Ilsa H. duVerney, Contributor
THE BUSINESS world is usually anxious to recruit and find persons to carry out jobs within the organisation. However, if there is one neglected activity in the business world, it is that of staff induction.
When persons are invited to be part of an organisation, and hopefully, are given a written employment contract which is expected for all jobs, then the manager who has signed off on the contract should ensure that the organisation's obligation of inducting and orienting the new employee is carried out. Induction is that activity which may be compared to one's entry to a church through baptism or to an initiation into a fraternity or club.
AREA OF NEGLECT
Induction is one of the great neglected areas of management policy. Some organisations spend thousands of dollars on recruitment and on training yet this activity, which is that bridge between recruitment and training, is treated in many organisations with scant regard.
To ensure effectiveness, CEOs and vice-presidents in human resource development (HRD) need to make strong ongoing requests for reports on the induction and orientation of employees who are new to jobs. Induction is necessary irrespective of status or level of academic or technical competence.
ATTAINING PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE
The HR manual, and specifically the training policy and procedures manual, should clearly outline how induction will be carried out in the organisation. Like the financial aspects, auditing of these HR procedures should be undertaken from time to time to reinforce compliance and encourage commitment. Induction is required when one enters an organisation for the first time. The word 'organisation' is loosely used here to mean any place where people come together to achieve a common objective.
Failure to pay attention to induction often results in mediocre performance, and the attainment of performance excellence will continue to elude us.
RESEARCH ON INDUCTION
Induction is that process by which new recruits are integrated into an organisation so that they become active, cooperative and productive members as soon as possible. Induction is a process which automatically takes place; however, communication will be more efficient and more accurate and effective if the induction is planned and managed properly.
Some years ago, the Harvard Business Review carried an article by Gomersall and Scott Myers which showed that the following benefits were derived from the implementation of an induction scheme: Higher quality, better communication and low labour turnover. A research done by Texas Instruments showed that those who had undergone induction produced more per hour, had a much lower absentee rate and were late fewer times. Induction processes are vital to ensuring that new staff are productive as quickly as possible, and should play a key role in knowledge management initiatives.
INDUCTION FOCUS
Despite the availability of empirical data, most organisations have inadequate or ad hoc staff induction processes, with many relying solely on staff just 'working it out as they go along.' The Industrial Society in England states that there are three main categories of information which inductees should get: 1) Job information; 2) personal information; 3) team information. Staff induction programmers often focus on corporate policies regarding safety and security; however, beyond these practicalities, James Robertson in his article, 'The importance of induction', outlines the following areas which the induction programme should address up front:
How to conduct common administrative tasks (changing a phone number, obtaining a business card, ordering stationery);
What key information systems exist (such as the intranet);
How to get around the building (security, floor plans).
Newcomers need to know who to contact in the organisation if they have a question. The familiarisation process should include contacts on the job and knowledge of business units such as security, the canteen and information technology. One very important item to note is that induction is at the point and time of entry to the organisation and should not be hidden or merged into the general orientation programme which may take up to three months.
THE ROLE OF MENTOR
An effective induction scheme appoints a mentor prior to the arrival of the newcomer. This mentor should be carefully selected as the mentor will share the values and standards of the organisation with the inductee. The mentor will show the newcomer the ropes and help the person to be integrated quickly in the job. The mentor should be asked to supply senior management with reports on the mentoring programme.
ROLE OF MANAGEMENT
The aim here is to highlight the role of senior management in the induction process. In order to have the right information, certain reports should be structured and requested. As managers and leaders, we can delegate responsibility and authority, but we cannot delegate accountability. As leaders, we need to hold ourselves accountable for the induction of our new members. What sort of baptism is your new recruit receiving? After all, we get what we set up!
Ilsa H. duVerney, an HRD/process consultant, is managing director of Productivity Plus Ltd. Email: ppl.hrd.duv@cwjamaica.com.
