Companies devise innovative induction programmes

Thrust on curbing high attrition rate

Sectors such as information technology, IT-enabled services (ITES), insurance, pharma and retail are looking at intensive induction programmes for newer recruits to enable better working conditions and curb the attrition rate.

"Proper induction programmes have become very crucial for firms which are prone to high attrition rates," Anil Sachdev, chief executive officer of Grow Talent ( HR Consultancy) said.

A new recruit has to be made comfortable in a competitive working group and if he/she is not at ease that leads to loss of valuable human resource, he added.

Also, most of the students from management institutes such as the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) are extremely competitive in nature. So they have to go through a process of unlearning and have to be taught to work in groups. This why an induction programme is vital, he said.

Companies such as Dr Reddy's, Aviva Life Insurance and Bharti Teletech have introduced elaborate induction processes particularly for fresh graduates from the management schools.

Aviva Life Insurance spends more time on special appreciative enquiries and also helps the trainees to re-orient their definition of success.

"The new recruits go through a brainstorming session where they are taught to work in a group and more weightage is given to group performance over individual action," Anuradha Purbey, associate director (HR), Aviva said.

Most of these companies such as Dr Reddy's, Aviva, Godrej and Bharti have adopted the "Buddy and Mentor" programme. Where each new recruit is assigned a "mentor" for a period of one year and a "buddy" for the first three months in order to smoothen the process of adjustment into corporate lives.

"A mentor is usually a level above the new comer and is mostly a cross functional mentor who typically belongs to some other department. The mentor coaches the trainee without intimidating him unlike a boss," Purbey said.

In the buddy programme, the new comer is assigned a peer as a companion who assists the person in the first two months. "We have introduced a remunerative buddy programme where employees get Rs 1,000 per month and such measures do pay off," Purbey added.

Besides, there are other frills like 'mentoring day' and small competitions which lightens up the office culture. "We are increasingly seeing that such interactive HR practices have positive impact on the productivity of the new comers. And eventually, helps in reducing attrition rate," Sachdev said.

Some others such as Dr Reddy's also give extensive classroom training for a period of 10 days for both trainees and laterals in the organisation.

"We also undertake outbound social sensitivity training programme for a period of five days and follow it up with field visits for a period of two to three weeks. The sensitivity programme is important for us as the recruiters have to relate to the masses for better reach," Saumen Chakraborty, executive vice-president, Dr Reddy's Lab said.

Such teambuiliding and social sensitivity programmes make a base for further intensive technical training which is why even HR firms like Grow Talent are working on developing different induction programmes customised for sectors where attrition rate exceeds 20 per cent.