Think of a job description as a “snapshot” of a job. The job description needs to communicate clearly and concisely what responsibilities and tasks the job entails and to indicate, as well, the key qualifications of the job – the basic requirements (specific credentials or skills) – and, if possible, the attributes that underlie superior performance.
Following is a quick look at the categories that make up a well-written job description:
• Title of the position
• Job Code
• Department
• Reports to (to whom the person directly reports)
• Supervise ( person(s) directly report to the position holder)
• Overall responsibility
• Key areas of responsibility
• Consults with (those who the person works with on a regular basis)
• Term of employment (Full time, temporary, 12 months, etc..)
• Qualifications (necessary skills and experience required) KSAs
• Job requirement (physical , mental, etc..)
• Authorities
• Reports/ documents
• Key performance criteria/ area(s)
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
• Don’t rely solely on a job’s history as you’re putting together a job description for today. Focus instead on what the job needs to be in light of the organization’s current needs and long-term objectives.
• A task is what the person in the job will actually do.
• Qualifications are the skills, attributes, or credentials a person needs to perform each task.
• Credentials (such as degrees and licenses) are absolute necessities in some jobs. The thing you want to make sure of, however, is that whatever credentials you establish have a direct bearing on the candidate’s ability to become a top performer.
• Be specific with your job requirements. It will save you time during the screening process and will keep your focus on qualified candidates.
• Clarify the actual tasks and responsibilities before you start thinking about what special attributes will be needed by the person who will be fulfilling those responsibilities.
• A well-written job description consists of more than a shopping list of the tasks and responsibilities that the job entails. It reflects a sense of priorities.
• Instead of detailing tasks, keep your job descriptions focused on responsibilities and what you would like the individual to accomplish in this position.
• The job you describe must be truly doable. When you’re lumping several tasks into the same job description, make sure that you’re not creating a job that very few people could fill.
• Experience should not include an upper limit
• Any reference to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin or nationality, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation in your job description is illegal, so avoid them!
• Be sure you are clear regarding the physical requirements of the position. If it requires heavy lifting, you will want to be sure to document that in the description for legal reasons.
• Finally, Compare your description to positions in similar companies. Is your description competitive?
• Compose specific duty statements that contain most of the following elements
- A precious action verb (see below)
- An object of the verb
- The expected outcome
- The frequency of duties
- The tools, equipment, aids and processes to be used
• Always use specific language. For example:
Too General
- Computer literate
- Good communication skills
- Good organizational skills
- Handles administrative chores
- Lifts heavy packages
- Operates electronic imaging machine
- General verbs such as:
* Prepares ..
* Handles
* Processes
* Maintains
Specific
- Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, QuickBooks
- Ability to communicate technical information to nontechnical audiences
- Ability to set priorities, manage time effectively and efficiently, etc..
- Receives, sorts, and files monthly personnel action reports
- Frequently lifts heavy packages weighing up to 50 pounds
- Must know how to operate an electronic imaging machine
- Specific verbs such as:
* Assists – to create, plan, and conduct
* Manages
* Administers
* Resolves
* Ensures
* Identifies
* Recruits
* Analyzes
* Provides
* Reviews
* Interviews
* Coordinates
* Performs
* Sorts and distributes
* Orders, stores, and receives—
* Facilitates
* Records
* Documents
* Oversees
* Approves
- Be consistent: Define terms like may, periodically, occasionally regularly, etc..
- Prepare a miscellaneous clause: This clause provides flexibility, and may be phrased as follows: "performs other related duties as assigned by supervisory personnel"
May 9, 2010
May 7, 2010
Job description guidelines
Writing a compelling job description can make the difference between attracting a superstar and a not-so-super candidate. You do not have to be an experienced recruiter to write a job description that gets noticed. A terrific job description lets candidates know what will be expected of her from the outset helping to ensure a smooth transition once hired. A well-written job description can also help you be sure you are complying with necessary employment laws.
Identify the Goal
Job descriptions don't just communicate required duties to your employees; they also clarify your organization's purpose and its effectiveness.
