Module 5: Induction

Chapter 1: Prepare to receive a new team member

Chapter 2: Introduce a new team member

Chapter 3: Monitoring team performance

Chapter 4: Opportunities for Life-Long Learning

Quiz 5 & Next Module

Lesson 1 of 5

Chapter 1: Prepare to receive a new team member

Documents that a new team member requires are listed

according to standard operating procedures.
Learning Objectives for Chapter 1

A new employee's required resources, stock, or stationery are

listed, and a plan is made to order the necessary equipment.

Workspace and/or storage arrangements for personal

possessions are made, and a team member is responsible for
mentoring the new member.

An action plan is drafted to ensure the new member is introduced

to all the people and places in the organisation with whom they
must interact as part of the team's work.

Introduction
When an employee leaves a company, especially a new employee, replacing them
usually costs about three times their salary.
Implementing a well-designed induction program that guides new employees
through their first months with the company can significantly increase the likelihood
that they will stay with you.

Many employers see induction as a waste of valuable time, but it is a critical process
when you take on a new employee. Induction gives your new employee an objective
view of your company, organisational culture, and work ethic, allowing the employee
to better integrate into the workplace.

In general, induction is the process of bringing employees into an

organisation, getting them up to speed, and supporting them
through the critical phases of transition.

Induction lasts for several months at a minimum, up to several

years (for executives).

Induction helps employees build good relationships with their

supervisor, colleagues, and other departments in the
organisation.

Induction provides resources, support, and training customised

for the individual’s roles and needs.

Induction programs must be integrated with other human

resources efforts, such as talent management, performance
management, and succession planning.

Induction programs should be systematic, comprehensive,

consistent, strategic, and integrated.

The specific activities within job induction will depend on the role’s demands and the
individual’s skills and knowledge, and they will be at the line manager’s discretion.
Job induction activities will likely occur within the department, team, or
interdisciplinary group. Still, some may be provided by central support departments
such as Health & Safety, IT Services, Finance, etc.

Coordination for local induction falls with the line manager, though specific activities
may be delegated at the line manager’s discretion or within departmental guidelines
and practices. It is good practice for individuals and line managers to retain records of
completed induction activities.

Your induction activities can be divided into four general sections:

 Although you may not be involved during the hiring phase, the future employee’s
stakeholders must be kept in the loop throughout the hiring process. One of the
biggest causes of employee dissatisfaction is a disconnection between what the hiring
manager said the job would be and what the job is. You must ensure everyone is on the
same page about the position’s roles, responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities.

Preparation
You want new team members to complete as much administrative work as possible
before the first day. This shows that you are eager to have them start and that you take
their job seriously. It will also help them feel more prepared and ease their
nervousness.

Several weeks before their employment starts, employees should receive a package
with a welcome letter, community information, pre-read material, a blank induction
plan, and any other pertinent material. Their job is to complete the pre-work before
their first day.

Pre-work tasks for the manager might include:

Completing internal hiring processes.

Filling out paperwork.

Getting employees’ login information for network and security clearance.

Setting up their workspace.

Communicating the new employee’s start date, who they will be reporting to, and their
responsibilities.

Completing a draft induction plan for the employee.

Pre-work tasks for the employee might include:

Filling out paperwork.

Doing self-paced training.

Reviewing job descriptions, policies, procedures, company reports, etc.

Getting their personal life settled so they can focus on the new job.

Completing a draft induction plan.

About a week before the employee is scheduled to start, the manager sets up a
meeting with the employee. This meeting has three objectives:

Meet and greet.

Answer any questions that the employee has.

Review the induction plans and finalise them.

At this time, the manager should also provide a quick-start guide for their first day,
including instructions on how to dress, where to park, where to go, and what the day
will be like.

A personalised plan should be sent to a new team member before they start work. This
template should be developed as part of the design process. It must be specific enough
to gather necessary information but flexible enough to be used for any new employee.
The template should include:

Basic information includes the employee’s start date, role,

department, and supervisor.

