Induction as it is today

Induction – as one of the most routinised HR process , is a known word for most on the either side of this process ( receiver , giver ) as it is taken for granted.

 Dictionary definition of ‘induction’ has aspects of Installing / Initiating / Introducing in a formal ceremony

To me induction is about initiation of an externally introduced new element --hitherto unfamiliar with the system, with dual goals of Health & Prosperity

Health as in successful assimilation of new into the current and Prosperity is about a new entrant getting to his /her optimal best at work- which happens only when there is an informed , cohesive synergy with the Whole

 I doubt if even 50 % of the organisations/ Institutions (say, with more than 25 employees ) have any formal – even if ritualistic ‘induction’ process for new joinees – followed religiously . Of those who do with some consistency of content & occasion regularity I wonder how many have a defined structure & process ( as against leaving it open & informal )

 From my experience most of those minority of organisations who have the discipline of following a structured process of induction – induction is at best an administrative or functional ritual, generally relegated ( abdicated ) to junior executives in HR/Admin – which does very little justice to its intended purpose of meaningfully initiating a new joinee into an hitherto unfamiliar organisation & its work culture

 This is not to take away from the dedicated efforts of a few respectable organisations , which are ‘live’ to human resources , who believe in & practice meaningful induction with due care & investments . But , this article is not for those exceptional , enlightened organisations – the article is aimed at awakening those who are too bound by ignorance and/or inertia & hence do not recognise significance of this crucial process

 

Dysfunctional Induction – Why ?  

Can we imagine a medical institution administering blood transfusion – or a patient accepting it casually without pre matching blood samples or without follow up on post transfusion monitoring – to see that patient’s ‘system’ accepts & welcomes the ‘ new entrant’ to eventually for a cohesive unit together ? Are we not aware of the perils of not doing a calibrated & structured ‘’ induction ‘ in this case ?

Or take the case of Nation’s security at its borders – taking a new ‘recruit’ soldier into Army & immediately posting him/her on the ongoing/impending war front -- without any induction , training or getting them on board with key aspects of the job & Army culture. Can we imagine huge risks in the process to the nation , leave alone to Army’s reputation ?

 But , despite knowing these , isn’t that how we manage entries of new joinees in the Corporate world ? Hasn’t the process degenerated into a mundane , meaningless ritual without realising its strategic significance ?

 Why do we do this ? I see following reasons :

1.     Ignorance

a.     What-Why-How are critical components of a complete implementation – of which    ‘ Why’ is the purpose for undertaking an activity , which anchors it. If those implementing do not understand or have not been enough indoctrinated into ‘Why’ aspect , the essence is lost, degenerating it into a meaningless ritual

2.     Inertia / Gravity factor

a.     It’s a physical level degeneration , which happens if the activity is not well anchored. Without acquiring self momentum ,it will fall under gravity , if not periodically supported from outside 

3.     Body v/s Soul

a.     Any entity or task has two components : Body ( the physical & visible part ) & Soul ( the invisible inspiration behind ) Body – however beautifully sculpted , without a Soul – is Dead ! In layman terms, any activity , not driven with passion , degenerates into a ritual; including induction

4.     Ownership from the top

a.     Inducting talents from outside an organisation, on purpose , has a foundational significance for its future . Anything Strategic ‘which can have a profound impact on future , must draw attention if not involvement from the Top . In many cases , not realising its strategic significance – ‘induction’ is abdicated to a ‘ lesser connected’ junior executive

5.     Trade off between today/tomorrow

a.     The classical tussle between Today & Tomorrow is between the visible & the invisible ( like Body & Soul ) . Many who cannot see beyond what is ‘here & now’ in terms of its impact … They are driven more by the physical operational exigencies than abstract strategic significance. They are so “busy” that they do not have time today to invest in creating future – for these individuals/organisations induction can be relegated in priority over ‘more important’ tasks

 

It is Absorption – not Induction

Essentially the degeneration in induction process is eroding its Soul , leaving dilapidated body of rituals . Consequently to restore it to its deserved strategic significance , we need to reinfuse the Soul into it . Many times a fresh perspective – a different way of envisaging, does this job+

 Here is my perspective :

·      For this blood transfusion to succeed it requires Vision, Process, Patience, driven by faith & passion. It needs to be a well directed & well monitored activity, as a strategic priority & not an unavoidable operational compulsion

·      If we can imagine all placements ( internal or external selections ) , especially the senior-level ones as “uprooting a grown up tree from its native soil, being planted it in our soil”. It is too dangerously naïve to hope that it will take root on its own !

o  It is neither practical nor fair to say that since the new hire is well experienced & is being very well paid, he/she should automatically succeed – this shows disregard to the changed context! Each organisation is a different soil with its culture , practices , situational challenges & business evolution phase.

o  For the uprooted tree to flourish in a new soil , it needs to find resonance with the soil & take firm rooting, which is much beyond just an assumption that the routine ‘admin rituals’ be enough to facilitate this.

·      As a strategic intervention, it needs to be blessed & monitored by the Top management. A wholesome nurturing process – it is more of an Absorption – the word Induction is too ritualistic to capture its essence

·      Absorption is a directed initiative for proactive assimilation of the new entrant into the organisation, in line with organisational goals , for the Health & Prosperity of both the entities. Success of a well implemented Absorption has a direct impact on employee retention and sustained success for the organisation .

·      It is an affectionate nurturing from indulgent stakeholders. Elements of a complete absorption are : Cultural, Functional, Strategic & Social; to an extent that every ( at least Senior ) new entrant at the end of absorption must be an equivalent internal brand ambassador of the organisation

 

Criticality of Initial days 

Just as it is critical to closely monitor patient progress / body reaction for a few days, immediate post blood transfusion – or for a new sapling planted in our soil till it takes firm roots; so critical it is to monitor transition of a new joinee, for initial days critical to ensure strong foundation. There can no crystal ball to tell us a perfect number of jestation days ( Michael D. Watkins puts initial 90 days as critical or make/break days – in his book The First 90 Days ) a threshold period of initial days is extremely significant to this strategic initiative . It is a window of limited days within which, if we do not succeed in at assimilating a new joinee – it is a wasted opportunity for an organisation to infuse Soul. The employee engagement decidedly gets sealed in this initial period. Those who miss this, are destined to carry dead bodies among employees. – any ‘corrective’ efforts thereafter is like pouring water over a stone – nothing gets absorbed/ retained