Study the Job
As the first step in writing a job description, you need to study the job itself. This process--job analysis--gives an overview of your organization's functions.
Learn Legal Constraints
JDs are generally treated as legal documents, providing grounds for removing employees who do not meet written expectations.
Categorize
You can start the writing process by placing the job functions into categories. Categories common to job descriptions include position title, department name, supervisor's name, job objectives, essential functions, work condition, and experience or skills required.
Write
In writing this document, concentrate on your use of language.
Review
Pass it on to someone else to review it, ideally someone who has performed the job involved.
Revise
You should immediately incorporate valid feedback into the job description. Since jobs, like everything else, constantly evolve, you can expect to be making periodic changes to the job description in the future as well.
Identify the Goal
Job descriptions don't just communicate required duties to your employees; they also clarify your organization's purpose and its effectiveness.
Study the Job
As the first step in writing a job description, you need to study the job itself. This process--job analysis--gives an overview of your organization's functions.
Learn Legal Constraints
JDs are generally treated as legal documents, providing grounds for removing employees who do not meet written expectations.
Categorize
You can start the writing process by placing the job functions into categories. Categories common to job descriptions include position title, department name, supervisor's name, job objectives, essential functions, work condition, and experience or skills required.
Write
In writing this document, concentrate on your use of language.
Review
Pass it on to someone else to review it, ideally someone who has performed the job involved.
Revise
You should immediately incorporate valid feedback into the job description. Since jobs, like everything else, constantly evolve, you can expect to be making periodic changes to the job description in the future as well.
May 5, 2010
Employee satisfaction survey
Employee satisfaction is the terminology used to describe whether employees are happy and contented and fulfilling their desires and needs at work. Many measures purport that employee satisfaction is a factor in employee motivation, employee goal achievement, and positive employee morale in the workplace.
Factors contributing to employee satisfaction include treating employees with respect, providing regular employee recognition, empowering employees, offering above industry-average benefits and compensation, providing employee perks and company activities, and positive management within a success framework of goals, measurements, and expectations.
Employee satisfaction is often measured by unsigned employee satisfaction surveys administered periodically that gauge employee satisfaction in areas such as:
• management support,
• understanding of mission and vision,
• empowerment,
• teamwork,
• communication/ priorities,
• supervision/involvement
• work environment; coworker interaction,
• training and coaching,
• recognition/reward,
• motivation,
• workload/resources,
• growth and advancement, and
The facets of employee satisfaction measured vary from company to company.
A second method used to measure employee satisfaction is meeting with small groups of employees and asking the same questions verbally. Depending on the culture of the company, either method can contribute knowledge about employee satisfaction to managers and employees.
Exit interviews are another way to assess employee satisfaction in that satisfied employees rarely leave companies.
Employee satisfaction surveys and facilitated focus groups help the employer identify areas of employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction. For accurate, reliable results, employee satisfaction surveys or focus group questions need to be:
• developed by professionals who understand how to put questions together that obtain unbiased information;
• administered appropriately with care and consideration for the organization's culture and communication; and
• analyzed by people who understand survey research and can provide effective analysis.
Further, in the interest of building a relationship of honesty, integrity, and trust, among organization employees, the results should be communicated effectively and acted upon by the organization. Finally, the organization's managers need to track progress and communicate implementation successes and failures.
Communicate the Fact That While Employee Responses Are Confidential, the Data Gathered Will be Used to Improve the Workplace
The reason employers do employee satisfaction or customer satisfaction surveys is to telegraph their openness to employee input. The second is to genuinely understand what is on their employees’ minds.
The Questions Asked Really Do Matter
No one is as familiar with your company culture as the people who work in the company every day. A small group of employees should determine the topics of the questions to ask. These questions will relate to the perceived likes, dislikes, and challenges your employees might experience in your organization.
Once you’ve determined the topics of the questions to ask, develop questions. Your questions should be evaluated to make sure they are not leading to a desired response, vague, or open to interpretation, depending on the employee reading the question.
