar to the group” (Becker & Geer 1960).
The organizational culture, therefore, is very important to the new employee because being able to understand and cope with it will determine how well the employee will fare in the organization.
For new employees, the greatest challenge and frustration they face does not know who to contact when they have a question regarding the jobs they do. Whilst staff induction may cater for this need where they are able to meet key people in the organization, mentoring or “buddying” are approaches that can be successfully implemented to ensure that the new staff fit in as quickly as possible.
Common strategies that can be utilized to help new employees embrace the organizational culture include socialization, where the new employee goes through an adaptation process to enable them to cope with the new culture. The socialization process will involve the incorporation of the employee in various company activities like team building, group discussions, mentoring, training, and development. (Frost 1985).
Bibliography
Becker, H, and B. Geer.1960, “Latent Culture: A Note on the Theory of Latent Social Roles.” in Administrative Science Quarterly, Volume 5. pp. 305-306.
Chatman, J.A. and K.A. Jehn 1994, “Assessing the relationship between industry characteristics and organizational culture: How different can you be?” Academy of Management Journal P 522–553.
David, Stanley M. 1984, Managing Corporate Culture. Cambridge, MA: Ballinger Publishers Co.
Deal, Terrence E., and Allan A. Kennedy 1982. Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Frost, Peter J., Larry F. Moore, Meryl R. Louis, Craig C. Lundberg, and Joanne Martin, eds. 1985, Organizational Culture. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
Davis, S.H. 2005, How to reduce executive failure through induction. People Management. Vol 11, No 9, Pp 40-41.
Rankin, N. 2006, Welcome, stranger: employers’ induction arrangements today. IRS Employment Review. No 849, Pp 38-48.
Thomas, H.C. 2003, How to design induction programmes. People Management. Vol 9, No 9, Pp 42-43.
Taylor, S. 2005, People Resourcing 3rd ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.