Soft Skills

Right initiation for new hires

Smita Sah reasons why organisations need to have an effective induction programme for new recruits.

Hiring is the buzzword in technology companies these days. Companies are hiring people in large numbers. To complement their efforts and time invested in hiring, an organisation needs to put in place an effective new hire orientation programme.

Studies have shown that 47 percent of new hires leave their jobs within the first six months if they are given proper training and support. The first few days and weeks that employees spend at their new workplace should be effectively utilised to prepare them for their jobs. Also, this is one opportunity for an organisation to communicate to its new employees that they have joined a world-class organisation they can be proud of.

First impressions often make the difference. Effective orientation programmes consist of a detailed orientation schedule. Remember, the devil lies in the details. Therefore it is important to make sure that preparations associated with a new hire’s joining are well thought of and carried out in due course of time. HR managers should spend some time working on the nature of the new hire orientation programme and clearly define the objectives of the same. Care should be taken to avoid information overload. The information to be given to a new hire should be scheduled into separate sessions.

An effective orientation programme should attempt to achieve the following:

• Create a good impression on new hires
• Make new hires feel they are welcome
• Provide a platform for emotionally connecting with the organisation
• Provide new hires enough information to feel good about their decision to join the organisation
• Provide a clear roadmap in terms of job responsibilities and career progression.
  

A mentor and buddy should be assigned to a new hire. This buddy should be a high-energy individual who can make the new hire feel comfortable and acquaint him/her with company culture, people and processes. Cubical, PC/laptop, e-mail ids, intranet accounts, initial training and project information that the new hire is likely to need prior to joining. A small welcome note on his desk signed by his peers and leader/mentor would be a pleasant surprise for the new recruit.

It is very important for the new hire to know the organisation structure on the first day itself. Introductions to key people, peers, people in HR, administration and accounts should be an integral part of the first-day orientation. HR should send a welcome mail to all in the organisation highlighting the academic qualification, employment history, accomplishments and interests and hobbies of the new hire. This helps other employees in other locations too to know about new hires. The team that the new hire is a part of should be coached to strike small conversations with him and to make him comfortable in the new environment.

Any new hire wants to get into the mainstream as soon as possible. He wants to know people around him overnight. He wants to prove to his manager and people around that he is a good choice. His enthusiasm is high and this is the time to strike the right chord with him/her. If an organisation fails to assign any work to a new hire, especially one with more than two years’ work experience, within a week of joining, chances are that enthusiasm and expectation would give way to scepticism and uneasiness which may even lead to the new recruits thinking that they made the wrong decision in opting for the organisation. Since IT companies recruit executives in batches it is important that work is defined before the employees comes on board. If an employee has to undergo training, on the first day itself, he should be given the training calendar with clear objectives, expectations and penalties (if any). It always helps to set the expectations right at the start. A clearly-defined job description would certainly help the new hire understand the road ahead in a better way.

Presentations on the organisation’s vision, mission, strategy, core values, HR policies, technology platforms, success stories, challenges, short and long-term plans should be made by appropriate people to the new hire. The idea is to provide answers to all the questions that may come up in his mind. The process of communicating the organisation’s vision should begin early. Encourage HR staff to include vision in the recruiting process. It should be an integral part of new hire orientation.

New employees should be briefed about how the vision came about and what is being done to achieve it. Have someone from the top paint a compelling picture of the company’s vision to help new employees feel like they’ve joined a winning team. Apart from being technically and logistically-oriented, the new hire orientation programme should be inspirational and motivational. If the inspirational and motivational components are ignored, an organisation stands to lose out on a golden opportunity to engage the hearts and souls of its new hires. If it is not possible for a personal address, an organisation should video-shoot the address and use it appropriately.

Last but not the least, HR managers should spend time reviewing if the expectations of the new hires are being met, and whether they have all the tools they need to perform their work. Employee feedback should be encouraged and suggestions should be incorporated to improve the new hire orientation programme. The end of the first day, the end of the first week, and the end of each day should be a fulfilling experience for an employee. And it all begins with the new hire orientation being ‘right’.

Smita Sah is HR Manager, eInfochips