Leading questions or statements are a problem when unqualified individuals develop the survey questions. An example of a leading statement that will also receive a biased answer is: My manager’s door is always open to me. An example of an unclear statement is: My career development and job satisfaction are improved by the performance development planning (PDP) process.
Hold Employee Focus Groups or Survey Processes at Your Work Site
If you take employee groups offsite to participate in surveys and focus groups, you are sending a clear message that it is not “safe” to talk about employee satisfaction in the company. This is exactly the opposite of the message that you really want to send.
Never Lose Control of Your Data
Access to the data and analysis will allow you to assess the degree to which various opinions permeate your workforce. The data will allow you to make your own assessment of employee satisfaction. Particularly correlation analysis and other data charts and graphs are important for you to access.
Never Allow Employees to Self-select for Participation in Surveys and Focus Groups
Employees should never self-select to participate in an employee focus group or survey. When you allow self-selection, you’ll generally find that less satisfied or very satisfied employees sign up for the group. Or, your more communicative employees are more comfortable expressing their opinions in a group. Your less communicative staff is guaranteed to be unrepresented.
For valid and reliable results, either every employee should be included in the survey process or a random selection method should be employed to decide who will be included.
To ensure widespread participation, perhaps offer an incentive, either company-wide or for individuals.
Conclusions About Employee Satisfaction Surveys
You can use a simple paper and pencil instrument, an online survey, or a much more sophisticated process to assess your employees' satisfaction. e.g access software.
Your results may skew positively or negatively based on the skills of your facilitators or survey producers and the employees who decided to participate. Worst, you may have sent the wrong message to your employees about the safety and worth of communication in your company. Do this at your own risk.
Here are a few quick tips for your survey design before you publish it online. Do a complete test of your data collection template – a dry run right through to the development of action plans:
1. Test a sample questionnaire on a small targetted group.
2. Analyze the results of your sample questionnaire.
3. Create a sample report to the survey management team.
4. Ask the survey management team what insights they've learned and action plans they will recommend based on the results.
Factors contributing to employee satisfaction include treating employees with respect, providing regular employee recognition, empowering employees, offering above industry-average benefits and compensation, providing employee perks and company activities, and positive management within a success framework of goals, measurements, and expectations.
Employee satisfaction is often measured by unsigned employee satisfaction surveys administered periodically that gauge employee satisfaction in areas such as:
• management support,
• understanding of mission and vision,
• empowerment,
• teamwork,
• communication/ priorities,
• supervision/involvement
• work environment; coworker interaction,
• training and coaching,
• recognition/reward,
• motivation,
• workload/resources,
• growth and advancement, and
The facets of employee satisfaction measured vary from company to company.
A second method used to measure employee satisfaction is meeting with small groups of employees and asking the same questions verbally. Depending on the culture of the company, either method can contribute knowledge about employee satisfaction to managers and employees.
Exit interviews are another way to assess employee satisfaction in that satisfied employees rarely leave companies.
Employee satisfaction surveys and facilitated focus groups help the employer identify areas of employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction. For accurate, reliable results, employee satisfaction surveys or focus group questions need to be:
• developed by professionals who understand how to put questions together that obtain unbiased information;
• administered appropriately with care and consideration for the organization's culture and communication; and
• analyzed by people who understand survey research and can provide effective analysis.
Further, in the interest of building a relationship of honesty, integrity, and trust, among organization employees, the results should be communicated effectively and acted upon by the organization. Finally, the organization's managers need to track progress and communicate implementation successes and failures.
Communicate the Fact That While Employee Responses Are Confidential, the Data Gathered Will be Used to Improve the Workplace
The reason employers do employee satisfaction or customer satisfaction surveys is to telegraph their openness to employee input. The second is to genuinely understand what is on their employees’ minds.
The Questions Asked Really Do Matter
No one is as familiar with your company culture as the people who work in the company every day. A small group of employees should determine the topics of the questions to ask. These questions will relate to the perceived likes, dislikes, and challenges your employees might experience in your organization.
