Is your Employee Orientation just another Induction Program?
In 2014, the Maharishi International University—formerly known as the Maharishi University of Management—had an unusual speaker to conduct their annual commencement address: the Hollywood actor, Jim Carrey!
As the Dean introduced him to the audience, he is “the funniest man on earth, a performer of legendary comic genius, a children’s book author of profound depth, an individual of enormous compassion, who is doing so much to make our world a better place.”
Carrey delivered the speech with his usual punchlines but also opened up to speak about his upbringing, and how fear often drives our decisions. You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V80-gPkpH6M
An important takeaway from the speech was a great lesson he learned from his father: you may fail while doing things you dislike, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
Is your orientation program giving the right message?
Many orientation programs end up being another set of checkboxes that HR needs to tick. That’s extremely unfortunate because the orientation is where your new people can really begin a journey of personal growth along with the organization in the truest sense.
Why is it so important to focus on orientation anyway? Consider a few key statistics.
What’s wrong with orientation programs? Why don’t they do the job they’re supposed to do? And why do organizations not work on improving their induction programs on a war footing?
There are several factors why orientation programs are the way they are:
·????? Shortage of time
Very often, talent is hired under tight deadlines, and are expected to ‘hit the ground running.’ What do you think gets compromised as a result? That’s right, the orientation. These may get compressed to simply give the new joiners an ‘overview’ of the organization, its values, and goals. It is a typical case of sacrificing long-term benefits at the altar of short-term exigencies. It may meet the immediate organizational goal but will definitely have a negative impact in the long run.
·????? Shortage of budgets
Sometimes organizations may be stretched thin financially, and guess what bears the brunt of this crunch. Right again, the orientation. So when the company cannot afford to let senior team members take time off to properly induct new joiners, ultimately it is the organization that suffers.
·????? Inability to motivate new hires
Organizations always try to find the best talent to fill their vacancies, but sometimes forget that they also need to provide the best opportunities to justify their decision to join and motivate those people to stay.
·????? Lack of alignment with values
Sometimes there is a mismatch between what the employee wants and the organization delivers, which goes beyond the job description and pay package. When that happens, there is little that can save the situation. Often, in the hurry to fill up vacancies and get new hires to work on projects, values take a backseat. And that’s not good news.
How we onboard employees at Zuci
We look at onboarding as a process rather than a task, and it begins long before the employee even joins us. Here are some things we take care of.
·????? Ensure a cultural fit
This is something we take care early on. We hire only those people who fit into our culture and values, to avoid nasty surprises later on for both parties. Ensuring alignment of values goes a long way in building an enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with people.
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·????? Leverage automation
Automation can help reduce the time and effort it takes to get an employee fully onboard. It is a time-consuming and tedious process, and not all activities require human interaction. Automating tasks such as email responses, setting up meetings and follow-up sessions can help reduce the load on HR teams, while giving the prospective employees a better experience.
·????? Clarify expectations early on
We ensure clarity on both sides, as to what we expect from our people and how well we understand their career goals. We conduct regular check-ins at periodic intervals, e.g., 15, 30, 45, and 60 days or so, to monitor the employees’ experience and level of satisfaction at work.
There is not short-cut to employee orientation and following these guidelines rigorously can not only give your people a great experience but also go a long way in ensuring organizational success.
Getting employee orientation right is incredibly important for an organization to succeed. Sometimes it is given less weightage in comparison with other pressing issues, such as project deadlines. This can be short-sighted and negatively affect organizational goals. Ensuring alignment of values, leveraging automation, and clarifying expectations early on can go a long way in delivering a great orientation program.
References:
1.???? According to Harvard Business Review
2.???? As per a study by BambooHR
3.???? Based on research by the Center for American Progress
?Readers – A Quick Note:
People management is not just a matter of dry theory; it's about practical insights and actionable strategies. So, if you are curious about leveraging your team's full potential and understanding the true power of people, read my book, People Forever. In this book, I have tried my best to dive into the 'how' and 'why' of team building, employee recognition, and everything in between.
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