Sample of the Program

Re: The need for an onboarding program for new consultants.

Introduction

The high turnover rate of business consultants is one of the main problems that Canon Company has been facing for a considerable time. The high turnover rate has become a financial burden to the company. Canon Company loses approximately 38% of the annual salary of an employee when they leave the organization. Assuming that a consultant at the company makes $50,000 annually, it means that the company loses $19,000 every year per individual who leaves the company(Drake International, 2018). The ripple effect of this financial loss is felt throughout the company as the company loses a lot of money that was used in training, recruiting, and interviewing. Moreover, the high turnover of the consultants affects productivity at the company because it means that every few months somebody in the human resource department, the IT department and other colleagues must spend some time engaging a new employee to ensure that they familiarize with the company policies, work environment and culture(Park & Shaw, 2013).

An onboarding program is a strategic solution that when implemented at Canon Company will help to reduce the high turnover rate of new consultants. The onboarding program is a strategic process that will be used to attract and engage new consultants, reinforce their job selection, acclimate them to the organizational culture and assist them to get to meaningful contribution levels as efficiently as possible(Lamb, 2011). The main problem that results to a high turnover rate is because the new employees do not feel supported in their first months at the company and as such, they make many mistakes and spend time trying to figure out the company’s policies and procedures on their own which reduces their motivation hence leaving the company. Through the onboarding program, the training manager will ensure that new employees are assisted to adjust to the work environment at Canon Company hence reducing the high turnover rate(Lamb, 2011).

Overview of the Program

The onboarding program will take place in the first four days when a new consultant joins the company. Since the aim of the program is to familiarize the consultant with the work environment, it will take place within the company premises. The objectives of the onboarding program will be:

i. To create a welcoming environment for new employees and hence reduce anxiety and stress associated with unfamiliar workplaces.

ii. To provide relevant information on the company’s vision, mission, and goals.

iii. To provide insight into the value and role of every department especially the consultancy where the new employees are based.

iv. To prepare employees for their daily activities.

v. To cover logistics, answer questions, and introduce the employee to other colleagues to ensure that h/she works without distractions.

Elements of the Program, Content to Cover and Training Method

The onboard program will be an orientation process to ensure that the consults feel at ease with the other employees and that they get their niche in the team. Meet and greet will be one of the elements of the program(Macey, Schneider, Barbera, & Young, 2011). The content of the meet and greet will be to take the consultant around the firm especially in her immediate work area introducing her to the other employees and also letting them know who she is and her role in the firm. The consultant will also meet most of the managers during this meet and greet to ensure that they are familiar with the leadership. Also, the company will hold a breakfast party or luncheon to allow the consultant to interact with the rest of the employees.

Acclimation is another element that will be included in the onboarding program(Macey, Schneider, Barbera, & Young, 2011). The content of the acclimation will be to familiarize the consultant with the work environment which will include going through the employee handbook, being guided on the computer systems and getting them installed in their computers, learning the company’s policies, procedures, and goals. The acclimation element will also include explaining the job assignment that the consultant will be required to complete and helping them to set goals and targets that align with overall company objectives. Coaching from the training manager will be the training method used in this element. Coaching is relevant for this element because it will provide a one-on-one interaction with the training manager hence allowing for clarification on any issues that may be unclear.

A Sample of the Program

The best way to understand the length of time required to cover the content of each element is to develop a sample which clearly outlines what will be done on each of the four days of the program.

Day one

8.30am- 9.00 am: Meet the director of human resource.

Introduction to the training manager.

Receive keys to the office.

Tour to the consultant’s individual office.

9.00 am-11.00am: Visit the director of human resource’s office.

Complete the enrolment form. Get information on the benefits and compensation plan.

Sign the employment application and receive the staff handbook.

12.00 pm- 1.30pm: Overview of the department and job position. Specifically,

To discuss the mission and purpose of the department.

Discuss the culture and work environment of the department.

Discuss notification procedures such as how to schedule a vacation, give a notice for lateness or illness and also personal holidays.

Explain job assignments and procedures for handling and submitting reports.

1.30 pm- 2.30 pm: Lunch with the C.E.O and vice president of the company.

2.30pm- 3.30pm: Review the department materials and company website together with the training manager.

Go through a sample of jobs and provide real-time training using them.

Day Two

9.30 am- 12.00 pm: Meet with the head of the consultancy department and;

Review the job position and how it fits into the vision of the company and how its objectives align with the overall company.

Discuss expectations and set goals.

Discuss methods to evaluate performance and set a timeline for achieving objectives and develop a schedule for the work assignments.

Discuss department procedures.

2.00 pm- 4.00 pm: Orientation to the intranet system by a representative from the IT department. Specifically, the orientation will include;

Launching the intranet on to the desktop of the consultant.

Showing the consultant how to log into the system.

Demonstration of how to use the intranet to get necessary resources for working and submit reports.

Connecting and demonstrating to the consultant how to connect the desktop computers to the shared printer.

Answering and clarifying any questions on how the intranet system works.

Day Three

8.00 am- 10.00 am: Attend an orientation training program where the consultant receives information on how to foster the achievement of the company’s objectives.

