Euden Koirala
As much as Talent Management is the buzzword in organizations today, it is also a challenge. Managers are facing a big question in managing talents in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Talent management is not only related to having the right person in the right role. It starts with identifying a person to be placed in the right role, nurturing the person to perform at their best in this ‘right’ role, and continue enhancing the capacity of the person to ensure they blossom into this so-called ‘right’ role with their best performance, further supporting the organizational goals and vision.
Talent management begins with recruitment as we deploy techniques such as job opening adverts or headhunting to get the right people on board in the right manner.
Now that we have hired the best candidate after a lengthy and rigorous process, we can now shift our emphasis to the next step, onboarding. Once the new member is hired, a structured and formalized induction program is the next crucial step forward. A well thought and planned induction schedule is very important to enable the new joiner to get started on the right note in the organization. The saying ‘First impression is the last impression’, is very relevant in this situation. The first experience or induction process introduced to the new joiner is how the individual gets set in the organization. It is the way the individual integrates within the team and the ‘ways of working’ including practices within the organization.
During this period, the newcomer is also anxious and observant of the culture of the organization. It is thus important that the organization sets a good impression on the individual, which gets the individual on an energized start, as desired by the organization. This is the time when the organization makes understand its ways of working, system, processes, culture and values to the new member.
When an organization has a robust induction program it is clear that it understands the importance of inducting the new joiner in the most effective manner, thus supporting the joiner to clearly understand the organization, its processes and people. It provides clarity on the expectations from the individual and also supports the person settling into their role soonest as well as having clear expectations from the role and the organization.
Although there are several areas to be oriented to the new joiner, care must be taken not to overload them during induction to ensure effectiveness. The induction process should be conducted covering the following:
Pre-induction briefing: The HR or line manager briefs the individual on the induction plans and processes practiced in the organization. Timelines could also be mentioned for completing the various stages.
Induction checklist: It is good to have a checklist as a guide for the new employee. This should include the entire day-to-day schedule for the first week. This should cover basic activities like the physical orientation of the office and its premises, introduction to staff members, policies of the organization, benefits and allowances in the organization details of roles and responsibilities as per the individual’s job description and so on.
Feedback post induction: It is good to take feedback from the individual 3 to 6 months after joining. This can include what the individual felt was done well and what could be done better. This helps the organization understand the effectiveness of the program and work on changes if needed.
A smooth and well-planned induction will make the new joiner feel valued and engaged from the start. Make sure they are introduced to the staff members they will be working closely with. It is also good to ensure the staff are able to give time to the new joiner and answer to her/his queries they may have as a new joiner.
Assigning a ‘buddy’ to the new joiner is another interesting way of making the induction efficient. The buddy should be an existing staff member who will be able to spend time closely with the new joiner for a good 2-3 weeks, supporting them in understanding their role and the organization well. This induction buddy should also be well briefed on the induction plan and the new joiner’s role. The buddy should be in close communication with the HR department to understand their responsibilities as a buddy and also seek support to perform their assignment as a buddy.
In conclusion, a well-planned and executed induction process in an organization supports talent management by ensuring the best candidate recruited, is now being supported to start in the most conducive manner which supports their performance going forward. A thorough induction enables the new employee to:
- Settle well into the new environment
- Understand their role properly
- Understand how their role fits in with the rest of the organization
- Understand the organizational culture and what standard of behavior is expected of them
Induction is thus the next step to talent management that an organization should carefully consider. It is an important step that should be thoroughly planned to ensure the entire strategy of managing talent in the organization is successful.
Koirala is Head of People & Organizational Development at WaterAid Nepal.
