When a new employee joins a company, he or she is completely a stranger to the people, work place and the work environment. The new employee is likely to feel insecure, shy and nervous due to the absence of information and support in the early days of their work. I recently met a lady who was going through this kind of difficulty, and in her own words was beginning to hate the work she had been happy to get at the start because everything looked confusing and she didn’t know where to start in on. There is likely to be anxiety and fear in the new employee’s mind. The new employee may undergo reality shock caused by a gap between his expectations and the real situation. In such circumstances induction or orientation can help over come those tribulations. Induction or orientation is a process of familiarizing the employee with the new job and organization which should be done immediately once the employee is selected and placed on the appropriate job. Induction helps to welcome the new employee, when he or she first joins the company and it helps to get the basic information, so he can settle down quickly and happily and start to work. The purpose of induction is to make the new entrant feel at home, and, develop a sense of pride in the organization, and, commitment to the job. During the course of induction, the new comer is given an explanation of duties and responsibilities, company rules and policies and other relevant information to get acquainted and accommodated within the organization. A formal orientation programme may be spread over from a day to a fortnight and it involves two sub processes of which include acquainting the new employee with the new surroundings and indoctrinating him or her with the philosophy of the organization. The essence of indoctrination is to convince the employee that he or she is working for a good company and for a good cause. It is therefore necessary to answer any questions and clarify on any doubts that the new comer may have about the job and the organization. A typical orientation programme should consist of three steps, first, general information about the history and operations of the organization is provided by the personnel department. Its purpose is to help an employee build up some pride and interest in the organization. During general orientation, information is also given on specific employee services such as pension, health and welfare facilities and safety programmes. Secondary, the job supervisor gives specific orientation relating to the job and unit members. The employee is introduced to other employees, shown his or her place of work, informed of the location of the canteen and restrooms etcetera. The purpose of specific orientation is to enable the new employee adjust to work and the environment. It is also possible that much of the information given to an employee might not stick in his or her mind; periodic follow up is required to ensure that the employee is properly placed and feels at home. Thirdly, follow-up orientation is undertaken to know the employee’s feelings and to remove the difficulties faced by him or her through personal talks, guidance and counseling. It may be coordinated by the joint efforts of job supervisor and the personnel department. Orientation is particularly important in developing countries where the new worker from a rural area may find himself or herself completely at sea in an industrial town. Therefore a proper induction enables the new employee to get off to a good start and to develop this overall effectiveness on the job. So don’t leave your good new employees in a dilemma, organize a formal orientation for them. It will help both of you to be more productive. The writer is a Business Administration student. Contact: charlesprinc@gmail.com