Orientation to the technology used by the company in its daily operations.

2.00 pm- 4.00 pm: Tour around the entire premises with the training manager to understand where every department is located, meet the heads of various departments and other colleagues.

Day Four

8.00 am- 10.00 am: Get a parking permit and an employee ID.

Meet with key colleagues who the consultant will work together on various projects.

Meet with the human resource manager for any clarification.

Get to work.

Methods to Ensure Transfer of Learning

Most of the program will be interpersonal interaction with the person who is delivering the information. The use of interpersonal interaction will ensure transfer of learning because it is a collaborative method learning where the consultant can ask for clarification on any unclear issues(Burke & Hutchins, 2008). Moreover, the trainer will get the opportunity to ask questions to assess whether the consultant understands what they are being taught and even generate a discussion with them. For example, interaction with the director of human resource provides him with the opportunity to ask the consultant questions such as what they hope to achieve in their current position and assist them to develop personal goals that align with those of the company. Finally, through personal interactions, the trainer can assess the facial expressions of the consultant and identify areas which may be misunderstood and devise strategies to clarify such as the use of role-playing.

The training manager will serve as a coach who will guide the consultant throughout the program and also during the evaluation part. Coaching allows for the transfer of learning because it demonstrates relevance to the real work situation(Burke & Hutchins, 2008). Throughout the program, the consultant and the training manager will interact in the company’s premises which will ensure that the consultant gets adjusted to the work environment and the organizational culture. Moreover, as they work collaboratively on sample work projects, the training manager will assess the skills and expertise of the consultant and determine if there is the need for further training to equip the consultant with additional knowledge.

Goal orientation is another method that will foster the transfer of learning(Weldy, 2009). The training program provides an opportunity for the new consultant to get a glimpse of the company’s objectives and vision and engage with it together with the top managers who are the vision carriers. Since the primary role of the consultant will be to assess potential areas of weaknesses and recommend solutions, the goal orientation is a good opportunity for them to begin their analysis. Moreover, the goal orientation will allow the consultant to get familiar with the future expectations of the company which is key to ensuring productivity.

Evaluation of the Program

Visual confirmation is one of the key ways to evaluate the effectiveness of the onboard training program(Philips, 2012). Visual confirmation will be used to assess how well the new consultant interacts with the managers and other colleagues and how comfortable they appear when communicating or asking questions. Through visual confirmation, the training manager will assess the body language of the consultant and determine the message it communicates. Visual confirmation will also include an assessment of the skills demonstrated by the consultant. For example, during the sample jobs, the training manager will visually assess whether the new consultant has understood the department procedures, the expectations of the job position and the use of the intranet system. The speed and efficiency demonstrated by the new consultant will speak of the effectiveness of the training program.

The use of feedback from the consultant is another way of evaluating the effectiveness of the program(Philips, 2012). After completing the program and working for about two weeks at the new job position, the new consultant will receive a questionnaire seeking his/her opinion on how well the onboard program prepared them for their new job position. Specifically, the new consultant will describe whether as a result of the program they are able to deliver results at their new position efficiently, whether they fully understand the company’s procedures, whether they are aware of the people they should work collaboratively with and whether they have developed a sense of belonging to the organization. The new consultant will also provide recommendations on any areas they feel require improvement. The feedback will be compared to the results of the new consultant and assess whether there is a disparity. In the case of a disparity, the necessary steps such as extra training will be undertaken.

The training manager will be responsible for taking the new consultants through the entire onboard program. Only a representative from the IT department will be involved in orientation to the intranet system. The onboard program is estimated to be cost-effective because it mainly focuses on ensuring that new consultants become familiar with the work environment and hence reduce the problem of high turnover rates. All the facilitators will be indoor employees mainly the training manager which means that there are no costs which will be incurred when inviting guest speakers. The costs to be incurred will include developing and rolling out the program and creation of necessary material that will be provided to the new consultants as a guide and reference material. The company already has a training program in place which is freely provided to the employees on the website. The training program highlights key issues in the company such as the need for teamwork, how to handle workplace conflicts, essential interpersonal skills, communication skills and qualities of high-performing teams. Therefore, no extra costs will be incurred sourcing for extra training material.

References

Burke, L., & Hutchins, H. (2008). A study of best practices in training transfer and proposed model of transfer. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 19(2), 107-128.

Drake International. (2018). Cost of Turnover Calculator. Retrieved from https://us.drakeintl.com/hr-tools/cost-of-turnover-calculator.aspx

Lamb, J. (2011). Onboarding: Your next value-add? Employee Benefit Advisor, 9(5), 58-59.

Macey, W., Schneider, B., Barbera, K., & Young, S. (2011). Employee Engagement: Tools for analysis, practice and competitive advantage. New York: John Wiley and Sons Publications.

Park, T.-Y., & Shaw, J. (2013). Turnover rates and organizational performance: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(2), 268-275.

Philips, J. (2012). Handbook of training evaluation and measurement methods. New York: Routledge Publications.

Weldy, T. (2009). Learning organization and transfer: Strategies for improving performance. The Learning Organization, 16(1), 58-68.