Onboarding - Lessons From a Different Context
The criticality of employee induction to facilitate smooth entry and acculturation of a new employee is not a new discovery.
Nor is the realization that this has a major bearing on employee retention and engagement.
However, I guess, one gets bored even with words after some time and hence the need for new words.
Therefore, here comes a new word-onboarding, which talks about 'mainstreaming' the new employee.
Twenty years back, I heard the then leading educator, Dr.
Sharu Rangnekar spoke of induction and contrasted with the process of induction of new daughter-in-law (nuclear families were not the norm as is the case now).
Yet the concepts are still relevant.
He wondered how a girl who has stayed in some other house all her life is induced to think of the new home as her home (and she often does!), and as a contrast, how and why an employee of even 20 years stay in a company often does not feel ownership? He talked about the symbolic handing over of the keys of the house to the young daughter-in-law, who is also told that this was now her home.
Cultural contexts have since changed.
No more this handing over of keys is a universal phenomenon, or a ritual if you may like to see it that way.
Yet some fundamentals remain and could provide an insight into how 'onboarding' was facilitated in probably a more challenging setting, because unlike in a job, comebacks are not easy in a marriage and costs of a breakup are heavier.
Some of the practices suggested below are actually in vogue in some modern-looking organizations.
Wedding practice 1: There is a celebration and ceremony when a bride enters her new house.
People give gifts and flowers.
There is also a custom in many places that bide, groom and family members play games and there is a lot of mirth and laughter allowing people to know each other better in a playful setting Arrival of a bride or a newborn anywhere is an occasion of joy and ceremonies anywhere in the world reflect this.
It is a challenge for organizations and HR professionals on how to make any joining an occasion for celebration.
Normally in organizations, an HR person takes the new employee to his/her new department and hands over to the concerned department head.
The new department head may or may not introduce the new employee to all colleagues.
If we draw parallel to the above practice, employee's new colleagues may be expected to enthusiastically receive the new employee and can give flowers, and may be, even chocolates.
Hosting a little tea party could be another example.
Wedding practice 2 :Bride's room is properly decorated.
Quite often, even the seat is not properly assigned and new employee may loaf around 'lost', sitting here or there.
Ideally, her seat must not only be identified but also decorated, may be with buntings and all.
We must make it memorable.
This is more relevant with more and more coming into workforce.
Look at how people, especially women treasure wedding albums! This of course must be supplemented by ensuring that other things are also in place, like new ID, parking badge, etc.
either in the morning itself, or latest by end of the workday.
Some organizations even go as far as arranging the new laptop, mobile etc.
before the new employee comes on his seat.
On the other hand, I also know of, otherwise well-reputed companies, where a new employee is not even given an appointment letter for as long as a two months.
Nor is he clarified about his role.
Bride is introduced to each and every elder, and the elders give some gifts.
In an organizational setting, this gift can be as small as a pen or a chocolate, but even if the company gives these gifts on behalf of the elders (HODs etc.
), this will create a very positive impression.
Wedding practice 3: Bride is only progressively expected to perform.
No matter what pressures, we can afford to progressively induct the employee into his assignment, rather than loading him/her from the first day.
Wedding practice 4: Some lady takes upon herself or is assigned to familiarise the new bride into the family history, folklore and culture.
Many organizations have a buddyship and/or mentor program.
What is important is that the person so assigned should take this responsibility of acculturation process actively and seriously.
This relationship may be an ongoing process for at least 6 months to one year.
Wedding practice 5: There is also a custom when the bride makes the first meal.
People evaluate this first meal in a supportive atmosphere.
Even if she is not a good cook, family members would appreciate that, may be, she was nervous or did not know the new tastes, etc.
Criticism is usually in hushed tones.
First efforts, howsoever flawed, should be evaluated in supportive atmosphere, in the spirit of commend, recommend and commend.
There has to be an overriding concern to give primacy to adjustment issues, and may be, education to correct.
There will plenty of time later to admonish, if need be.
Wedding practice 6: A few days after marriage, bride's parents and brother come over on a short visit.
A new employee's friends/family members could be invited for a short trip to see things around.
This will increase the comfort level and ownership of the new employee.
Probably, the culture and traditions of bride onboarding evolved over time.
In older times, there was also a lot of emphasis on cultural compatibility even in matters of bride and groom selection.
Likewise, employee onboarding should ideally begin even before the employee has been recruited, by checking the culture fit.
This again is universally appreciated but rarely put into practice.
Competency mapping and testing is more prevalent.
Some modern-looking organizations also deploy psychometric tests for competency and traits assessment.
However, cultural alignment testing is not as common, particularly because culture is generally treated like love, one can feel but one cannot define.
And, if you cannot define, there is no way you can measure and assess.
Sometimes, selectors start evaluating socio-economic background in the name of seeing cultural compatibility.
Cultural compatibility is primarily a convergence of values and life-principles.
I can see some smiles wondering if I have gone crazy.
However, I believe that practices adopted from a socio-cultural context give a better fit than 'foreign bodies' transplanted from elsewhere.
Fortunately, some organizations are already working and experimenting this concept.
Dr.
VP Singh, Chief Executive (HR), RKJ Group endorses the philosophy and says that some of the onboarding strategies being tried out at Pizza Hut and KFC align well with some of these concepts.
