Page 16 - KZN Business Sense - KZN Chamber

Getting employees up to speed

Musa Makhunga, Managing Director, where and often without a ready transformative in its approach. It With the high costs of employing not to be rejected. On boarding
HR Matters (Pty) Ltd workstation with email addresses, has to be about getting employees executives and salary packages programmes assist the new
telephone numbers, network log to commit fully to the business, involved, best in class employers incumbent to deal with possible
Getting in details, laptop and related work which will make them productive also have in place on boarding non-cooperation from those who
newly tools. In fact there are instances in as short time as possible. It programmes. These would extend felt they were unfairly overlooked
appointed where people would go for months should also lead them to staying over a period of time, sometimes for the position.
employees up to without the necessary tools to longer with the business. over three years depending on
speed and keeping perform. projects the newly employed Getting employees up to speed
them should be Orientation is the next step in person would be expected to and retaining them longer
It is not uncommon these days to getting newly appointed employees deliver on. These companies also through applying well thought
the goal of hear of new employers refusing to up to speed which would really understand that they do need to out induction, orientation and on
every business, assist newly appointed employees be about getting someone to have a structured programme in boarding programmes is beneficial
no matter with relocation expenses. This understand how their role relates place for the executive coming from to employers and employees and
the size, despite SARS allowing generous to the department, team and other outside to succeed. Parachuting leads to higher levels of productivity
and sector, tax breaks to companies relocating areas of the business including senior managers and executives and talent retention.
given high employees. key stakeholders. This would into higher positions is replete with
involve job shadowing or spending problems. It is akin to introducing Musa Makhunga
recruitment Induction of newly appointed prescheduled time in areas of the a donated organ to a new body; Mobile: +27 83 2516704
costs. Savvy employees has to be a well- business, which are critical to the it requires certain conditions to musa@hrmatters.co.za
organisations structured programme, which is success of their specific position. prevail in order for the organ www.hrmatters.co.za
have deliberate and structured
approaches to induction,
orientation and on boarding. Yet it
is true that at best these processes
are handled very haphazardly or at
worst are totally neglected. A recent
study indicated that one in three
employers lacked an orientation
programme among large
corporates whilst 67% of smaller
enterprises had one.

The tendency is to emphasize
the technical knowledge,
qualifications and experience of
employees with the expectation
that they should just hit the road
running. When that doesn’t
happen quickly and effectively,
frustration, disappointment and
breakdown in the employment
relationship ensues resulting in
early terminations; sometimes
in unpleasant legal wrangles. All
of which could be avoided by
applying tried and tested induction,
orientation and on boarding
processes.

The induction should serve as a
first point of setting and clarifying
expectations from strategic goals,
operational objectives to individual
performance tactics and tasks. This
provides the proverbial window to
the culture of the business, in terms
of its higher purpose, mission
and values in the market place.
Induction has to be more than
just filling in HR take on forms
and going through the Health and
Safety procedures. This is where
employee engagement is either
founded or lost. Research indicates
that two thirds of people resigning
in the first three years make the
decision to do so in the first few
months of joining a new employer.

It ‘d be correct to state that
induction starts once a job
applicant is advised of interview
dates. Every communication
thereafter about interview venues,
times, assessments, travel and the
entire selection process including
the employment offer stage gives
insight into the culture of the
organisation. Therefore induction
begins long before the actual start
date, which in essence should be
the cherry on top. Experience in
worst in class workplaces show
otherwise. Typically in these types
of workplaces, employees arrive
on the start date with no clear
indication of who will meet them

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