Once you’ve determined the topics of the questions to ask, develop questions. Your questions should be evaluated to make sure they are not leading to a desired response, vague, or open to interpretation, depending on the employee reading the question.
Leading questions or statements are a problem when unqualified individuals develop the survey questions. An example of a leading statement that will also receive a biased answer is: My manager’s door is always open to me. An example of an unclear statement is: My career development and job satisfaction are improved by the performance development planning (PDP) process.
Hold Employee Focus Groups or Survey Processes at Your Work Site
If you take employee groups offsite to participate in surveys and focus groups, you are sending a clear message that it is not “safe” to talk about employee satisfaction in the company. This is exactly the opposite of the message that you really want to send.
Never Lose Control of Your Data
Access to the data and analysis will allow you to assess the degree to which various opinions permeate your workforce. The data will allow you to make your own assessment of employee satisfaction. Particularly correlation analysis and other data charts and graphs are important for you to access.
Never Allow Employees to Self-select for Participation in Surveys and Focus Groups
Employees should never self-select to participate in an employee focus group or survey. When you allow self-selection, you’ll generally find that less satisfied or very satisfied employees sign up for the group. Or, your more communicative employees are more comfortable expressing their opinions in a group. Your less communicative staff is guaranteed to be unrepresented.
For valid and reliable results, either every employee should be included in the survey process or a random selection method should be employed to decide who will be included.
To ensure widespread participation, perhaps offer an incentive, either company-wide or for individuals.
Conclusions About Employee Satisfaction Surveys
You can use a simple paper and pencil instrument, an online survey, or a much more sophisticated process to assess your employees' satisfaction. e.g access software.
Your results may skew positively or negatively based on the skills of your facilitators or survey producers and the employees who decided to participate. Worst, you may have sent the wrong message to your employees about the safety and worth of communication in your company. Do this at your own risk.
Here are a few quick tips for your survey design before you publish it online. Do a complete test of your data collection template – a dry run right through to the development of action plans:
1. Test a sample questionnaire on a small targetted group.
2. Analyze the results of your sample questionnaire.
3. Create a sample report to the survey management team.
4. Ask the survey management team what insights they've learned and action plans they will recommend based on the results.
May 4, 2010
Orientation Programs Key to Long-Term Success
There are significant differences in employee engagement among companies that focus on the details of the hiring and orientation process and those that don't.
In a review of human resources practices at 50 large U.S. companies, It is found that 65 % of companies with a highly engaged workforce provide interview training for managers, compared with 33 % of companies with a less engaged workforce.
Those with highly engaged workers also spend more time in preparing workers for their new jobs--they take an average of 35 weeks to bring a new hire up to speed versus 15 weeks for those with low engagement.
"Few things are more important to a company's long-term performance than choosing the right employees and ensuring they have the proper outlook from Day One. As a result, employers should view the recruitment and orientation process as an opportunity, not as a burden. Preparing employees for their new roles and communicating how they can help the firm meet its goals can go a long way toward determining whether new employees ultimately succeed."
A simple but key technique for driving worker engagement is to explain to new employees why they were hired.
"Sharing with new hires the attributes that drew the company to them is an easy and meaningful way to begin a productive relationship It gives new employees an immediate tie to the company and a clear understanding of how their skills can be used productively at their new place of employment."
The orientation of a new employee is the final step in the hiring process. Without a planned orientation program, employees may not receive the information they need or might be misinformed about company policies, practices, and procedures. A well-organized orientation program lets new employees get all the facts firsthand, boosts their confidence, and contributes to a more positive attitude toward the Company.
The Company has devised a formal Orientation Program for all new employees. It consists of two (2) phases:
Phase I – Human Resources Department
Phase II – Immediate Supervisor
The orientation of new employees is very important and should be carried out conscientiously. Every effort should be made to make them feel comfortable and welcome.
