Empowering New Employees : The Crucial Role of Induction & Mentorship in an Organisation’s Success

-Rajendra K Ghising, PhD-

Organisational leaders, including those in education, often undermine the need for new employee induction when hiring new staff. Whether the new employees are recent graduates or individuals with years of experience in other organisations, they are not much familiar with the new organisation. Starting a new job can be exciting, but some new employees may also feel intimidated by the unfamiliar environment initially.

In the context of Nepali organisations, it is common that when organisations and schools hire new employees, mostly human resources (HR) department or chief executive, or principals provide new employees with an appointment letter that lacks clear terms of reference (ToR) or a detailed job description (JD) outlining their roles and responsibilities. This lack of clarity can hinder new employees’ performance and their ability to contribute effectively to the organisation.

I would like to present a case to illustrate this. Almost 15 years ago, while I was working in administration at a private school, the principal hired a new teacher based on the candidate’s written performance and a 10-minute teaching demonstration. After selection, the principal provided the candidate with an appointment letter mentioning the date of appointment, the grade and subject to be taught, and the monthly remuneration. The new teacher was then given a daily schedule and placed under the supervision of the head of the Primary Wing.

At the end of the academic year, the teacher came to the administration with a termination letter, seeking an explanation. She had never received feedback on her performance from the Primary Wing head or the principal during the year. This situation highlights the consequences of inadequate induction processes, leading to organisations losing talented and experienced employees and incurring significant human resource costs. Therefore, organisational leaders must develop proper employee induction and mentorship programmes to fully realise the potential of their employees and retain them within the organisation.

Employee Induction
Employee induction is a process through which new employees are introduced to the organisation’s systems, structures, values, culture, policies, procedures, and their specific roles and responsibilities. Moreover, employee induction familiarises employees with the organisational context, encompassing its history, current performance, vision, goals, objectives, strategies, and community expectations.

Organisations, whether corporate or educational, are complex entities where various departments and individuals with diverse skills, cultures, languages, ethnicities, and sexual orientations work collaboratively to achieve the overarching vision. All employees, whether new or experienced, possess unique talents and significant potential. When employees are well-acquainted with the organisation’s systems, plans, programmes, and strategies through a proper induction programme, they feel integrated into the organisation and become committed to fulfilling their responsibilities.

A web survey conducted by Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company revealed that only five percent of employees are aware of their company’s vision, mission, and strategy. This substantial gap is attributable to inadequate induction or communication among employees. When 95% of employees do not know the organisation’s core vision, the organisation is likely to fail in achieving its strategic goals, potentially leading to its collapse.

An effective induction programme helps close this gap, reduces staff turnover and absenteeism, facilitates smooth transitions, and boosts employee productivity. Employee induction can be organised through Orientation, Role-specific Training, Mentorship, and Support, among other methods.

Mentorship
Mentorship within an organisation plays a pivotal role in helping employees better understand its systems, culture, values, and, most importantly, their roles and responsibilities. Generally, mentorship refers to a developmental partnership or relationship between two individuals where a more experienced or knowledgeable person (the mentor) provides advice, guidance, and support to a new or less experienced employee (the mentee). This partnership is built on mutual respect and trust, aiming to enhance the mentee’s skills, knowledge, and professional growth.

In practice, mentors often forget that they were once mentees themselves. They too relied on guidance and support while performing their jobs, and received advice and feedback to improve the quality of their work, and to become more confident and resilient. As new or less experienced employees, mentees tend to be anxious about whether they can effectively fulfill their roles and responsibilities to achieve the intended goals and objectives of their department within the organisation. During this initial period, mentees desperately seek their mentors’ guidance and emotional support to build their confidence, knowledge, and skills.

Mentors should be able to provide mentees with all the necessary guidance, feedback, new skills, and any kind of assistance, from goal setting to task completion, to achieve the results the organisation has set. When mentees receive full support, they feel accepted, supported, and valued by their mentors, leading to improved performance. Importantly, mentors should create psychological safety in the workplace, fostering an environment for learning and growth. Mentees should feel inspired to introduce new ideas and tools to make a difference in their work and have the assurance that they will not be intimidated, even if their efforts do not yield the desired outcomes.

Therefore, the ultimate goal of mentorship is to develop skills, increase job satisfaction and retention, and foster the personal and professional growth of employees. This, in turn, drives organisations to achieve their strategic vision and helps them stay competitive in the industry.

In conclusion, employee induction and mentorship programmes are crucial managerial tools that organisation leaders use not only to build relationships with their employees but also to inspire and motivate them to become resourceful and committed to the organisation’s vision, leading to sustainable and extraordinary performance.

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