ORIENTING THE EMPLOYEES – INDUCTION PROCESS

Orientation or induction is the task of introducing the new employees to the organisation
and its policies, procedures and rules. A typical formal orientation programme may last
a day or less in most organisations. During this time, the new employee is provided with
information about the company, its history, its current position, the benefits for which he
is eligible, leave rules, rest periods, etc. Also covered are the more routine things a
newcomer must learn, such as the location of the rest rooms, break rooms, parking
spaces, cafeteria, etc. In some organisations, all this is done informally by attaching new
employees to their seniors, who provide guidance on the above matters. Lectures,
handbooks, films, groups, seminars are also provided to new employees so that they can
settle down quickly and resume the work.

Flowers for Attending an Interview

“I came for an interview here in 2000. At that time XYZ Company (1045
employees software consulting outfit with nearly $29 million global sales) had
about a hundred employees,” says a Senior Consultant. “I had not made up my
mind about the company, and had a few other offers. Soon after the inter interview
the company sent me a bouquet of flowers, thanking me for attending the
interview.
For me that was the ‘clincher’ – after all how many companies would do that, just
for attending an interview?
Objectives
Induction serves the following purposes:

1. Removes fears:
A newcomer steps into an organisation as a stranger. He is new to the people, workplace
and work environment. He is not very sure about what he is supposed to do. Induction
helps a new employee overcome such fears and perform better on the job.
It assists him in knowing more about:
i. The job, its content, policies, rules and regulations.
ii. The people with whom he is supposed to interact.
iii. The terms and conditions of employment.

2. Creates a good impression:

Another purpose of induction is to make the newcomer feel at home and develop a sense
of pride in the organisation. Induction helps him to:
i. Adjust and adapt to new demands of the job. Orientation & Training
ii. Get along with people.
iii. Get off to a good start.

Through induction, a new recruit is able to see more clearly as to what he is supposed
to do, how good the colleagues are, how important is the job, etc. He can pose
questions and seek clarifications on issues relating to his job. Induction is a positive
step, in the sense, it leaves a good impression about the company and the people
working there in the minds of new recruits. They begin to take pride in their work
and are more committed to their jobs.

3. Acts as a valuable source of information:

Induction serves as a valuable source of information to new recruits. It classifies many
things through employee manuals/handbook. Informal discussions with colleagues may
also clear the fog surrounding certain issues. The basic purpose of induction is to
communicate specific job requirements to the employee, put him at ease and make him
feel confident about his abilities.
INDUCTION PROGRAMME: STEPS
The HR department may initiate the following steps while organising the induction
programme:

i. Welcome to the organisation.

ii. Explain about the company.
iii. Show the location/department where the new recruit will work.
iv. Give the company’s manual to the new recruit.
v. Provide details about various work groups and the extent of unionism within the
company.
vi. Give details about pay, benefits, holidays, leave, etc. Emphasise the importance of
attendance or punctuality.
vii. Explain about future training opportunities and career prospects.
viii. Clarify doubts, by encouraging the employee to come out with questions.
ix. Take the employee on a guided tour of buildings, facilities, etc. Hand him over to
his supervisor.

(a) Content:

The topics covered in employee induction programme may be stated before-hand.

(b) Socialisation:

Socialisation is a process through which a new recruit begins to understand and accept
the values, norms and beliefs held by others in the organisation. HR department
representatives help new recruits to “internalize the way things are done in the
organisation”. Orientation helps the newcomers to interact freely with employees
working at various levels and learn behaviours that are acceptable. Through such formal
and informal interaction and discussion, newcomers begin to understand how the
department/company is run, who holds power and who does not, who is politically active
within the department, how to behave in the company, what is expected of them, etc. In
short, if the new recruits wish to survive and prosper in their new work home, they must
soon come to ‘know the ropes’. Orientation programmes are effective socialisation tools
because they help the employees to learn about the job and perform things in a desired
way.
(c) Follow up:

Despite the best efforts of supervisors, certain dark areas may

still remain in the orientation programme. New hires may not have understood
certain things. The supervisors, while covering a large ground, may have
ignored certain important matters. To overcome the resultant communication
gaps, it is better to use a supervisory checklist and find out whether all aspects
have been covered or not. Follow up meetings could be held at fixed intervals,
say after every three or six months on a face-to-face basis. The basic purpose
of such follow up orientation is to offer guidance to employees on various
general as well as job related matters without leaving anything to chance. To
improve orientation, the company should make a conscious effort to obtain
feedback from everyone involved in the programme. There are several ways
to get this kind of feedback: through round table discussions with new hires
after their first year on the job, through in-depth interviews with randomly
selected employees and superiors and through questionnaires for mass
coverage of all recent recruits.