Human Resources Department : The following items are to be discussed with the new employee upon his/her successful completion of physical exam
1. Equal Opportunity Employer / Policy Against Harassment
2. Safety equipment (if required )
3. United Way
4. Group Insurance Program
5. Probationary Period
6. Bulletin Boards
7. Job-Posting Provisions
8. Pension Plan
9. Holidays — Eligibility
10. Vacations — Eligibility
11. Safety — First Aid
12. Attendance — Proper Reporting
13. Telephone Calls — Emergency or Other
14. Changes in Personnel Records
15. Cafeteria Facilities
16. Parking Facilities
17. Service Award Program
18. Training Program
19. Tuition Reimbursement Program
20. Working hour
21. Pay procedures
22. Show, in contract book, job classifications and pay grade, automatic and merit steps for increases.
Immediate Supervisor : This checklist is to insure that all necessary supplies, tools, information, and safety equipment have been given to your new employee. Welcome new employee and put him/her at ease
1. Lock with key, where applicable.
2. Required tools.
3. Required safety equipment.
4. Employee's job classification (title).
5. Initial assignment and necessary training.
Discuss:
6. Goals of the first few months — what he/she should learn.
7. Type of on-the-job training he/she will be given.
8. In general, his/her possible promotional opportunities.
9. Pay procedures: when, where, how.
10. Bulletin boards: where.
11. Hours of work — rest periods.
12. Meal periods — time and place — mention cafeteria facilities .
13. Department and plant rules and regulations.
14. How to get tools and supplies.
15. organization Safety Policy:
• Review department safety rules and record.
• Explain procedures to follow in case on-the-job injury occurs.
16. Overtime policy.
17. Company Attendance Policy — Importance of good attendance, calling in, etc.
Also:
18. Show new employees their job and have them observe others doing it.
19. Explain each step as performed.
20. Introduce employee to Department Steward.
21. Introduce employee to his/her training instructor.
22. Completely answer any remaining questions.
23. Introduce employee to department head.
In a review of human resources practices at 50 large U.S. companies, It is found that 65 % of companies with a highly engaged workforce provide interview training for managers, compared with 33 % of companies with a less engaged workforce.
Those with highly engaged workers also spend more time in preparing workers for their new jobs--they take an average of 35 weeks to bring a new hire up to speed versus 15 weeks for those with low engagement.
"Few things are more important to a company's long-term performance than choosing the right employees and ensuring they have the proper outlook from Day One. As a result, employers should view the recruitment and orientation process as an opportunity, not as a burden. Preparing employees for their new roles and communicating how they can help the firm meet its goals can go a long way toward determining whether new employees ultimately succeed."
A simple but key technique for driving worker engagement is to explain to new employees why they were hired.
"Sharing with new hires the attributes that drew the company to them is an easy and meaningful way to begin a productive relationship It gives new employees an immediate tie to the company and a clear understanding of how their skills can be used productively at their new place of employment."
The orientation of a new employee is the final step in the hiring process. Without a planned orientation program, employees may not receive the information they need or might be misinformed about company policies, practices, and procedures. A well-organized orientation program lets new employees get all the facts firsthand, boosts their confidence, and contributes to a more positive attitude toward the Company.
The Company has devised a formal Orientation Program for all new employees. It consists of two (2) phases:
Phase I – Human Resources Department
Phase II – Immediate Supervisor
The orientation of new employees is very important and should be carried out conscientiously. Every effort should be made to make them feel comfortable and welcome.
Human Resources Department : The following items are to be discussed with the new employee upon his/her successful completion of physical exam