Two-line job description.

List of stakeholders that they will meet.

Summary of pre-work.

Summary of Day One and Week One events and tasks.

Training plan.

Goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

This template should be completed by the employee and by their manager during the
pre-work process. Try not to give the employee specific directions when asking them
to complete the plan. This way, you can see their level of initiative and how detail-
oriented they are.

Then, before the first day of work, the manager should meet with the employee to
finalise the plan. This gives the employee a solid understanding of their role and
assurance that they are on the same page as their manager (who is hopefully on the
same page as the organisation).

1
 Documents required by a new team member
There are certain documents that a new team member will need. These documents
include:

Offer of Employment letter

An offer letter accompanies the contract and should have the essential details such as:

The date and time that the person is due to commence employment

Who the person should report to on the first day

Salary details

The number of hours the person is contracted to work

Contract of Employment

This document is of the utmost importance, as it sets out the terms and conditions of
employment. Both the employer and employee should sign it.

Staff Handbook

A staff handbook should not be linked to the contract; it should be a separate document. The
staff handbook pertains to the company's rules and procedures and details employee benefits
and contract terms.

The following may be included in the staff handbook:

Welcome letter

Organisation information and history

Staff and Team Code of Conduct

Policies on issues such as drugs, alcohol and smoking

Policies on the giving and receiving of gifts

Conflict of interest while in current employment

Confidentiality

Details on Pay and Benefits

Timekeeping policies

Leave entitlement

Sickness and absence

Data protection

Use of company equipment

Security policy

Crisis policy

Grievance Procedure

Disciplinary policy and procedures

 Customer Care Policies

Resources required by a new team member

You expect the new team member to deliver specific outputs and do the job, so you
must ensure they are given the resources to do that. Resources include office
equipment and stationery, communication equipment, and human resources such as
a team leader or coach. If the team is working on a specific project, the new team
member must be appropriately informed of the project's scope and schedule.

The new team member must also be provided with any special health or safety
equipment where relevant. Following is a list of the most essential resources that
must be in place:

Computer, photocopier, scanner.

Software and application programs, all customised and ready to

use.

Stationery.

Communication equipment – telephones, fax machines.

Sufficient furniture, including enough desk space, credenza, and

filing cabinets.
 Any special equipment that the team member would need to
perform the job.

Other items: An office that handles confidential information needs a shredder to avoid
misusing information. Offices have files containing human resources information,
resumes and wage paperwork from employees, so the shredder is vital to destroy this
once employees have left. Other stationary equipment required in an office includes
coffee- and tea-making machines and a fridge for milk and lunches. It is also
necessary to have equipment for filing documents, such as bookshelves in a library
area. A station for recycling waste is vital to keep the company environmentally
friendly and organised.

The team member must be accompanied to their workstation and shown all
equipment and the terms of use, such as sharing printers, where to obtain stationary,
etc. They must be informed of the procedure to follow or whom to contact if they are
unsatisfied with the equipment provided.

C h a p t e r 2 : I n t ro d u c e a n e w t e a m m e m b e r
Lesson 2 of 5

Chapter 2: Introduce a new team member

A new member is welcomed and introduced to the team.

Learning Objectives for Chapter 2

The team's or group's policies, processes, and procedures are

explained, and an indication of why each is important or
necessary is given.

Regulations and rules of the organisation are explained, and an

indication of the consequences of non-compliance is given.

The role of the team in the organisation is explained, and the

consequences for the team and the organisation if individuals do
not meet performance targets are indicated.

1
 Introducing a new member
Adding new members to a team changes team dynamics. Whether the team that you
oversee is a group of sporting friends or a group of workers, the addition of a new
team member or group of team members is something that you should handle with
care. By putting effort into properly introducing these new team members, you can
help ensure that their addition doesn’t upset the balance of your team and instead
strengthens all members of the group.

An employee’s first day is arguably the most important one. You only get one chance to make a
first impression!

