Induction Program – Best Practices

Imagine a scenario, a familiar one. You are the new kid in school, dressed well and ready to take on life. You exude confidence, but you know you are a little nervous. Now take this scenario a few years forward, and this time, find yourself in a new workplace. Sure, you are older and wiser, but the feelings of uncertainty remain. You want to make a good impression, but not appear to be trying too hard. You want to do your job well and excel in your responsibilities but you want your co-workers to like you too. You want to want to make a good first impression, but life would be happier if you knew where the toilets were!

While this seems a page out of a nervous-new-employee’s book, this scenario is not untrue. What we realize is that this scenario is out of the pages of a new employers’ book too. The newbie has to get over the nervousness, get a feel of the place, understand his or her role and recognize the business of the organization. This may look concise but is not. And the sooner this is achieved, more moneys are saved. A good induction program thus needs to be a solution to both the employee and the employer.

It is the employer, though, who needs to work for it. The toughest challenge that is faced is at the interaction level. How do all the top bosses make time to meet up with each new recruit? And how does a new recruit feel at ease, if he does not even know who his bosses are?

At the learning level, the challenge is of time. A new employee needs to learn the ropes, and someone needs to assist him at every level. This responsibility is often shrugged off, and the training becomes a series of presentations. While this may have all that the recruit needs to know, but it is tedious, to say the least.

At another level, that of evaluation, there is a gap too. How as a manager, do I know if the new addition to my team is ready to take adequate responsibility?

E-learning can bring together the ideas of the organization and the minds of the new recruits. Instead of high stacks of paper which make tedious reading, interactive ‘intelligent games’ including realistic scenarios, high score records and even prizes can be included. Necessities like organization policies, employee benefits, promotions and the like can be included, what the platform assures is the involvement of the trainee.

Modules on new applications can be also made, giving the opportunity of learning, practicing and executing to the trainee. A gradual confidence can thus be built, making the trainee ready and up to par.

The platform also assures plenty of scope for evaluation, and the opportunity to speed up, if necessary. The trainer, can on a daily basis, chart out the progress of each trainer. Scores would be a way to compare the depth of learning. A big help to the trainer would be a clue to where everyone stands. From there on, he or she can decide which trainees are lagging behind as well as the ones who need to slow down and take a breath!

The scope of e-learning as a platform is vast, and can be widely cultivated. While thinking out of the box, the developer can bring a creative angle to learning. The organization achieves in suitably giving direction to its new employees, and the employees in turn feel more closely associated with the organization.

So, a message to the newbie – while you might still need a friendly face to ask where the toilets are, there is a friendlier way of knowing what is expected out of you, and how you can achieve it best. And the good news is that, in all probability, your new workplace swears by it!

Contact us to find out how we can help you in designing your induction programs.