1. Equal Opportunity Employer / Policy Against Harassment
2. Safety equipment (if required )
3. United Way
4. Group Insurance Program
5. Probationary Period
6. Bulletin Boards
7. Job-Posting Provisions
8. Pension Plan
9. Holidays — Eligibility
10. Vacations — Eligibility
11. Safety — First Aid
12. Attendance — Proper Reporting
13. Telephone Calls — Emergency or Other
14. Changes in Personnel Records
15. Cafeteria Facilities
16. Parking Facilities
17. Service Award Program
18. Training Program
19. Tuition Reimbursement Program
20. Working hour
21. Pay procedures
22. Show, in contract book, job classifications and pay grade, automatic and merit steps for increases.
Immediate Supervisor : This checklist is to insure that all necessary supplies, tools, information, and safety equipment have been given to your new employee. Welcome new employee and put him/her at ease
1. Lock with key, where applicable.
2. Required tools.
3. Required safety equipment.
4. Employee's job classification (title).
5. Initial assignment and necessary training.
Discuss:
6. Goals of the first few months — what he/she should learn.
7. Type of on-the-job training he/she will be given.
8. In general, his/her possible promotional opportunities.
9. Pay procedures: when, where, how.
10. Bulletin boards: where.
11. Hours of work — rest periods.
12. Meal periods — time and place — mention cafeteria facilities .
13. Department and plant rules and regulations.
14. How to get tools and supplies.
15. organization Safety Policy:
• Review department safety rules and record.
• Explain procedures to follow in case on-the-job injury occurs.
16. Overtime policy.
17. Company Attendance Policy — Importance of good attendance, calling in, etc.
Also:
18. Show new employees their job and have them observe others doing it.
19. Explain each step as performed.
20. Introduce employee to Department Steward.
21. Introduce employee to his/her training instructor.
22. Completely answer any remaining questions.
23. Introduce employee to department head.
Induction Program
Things to think about when implementing an employee induction process
1. Identify the business objectives and desired benefits
Effective induction can have many benefits including reducing turnover costs, engaging and motivating new and existing employees, contributing to the implementation of good systems and processes and gaining feedback and ideas from new hires looking at an organisation through “fresh eyes”. Thinking about how a new or improved induction process could benefit your organisation will help you determine the focus and shape of the programme. If you are keen to help new hires build internal networks for example, a programme which brings all new hires together may be important. If your key business driver is to ensure consistent standards and messages across a multi-site organisation, an e-learning solution may be most appropriate.
2. Secure early commitment
Don’t underestimate the powerful effect that induction can have in developing commitment to a new organisation. A good induction process shows that the company cares and is committed to setting people up for success. It can also help to identify problems or barriers at an early stage and allow the appropriate action to be taken. Conversely a poor induction experience could make some new entrants doubt their decision to join your organisation representing a risk in terms of future retention and reputation.
3. Agree roles and responsibilities of different players in the process
Clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of the different players in the induction process. These may include the HR/ Learning and Development functions, the line manager, the administration function, mentors or buddies and of course the individual themselves. This is perhaps best achieved via a detailed induction checklist which allocates specific responsibilities and timelines to the various stakeholders.
4. Think of induction as a journey
Thinking about your induction process as a journey rather than a one-off event is essential. It may be useful to consider the induction journey in terms of the first 3 days, first 3 weeks and first 3 months. This approach might include a mini induction during the first 3 days with an immediate supervisor covering essentials such as security, organization charts, initial objectives and introductions to key personnel. A more comprehensive induction training session may follow during the first 3 weeks and then a review meeting after 3 months to check that everything is on track. Giving consideration to what post-programme support may be needed is also important. This may include additional training, quick reference guides, key contact lists or personal support which could be provided by mentors or buddies.
5. Engage staff prior to joining
A good induction process should start from the moment an employee accepts an offer with your organisation. Develop a comprehensive induction checklist and also give thought to what could be covered pre-arrival to prepare someone for life within your organisation. This may include a pre-joining visit, regular phone and email contact or access to the company intranet site. Ensuring that all the relevant administrative and IT arrangements are in place will also be a big factor in getting a new employee up and running as soon as possible and creating good first impression.
6. Have clear learning objectives for training sessions
When designing content for induction training, it is important to start by identifying the desired outcomes of the training. Michael Meighan advises thinking in terms of what a new entrant “must know”, “should know” and “could know”. The “must knows” will include key policies and procedures, regulatory, health and safety and personnel matters essential for a person to do their particular job. “Should knows” may be things that the person ought know in order to fit in within the organisation and “could knows” may be of interest but would not be essential for a new entrant to do their job e.g. organizational history. When designing the training also ensure that training sessions and induction materials take account of different learning preferences and where possible include a variety of delivery styles.