To make the new member of the team feel welcome, follow these guidelines:

Let the new members introduce themselves. Instead of

announcing the individuals’ names and moving on, give them a
chance to speak on their behalf, asking them to tell the group a
 little about themselves so that others can get this information
from the new members themselves.

Celebrate their arrival. Make the new team members feel

welcome so entering this pre-existing group seems less
overwhelming. Ask individuals to applaud these new members
after each introduction as a polite sign of welcome.

Use an icebreaker. The arrangement of an icebreaker is an

intelligent choice, particularly if you have added several new
members to your team at one time. Plan a get-to-know-you
activity to facilitate this process, such as having team members
play a game of get-to-know-you bingo in which they must find
people who fit particular descriptions written in the squares of a
bingo card.

Allow time for mingling. Arrange some social time on the day of
the introduction, such as a group lunch or similar mingling
event.

Co-workers will come and go during your career, and you may be asked to help
introduce new arrivals. Depending on your company or department size, your
introduction must be more than an informal welcome. Properly introducing new team
members will help give a good impression of the new hire. Introductions can also
inspire confidence in current staff that the company is growing and adding valuable
personnel. Start any staff introduction by talking about the team member’s position
and the role’s contribution to the company before you give facts about the new hire.
A typical first day should look like this:
Week One
The first week's goal should be to start slowly transitioning employees into regular
work. The employee should also build relationships with stakeholders and work on
assignments. They may also take part in more training specific to their role or
company systems and procedures.

The manager should also share any unwritten rules (e.g., how casual are casual
Fridays?) and traditions and discuss additional policies or procedures in depth as
necessary.

Checking In
Gathering constant, comprehensive feedback about the induction process is very
important, particularly during the employee’s first few days. If there are any issues, it
is best to know about them as soon as possible so that they can be resolved quickly.
Remember, this is a crucial evaluation period for the employees; they check you out
and decide whether they like what they see (just as much as you are checking them
out!).

One of the most effective feedback tools is to ask the employees’ colleagues, “How is
Joe doing?” during the week. If they have difficulty providing specific feedback, you
can probe for more information using questions like:

How do you feel that Joe is fitting in with the team?

What do you think of Joe’s work habits so far?

What do you think of Joe’s induction plan and tasks?

Is there anything that I should know about Joe?

Be sure to check in with the employees daily to see if they have any questions,
comments, or concerns. It is also a nice gesture to schedule a one-on-one lunch
midway through the week.

An informal induction review should occur at the end of the first week. A good
approach is a short list of questions with a simple five-point scale. The employee and
their manager can complete this survey at the end of the week, compare results, and
use it as a starting point for updating the induction plan and moving forward.

Sample Scale

Sample Questions

I feel that the induction plan has been useful during my first
week.

I feel that I am fitting in well with my new team.

So far, the position meets my expectations.

The training that I have received so far has been useful.

I had all the tools I needed on time.

The tools that I received were useful.

 I have a good understanding of my department.

I have a good understanding of my organisation.

I have reviewed all HR policies and signed all required

documents.

Useful Open-Ended Questions

You can use these questions to gauge the employee’s overall

experience and mood.

What was your favourite thing about this week?

What was your least favourite thing about this week?

What would you change for future employees?

How would you rate your first week on a scale of one (terrible) to
ten (amazing)?

Describe your week in one word.

Don’t forget to review the induction plan, particularly their day-one tasks and week-
one goals.

Month One
During the first month, the employee will continue:

Working through their induction plan, focusing on month-one

goals.

Working with their mentor, coach, or buddy (if applicable) to

achieve goals and complete assignments.

Adapting to their new role.

Building relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.

Completing training (if applicable).

Checking in with their manager at least once per week.

Bringing any issues to their manager that they need help

resolving.

A formal induction review should occur at the end of the first month. There are many
types of reviews, most of which resemble performance reviews (which it is, in a
sense). Your first step is to prepare a short evaluation form. We recommend short,
objective questions that can be answered yes or no or subjective questions that can be
answered using a simple scale. The form should be standardised across the
organisation, with room for customisation in the questions (or the ability to add a few
open-ended questions).

