HR professor

The Benefits of Induction Training

Every new employee joins the organization with stars in her eyes. There is a rosy dream of great future, great achievements and great corporate relationship. The employee begins with a positive note and heart full of new resolutions.

Imagine how devastating it would be for the employee to encounter indifference, ambiguity and disinterest. Imagine how the lackadaisical attitude of colleagues and superiors could shatter her hopes and dreams.

This scenario could be the reverse too. Employees who have been disillusioned with their previous jobs might join with a cynical attitude. They scoff at the rules and deride employee development programs of the company.

In both the cases, the losers are more than just two parties: the cynic and the victim suffer; in addition, the organizational climate becomes sour and the overall productivity goes down.

Induction training for new employees has to be taken seriously by both the employer and the employee. Every factor that can impact the new employee must be considered. Let us see all the factors that can influence the new employee:
  • Manual of organization rules and procedures
  • Manual of organization's events, programs, facilities
  • Organization chart and reporting structures.
  • Job manual
  • Departmental description, including names of employees and their respective designations
A new employee has no idea about the work culture in your organization. Hence, you have to be sensitive to the employee and provide with all oral and written instructions and guidelines. This helps her to align herself with the organization culture. Encourage formal and informal communication to allow her to blend with her work team.

Induction of new employees is incomplete without a formal induction training program. Induction training could be periodic lectures till such time that the employee is absorbed into the organization. To get employees comfortable with their fellow workers, it is a good idea to encourage informal tete-a-tete sessions. If the employee joins a sales team or a software development team, team members could have team inductions. It is very important to motivate new employees and stoke their ambitions for higher achievement. Team members should not indulge in name calling or back biting about other members as this can be very de-motivating to the new recruit.

Induction training should begin on a high note, and every body must look at the relationship optimistically. However, it is also not wise to raise irrationally high expectations of new employees. Promises should be reasonable and real. False promises only lead to disillusionment and negative feelings. The key is to build aspirations that would seem fair and reasonable to employees.

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