7. Respect the induction needs of different audiences
One size does not necessarily fit all and recognizing that different groups of new employees may have varying induction needs is essential. Within the same organisation, the induction needs of a senior director, a school leaver and indeed a returning expatriate are likely to be quite different. Whilst the fundamentals of the induction process may remain the same, ensuring that the content of induction training sessions is appropriately tailored and relevant to the needs of different audiences will be vital in securing engagement.
8. Ensure a quality experience
For most people, the induction programme will be their first experience with the Learning and Development function within the organisation - and all too often this can be less than positive. It is important to remember that this is a unique opportunity for L&D to “set out its stall” with new hires. Developing carefully tailored content and choosing competent trainers who motivate and engage their audiences will be key ingredients in delivering a high quality experience.
9. Keep induction material up to date
All too often organizations will make a significant investment in designing a new induction process and then fail to keep key content up to date. It is vital that at the outset an owner for the process is identified and it is agreed how induction content will be updated by key stakeholders on an on-going basis. Using e-based induction materials can be one way to ensure that it can be easily maintained and updated. Whilst this may mean a more significant up-front investment, e-based induction materials may also help reduce expenditure on classroom based training and the associated travel and delivery costs particularly in multi-site organisations.
10. Evaluation
Finally, as with any new process it is important to continuously evaluate the success of your induction process and make appropriate changes as required. Some measures which may be helpful in assessing the success of your approach could include:
- Feedback from new hires who have gone through the process – this could take the from of course evaluation sheets if you are delivering an induction training session or could be achieved via 1:1 interviews with a selected group of new entrants after their first 3 months with the organisation.
- Retention rates for new entrants – monitoring these will be particularly important for organizations who implemented a new process in an attempt to reduce attrition levels amongst new joiners.
- Exit Interviews – data from individuals choosing to leave the organisation can provide valuable information about the success of an induction process.
- Monitoring common queries – where your organisation has a HR Service Centre it may also be useful to monitor the types of common queries coming from new joiners to review whether additional information should be included in the induction process.
- Employee Engagement Survey – where your organisation has a regular employee engagement survey, this could prove valuable in measuring changes in levels of commitment and engagement following the introduction of a new induction process.
Positive outcomes of a good induction process
High levels of motivation and commitment amongst new employees.
High retention rates for new joiners within the organisation.
Positive influence on existing staff involved in the induction process – who are reminded of the positives attributes of their organisation and
motivated by their involvement in the process
Organization is perceived externally as a good employer, who cares and works hard to integrate new staff – likely to act as a positive attraction tool for new hires.
Positive impact on the implementation of processes and procedures within the organisation.
1. Identify the business objectives and desired benefits
Effective induction can have many benefits including reducing turnover costs, engaging and motivating new and existing employees, contributing to the implementation of good systems and processes and gaining feedback and ideas from new hires looking at an organisation through “fresh eyes”. Thinking about how a new or improved induction process could benefit your organisation will help you determine the focus and shape of the programme. If you are keen to help new hires build internal networks for example, a programme which brings all new hires together may be important. If your key business driver is to ensure consistent standards and messages across a multi-site organisation, an e-learning solution may be most appropriate.
2. Secure early commitment
Don’t underestimate the powerful effect that induction can have in developing commitment to a new organisation. A good induction process shows that the company cares and is committed to setting people up for success. It can also help to identify problems or barriers at an early stage and allow the appropriate action to be taken. Conversely a poor induction experience could make some new entrants doubt their decision to join your organisation representing a risk in terms of future retention and reputation.
3. Agree roles and responsibilities of different players in the process
Clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of the different players in the induction process. These may include the HR/ Learning and Development functions, the line manager, the administration function, mentors or buddies and of course the individual themselves. This is perhaps best achieved via a detailed induction checklist which allocates specific responsibilities and timelines to the various stakeholders.