Example One
 Yes No

Mark has met all of his month-

one objectives.

Mark has completed all training

requirements.

Example Two

Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly

Neutral
Disagree Disagree Agree Agree

May is a
good fit
for this
team.

May has
taken the
initiative
with her
induction
plan.

Invite the new team member, their coach, and any other stakeholders to a half-hour
meeting. Ask them to complete the evaluation form beforehand. This week, check in
with the employees’ colleagues and other stakeholders. Compile a list of positive
feedback and constructive criticism.

Have the meeting in a quiet location that ensures privacy. First, ask the employee for
their evaluation. Then, ask any other attendees to share their feedback. Finally, share
your evaluation, including an anonymous summary of what co-workers and
stakeholders thought.

Your goal during this meeting is to:

Ensure that the employee is happy with their position so far, and
if they are not, determine what needs to change.

Assess any gaps in training and support and form a plan to

address them.

Review goals for the first weeks and the month and whether or
not the employee met those goals.

Review the remainder of the induction plan, including goals, and

adjust where appropriate.

After the meeting, place all evaluations in the employee’s file and send the employee
and their coach (if applicable) a summary of actions decided on. Include the induction
plan and any revisions.

2
Policies, processes and procedures of the team

Operating Procedures
Operating procedures refer to the team’s procedural and logistical norms.
Establishing these norms early in the team’s life will reduce the time devoted to
deciding who is responsible for certain items and tasks at each meeting.

Sample Operating Procedures

1 Have an agenda at each meeting. The group determines its

agenda at the end of the session.

2 Meetings start on time. We’ll start without you.

3 Consensus decisions will not be revisited unless there’s

additional information on the subject.

4 For a quorum, at least X members (total) must be present.

5 There must be a facilitator present at each meeting.

The length of the meeting will be determined by the agenda and agreed to upfront.
 Regulations and rules of the organisation

Importance of Compliance in Business

Adherence to statutes, common laws, and regulations is paramount regardless of the type of
organisation or business. Failure to comply can result in scrutiny from regulators and severe
consequences, including fines and penalties for the corporation and its key executives and
managers.

Regulatory Scrutiny Across All Levels

From the largest public entities to self-employed individuals, everyone is subject to scrutiny in
today's regulatory environment. Smaller enterprises, lacking extensive staff expertise and
resources, may face even more significant regulatory risks due to limitations in accessing
necessary compliance expertise.

Onboarding Procedures for New Team Members

As a team leader, it is imperative to ensure that new team members are well-versed in the
company's policies and procedures.

Familiarisation with Company Policies

New team members should thoroughly read and understand the contents of the Staff Handbook
to ensure compliance with company policies.
Integration into Team Processes

Additionally, team leaders should ensure that new members are comfortable with the team's
day-to-day processes and procedures, including participation in daily team meetings, regular
lunch meetings, and social events.

By prioritising compliance and providing comprehensive onboarding procedures,

organisations can mitigate regulatory risks and foster a culture of accountability and
adherence to legal standards.

The role of the team in the organisation

Defining a Team

We can define a team as a group of people who come together under shared leadership, mutual
responsibility, and conscious authority to achieve agreed-upon goals in a mutually effective
fashion.

Importance of Teams in Organisations

The team serves as a vital link connecting its members' intellectual resources directly to the
organisation's goals and objectives.
Functions of Different Teams

While each team within the organisation may have distinct functions, they all serve to connect
intellectual resources to the organisation as a whole.

Clarifying Team Objectives and Goals

It is crucial to explain the team's specific role, objectives, and goals to new team members.

Strategies for Goal Achievement

Outline the strategies and plans devised by the team to achieve its objectives and goals
effectively.

Individual Role within the Team

Clarify the individual's role within the team and emphasise their contribution to achieving the
team's objectives and ultimately benefiting the organisation.
By providing this clarity, new team members can better understand their role within the
broader organisational context and contribute effectively to the team's success.

