Introduction
It is stated that first impression gives a first-hand impression about the organization not only to the important stakeholders and customers, but also more crucial to the newly recruited employees. For the purposes of improving first impression, enhancing performance and growth of the company, onboarding has become major undertaking in the modern organization. Studies have indicated that poor onboarding process is one of the main cause of high turnover in most organizations (Eisner, 2015). As a result, most of the leading companies proactively participate in research about the most effective onboarding practices by investing in innovative technology and traditional solution as well as adopting new practices in order to achieve the desired results. This proposal will explore the best onboarding practices an organization can adopt in order to transform basic new hire orientation specifically the consultants. It will include levering world-class technology and strategic initiative to improve retention, engagement and productivity.
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Although onboarding is considered as a tools for improving retention, it has more function and potential benefits. Studies have indicated that effective onboarding program develops a culture and cohesive environment that brings workforce to jointly work towards achieving common goals (Nandi, 2015). Further analysis have indicated that through onboarding program, newly recruited employees and existing employees are able to develop personal connections that enhances and support workforce performance.
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The orientation process starts with the first phone call made to the new employee and subsequently followed by the meeting on the first day at the workplace. However, it is important to understand that the first impression given to the new employee goes the far beyond that first contact (Eisner, 2015). Whereas onboarding process begins after the first day in the workplace. This include employing strategic approaches to instill new employees the agency to adopting the new environment and understanding the culture of the company. The strategic approaches that will be used in this proposal include:
- Making sure that onboarding program comply with the requirement by decentralizing leadership and standardizing processes.
- Making sure that the new employees understand their expectations and responsibilities.
- Empowering and encouraging the employees to actively participate in improving the future performance of the organization.
- Building a culture of mutual respect and caring for all new employees by the leadership and existing employees.
- Strengthening connection through fostering collaboration and relationship as well as removing the silos.
Objectives
The overall objectives of this proposal is to develop effective onboarding program for the newly hired consultants in order to reduce the high turnover rate in the organization. Specific objectives are to:
- Identify opportunities for human resource staff to undertake more proactive strategic workforce and transformational planning.
- Integrate ongoing professional development within employee onboarding process.
- Establish the best retention and recruitment practices that can be implemented across the system and develop a common toolkit for retention and searches retention efforts.
- The onboarding and orientation process will be scalable for systems-wide implementation.
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Overview of effective onboarding program
A successful and effective onboarding program is described as a processes that progressively establishes the sequential building blocks for employees’ success. According to Talya (2010), the building blocks for maximizing success in the onboarding program can be presented using 4 Cs’: compliance, clarification, culture and connection (Grillo, & Kim, 2015). This means that the process of developing a formal program and procedures intended to strengthen the 4 C’s building blocks over a given period of time helps in creating an onboarding program which is effective, cohesive and proactive for all new employees.
Compliance
This involves the process of assisting the new employees to be conversant with the regulatory and legal environment in which they assigned to operate. For the purposes of this proposal, the operating environment is the consultancy service in the organization. The onboarding program ensures that new employees understand their responsibilities and rules of their new position (Eisner, 2015). As part of the compliance, the human resource department engages in data collection process which involves gathering the necessary data about the employees needed to create effective onboarding program. It is prudent to collect the data about the employee before developing onboarding program in order to incorporate the outcome into the process.
Clarification
This is the level whereby the new employees are assisted to comprehend their expectations and responsibilities of their job (Bradt, & Vonnegut, 2009). It is important for the new employees to have access to job specification information as well as training. As a result, the elements of onboarding program needs to be tailored in order to position the target employees to their rightful place in the place work.
Culture
Each organization have traditions and culture that is identified with. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the human resource department to ensure that new employees are assisted to understand the leadership strategy, victories, challenges and history of the organization in order ease the transition into the unique culture (Laurano, 2013). Culture can also be used to measure the success and present the views of the organization.
Connection
Connection is described as a process of building information network and interpersonal relationships. Analysis have indicated that formal opportunities for network enhance the new employee’s knowledge about the overall performance of the department. This is crucial in the sense that it aids the process of identifying the opportunities for collaboration.
Onboarding plan
The onboarding program will follows five phases that focuses on evaluation and implementation of successful strategic plan. This initial stage is very important since it ensures that there is successful development of onboarding program as well as implementation of change in the organization (Weinstein, 2008). The time frame for the proposed onboarding program will be six months. This include half-hour coaching session with head of consultancy department every twice a weeks with a decreasing frequency as the days goes by.
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In addition, there will be a monthly, half-hour briefing session with the human resource manager to c evaluate the process of onboarding.
Phase 1: Assessment of the organization and developing plan
This phase begins by comprehensively conducting organizational review about the current activities, services and products, history and culture. This initial stage is important because it allows the person in charge of onboarding program to identify the changes that needs to be implemented in the organization. This also helps the manager to develop strategies based on the informed outcome from the study (Bradt, & Vonnegut, 2009). The managers in charge of the onboarding program should coordinate a quick practical and comprehensive assessment of the organization about the internal functions. The key stakeholder to input this process include the employees, supervisors and the managers of various departments. This process aids in the production of a written report about the organizational assessment. All the issues that are presented in the written report should be addressed in the written organizational development plan. In this case, the main issue is the retention of the new employees in the department of consultancy.
Phase 2: Developing a plan for plan for strategic plan
This second phase specifies the parameters that needs to be considered in the process of developing strategic plan. These specific parameters include informing the management about the strategic planning, its objectives and its roles in improving the productivity in the organization. The plan must focus on timelines and the expected outcome after a specified period such as six-month or one-year period in addressing the specified issues affecting development of internal systems as outlined in the organizational assessment report (Chen, 2010). The second phase also involves the establishment of the planning committee tasked with the responsibility of overseeing creation of strategic plan. The ideal composition of the planning committee are key employees, chief executive officer, chairs of the committee and board of chairs. It is important to evaluate how the employees and the board members can cohesively work together to develop a strategic planning. The evaluation process is achieved by creating a three-month time frame of planning activities with the objectives of developing and approving strategic plan. at the end of this second phase, different groups will be given assignment to come up with strategic goals and strategies.
Phase 3: Identifying strategic objectives and goals
The strategic objectives and goals will be identified based on the issues outlined in the organizational assessment report. The strategic objectives and goals are founded on initial project activities and deliverables. Although the objectives and goals of the strategic plan are intended to be achieved within a specified period of time it should be spread out within the six-month period (Vernon, 2012). During the process of identifying strategic objectives and goals, it is important to establish procedures and financial policies. This ensures that amounts of cash reserves per year, product-based budgeting, balanced budgeting and zero-based budgeting is in accordance with Fiscal Policies and Procedures as outlined in Board Finance Committee.
Also, in this phase it is important to conduct staffing analysis which include compensation practices, employee performance management practices, modification of job descriptions, support desired services and products in order to develop up-to-date job descriptions as outlined in Board Personnel Committee (Boettcher, 2009). In addition, key stakeholder will be engaged through sustained public relations as a process of informing them about transitional requirements regarding onboarding program.
Phase 4: Action plans to implement strategic plan
For action plan to effectively implement strategic plan, it must specify each of strategic goal such as objectives, responsibilities and deadline for completion. The action plan will include operating budget and staffing plan as well as the creation of one-year time frame for the strategic plan to be implemented.
Phase 5: Developing and approval of strategic plan document
This involve the process of drafting strategic plan document, review by senior management and board as well as approval by board of directors.
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