4. Think of induction as a journey
Thinking about your induction process as a journey rather than a one-off event is essential. It may be useful to consider the induction journey in terms of the first 3 days, first 3 weeks and first 3 months. This approach might include a mini induction during the first 3 days with an immediate supervisor covering essentials such as security, organization charts, initial objectives and introductions to key personnel. A more comprehensive induction training session may follow during the first 3 weeks and then a review meeting after 3 months to check that everything is on track. Giving consideration to what post-programme support may be needed is also important. This may include additional training, quick reference guides, key contact lists or personal support which could be provided by mentors or buddies.
5. Engage staff prior to joining
A good induction process should start from the moment an employee accepts an offer with your organisation. Develop a comprehensive induction checklist and also give thought to what could be covered pre-arrival to prepare someone for life within your organisation. This may include a pre-joining visit, regular phone and email contact or access to the company intranet site. Ensuring that all the relevant administrative and IT arrangements are in place will also be a big factor in getting a new employee up and running as soon as possible and creating good first impression.
6. Have clear learning objectives for training sessions
When designing content for induction training, it is important to start by identifying the desired outcomes of the training. Michael Meighan advises thinking in terms of what a new entrant “must know”, “should know” and “could know”. The “must knows” will include key policies and procedures, regulatory, health and safety and personnel matters essential for a person to do their particular job. “Should knows” may be things that the person ought know in order to fit in within the organisation and “could knows” may be of interest but would not be essential for a new entrant to do their job e.g. organizational history. When designing the training also ensure that training sessions and induction materials take account of different learning preferences and where possible include a variety of delivery styles.
7. Respect the induction needs of different audiences
One size does not necessarily fit all and recognizing that different groups of new employees may have varying induction needs is essential. Within the same organisation, the induction needs of a senior director, a school leaver and indeed a returning expatriate are likely to be quite different. Whilst the fundamentals of the induction process may remain the same, ensuring that the content of induction training sessions is appropriately tailored and relevant to the needs of different audiences will be vital in securing engagement.
8. Ensure a quality experience
For most people, the induction programme will be their first experience with the Learning and Development function within the organisation - and all too often this can be less than positive. It is important to remember that this is a unique opportunity for L&D to “set out its stall” with new hires. Developing carefully tailored content and choosing competent trainers who motivate and engage their audiences will be key ingredients in delivering a high quality experience.
9. Keep induction material up to date
All too often organizations will make a significant investment in designing a new induction process and then fail to keep key content up to date. It is vital that at the outset an owner for the process is identified and it is agreed how induction content will be updated by key stakeholders on an on-going basis. Using e-based induction materials can be one way to ensure that it can be easily maintained and updated. Whilst this may mean a more significant up-front investment, e-based induction materials may also help reduce expenditure on classroom based training and the associated travel and delivery costs particularly in multi-site organisations.
10. Evaluation
Finally, as with any new process it is important to continuously evaluate the success of your induction process and make appropriate changes as required. Some measures which may be helpful in assessing the success of your approach could include:
- Feedback from new hires who have gone through the process – this could take the from of course evaluation sheets if you are delivering an induction training session or could be achieved via 1:1 interviews with a selected group of new entrants after their first 3 months with the organisation.
- Retention rates for new entrants – monitoring these will be particularly important for organizations who implemented a new process in an attempt to reduce attrition levels amongst new joiners.
- Exit Interviews – data from individuals choosing to leave the organisation can provide valuable information about the success of an induction process.
- Monitoring common queries – where your organisation has a HR Service Centre it may also be useful to monitor the types of common queries coming from new joiners to review whether additional information should be included in the induction process.
- Employee Engagement Survey – where your organisation has a regular employee engagement survey, this could prove valuable in measuring changes in levels of commitment and engagement following the introduction of a new induction process.
Positive outcomes of a good induction process
High levels of motivation and commitment amongst new employees.
High retention rates for new joiners within the organisation.
Positive influence on existing staff involved in the induction process – who are reminded of the positives attributes of their organisation and
motivated by their involvement in the process
Organization is perceived externally as a good employer, who cares and works hard to integrate new staff – likely to act as a positive attraction tool for new hires.
Positive impact on the implementation of processes and procedures within the organisation.
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