Nor is the realization that this has a major bearing on employee retention and engagement.
However, I guess, one gets bored even with words after some time and hence the need for new words.
Therefore, here comes a new word-onboarding, which talks about 'mainstreaming' the new employee.
Twenty years back, I heard the then leading educator, Dr.
Sharu Rangnekar spoke of induction and contrasted with the process of induction of new daughter-in-law (nuclear families were not the norm as is the case now).
Yet the concepts are still relevant.
He wondered how a girl who has stayed in some other house all her life is induced to think of the new home as her home (and she often does!), and as a contrast, how and why an employee of even 20 years stay in a company often does not feel ownership? He talked about the symbolic handing over of the keys of the house to the young daughter-in-law, who is also told that this was now her home.
Cultural contexts have since changed.
No more this handing over of keys is a universal phenomenon, or a ritual if you may like to see it that way.
Yet some fundamentals remain and could provide an insight into how 'onboarding' was facilitated in probably a more challenging setting, because unlike in a job, comebacks are not easy in a marriage and costs of a breakup are heavier.
Some of the practices suggested below are actually in vogue in some modern-looking organizations.
Wedding practice 1: There is a celebration and ceremony when a bride enters her new house.
People give gifts and flowers.
There is also a custom in many places that bide, groom and family members play games and there is a lot of mirth and laughter allowing people to know each other better in a playful setting Arrival of a bride or a newborn anywhere is an occasion of joy and ceremonies anywhere in the world reflect this.
It is a challenge for organizations and HR professionals on how to make any joining an occasion for celebration.
Normally in organizations, an HR person takes the new employee to his/her new department and hands over to the concerned department head.
The new department head may or may not introduce the new employee to all colleagues.
If we draw parallel to the above practice, employee's new colleagues may be expected to enthusiastically receive the new employee and can give flowers, and may be, even chocolates.
Hosting a little tea party could be another example.
Wedding practice 2 :Bride's room is properly decorated.
Quite often, even the seat is not properly assigned and new employee may loaf around 'lost', sitting here or there.
Ideally, her seat must not only be identified but also decorated, may be with buntings and all.
We must make it memorable.
This is more relevant with more and more coming into workforce.
Look at how people, especially women treasure wedding albums! This of course must be supplemented by ensuring that other things are also in place, like new ID, parking badge, etc.
either in the morning itself, or latest by end of the workday.
Some organizations even go as far as arranging the new laptop, mobile etc.
before the new employee comes on his seat.
On the other hand, I also know of, otherwise well-reputed companies, where a new employee is not even given an appointment letter for as long as a two months.
Nor is he clarified about his role.
Bride is introduced to each and every elder, and the elders give some gifts.
In an organizational setting, this gift can be as small as a pen or a chocolate, but even if the company gives these gifts on behalf of the elders (HODs etc.
), this will create a very positive impression.
Wedding practice 3: Bride is only progressively expected to perform.
No matter what pressures, we can afford to progressively induct the employee into his assignment, rather than loading him/her from the first day.
Wedding practice 4: Some lady takes upon herself or is assigned to familiarise the new bride into the family history, folklore and culture.
Many organizations have a buddyship and/or mentor program.
What is important is that the person so assigned should take this responsibility of acculturation process actively and seriously.
This relationship may be an ongoing process for at least 6 months to one year.
Wedding practice 5: There is also a custom when the bride makes the first meal.
People evaluate this first meal in a supportive atmosphere.
Even if she is not a good cook, family members would appreciate that, may be, she was nervous or did not know the new tastes, etc.
Criticism is usually in hushed tones.
First efforts, howsoever flawed, should be evaluated in supportive atmosphere, in the spirit of commend, recommend and commend.
There has to be an overriding concern to give primacy to adjustment issues, and may be, education to correct.
There will plenty of time later to admonish, if need be.
Wedding practice 6: A few days after marriage, bride's parents and brother come over on a short visit.
A new employee's friends/family members could be invited for a short trip to see things around.
This will increase the comfort level and ownership of the new employee.
Probably, the culture and traditions of bride onboarding evolved over time.
In older times, there was also a lot of emphasis on cultural compatibility even in matters of bride and groom selection.
Likewise, employee onboarding should ideally begin even before the employee has been recruited, by checking the culture fit.
This again is universally appreciated but rarely put into practice.
Competency mapping and testing is more prevalent.
Some modern-looking organizations also deploy psychometric tests for competency and traits assessment.
However, cultural alignment testing is not as common, particularly because culture is generally treated like love, one can feel but one cannot define.
And, if you cannot define, there is no way you can measure and assess.
Sometimes, selectors start evaluating socio-economic background in the name of seeing cultural compatibility.
Cultural compatibility is primarily a convergence of values and life-principles.
I can see some smiles wondering if I have gone crazy.
However, I believe that practices adopted from a socio-cultural context give a better fit than 'foreign bodies' transplanted from elsewhere.
Fortunately, some organizations are already working and experimenting this concept.
Dr.
VP Singh, Chief Executive (HR), RKJ Group endorses the philosophy and says that some of the onboarding strategies being tried out at Pizza Hut and KFC align well with some of these concepts.