Different types of teams

To find out more, please flip through the following 5 cards.

 The Traditional Model
This refers to a group of
people with a traditional boss
who shares some of the boss's
responsibility and authority.
How much is shared is usually
dependent on the topic under
discussion. A person is in
charge, but that person may

The Team Spirit Model

This group of people are happy
working for one boss, and
everything seems to be going well.
These people have team spirit, but
in reality, they aren’t a team
because one person calls all the
shots, with no sharing of authority
or responsibility.
 The Cutting Edge Model
This is a group of people who
manage themselves. No one
person in the group has the
authority to make all the
decisions about the events
that impact the group. This is
referred to as a self-directed
work team because everyone

The Task Force Model

This group comes together for a
specific time to work on a special
project or task. Traditionally, this
group is called a task force or
committee and may include quality
circles (as used in TQM efforts).
 The Cyber Team
In this team model, members
see one another infrequently
or not at all. These are called
cyber or virtual teams. What
makes these teams different is
that they have to work
together to accomplish goals,
but they may meet only at the

Knowing the type of team you are in can help you choose how to plan your work and
what outcomes you expect.

Team Norms
All teams have norms, rules or guidelines that guide the behaviour of team members.

Norms can be positive and thus help the team be an effective organisation. For
example, all team members show up on time for team meetings. Norms can also be
counterproductive, as excessive joking and side conversations prevent a meeting from
being productive.
The TORI model of team building includes:

T stands for Trust: interpersonal confidence and absence of fear.

O is for Openness: free flow of information, ideas, perceptions, and

feelings.

R stands for Realisation: self-determination, being role-free and doing

what you want to do.

I is for Interdependence: reciprocal influence, shared responsibility, and

leadership.
 Stages of Team Development

Teams go through various stages of development. Bruce Tuckman and M.A. Jensen (1965-1977)
refer to these stages as Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. Knowing what to expect
in each stage can help teams or individuals. Team leaders and other group members have an
important role in each stage. Effective players can successfully move a team toward maturity
with specific positive actions.

Stage 1: Forming

Characteristics of this stage:

Group members may be anxious, adopt a wait-and-see attitude, or be formal.

No clear idea of goals or expectations.

Not sure why they are there.

What you can do to help:

The team writes its own charter or mission statement and clarifies its goals.

Remember, goals must have personal buy-in.

 Help the team establish boundaries and determine what is expected.

Team members get to know each other by doing non-conflict-laden tasks. This builds
commitment towards one larger goal.

Help them know what to expect; communicate and reassure.

Stage 2: Storming

Characteristics of this stage:

Team members eager to get going.

Conflict can arise as people bring different ideas of accomplishing goals and notice
differences rather than similarities.

Some members may drop out mentally or physically.

What you can do to help:

Continue with no surprises and communicate.

Tensions will increase. This is normal, so recognise and publicly acknowledge

accomplishments.

Lead/participate in meetings.

Value diversity.

Gather information and be supportive.

Stage 3: Norming

Characteristics of this stage:

People begin to see how they are alike.

They realise it’s sink or swim; we’re in this together.

People get more social.

 They may forget their focus in favour of having a good time.

What you can do to help:

Recognise how they are alike.

Help with training if applicable.

Encourage them to feel comfortable with each other and with systems.

Help the group stay focused on the goal.

Stage 4: Performing

Characteristics of this stage:

Team members are trained, competent, and able to do their problem-solving.

Leaders will ask for critical self-assessments and look at ways to challenge and develop
them.

Mature, understand their roles and responsibilities.

Want more input in processes.

Self-motivated and self-trained.

Roles of Team and Team members

A characteristic of effective teams is clear expectations about each team member’s
role. Clear assignments are made, accepted, and carried out when action is taken, and
work is fairly distributed among team members.
Teams can use this checklist to evaluate their leader's ability to give clear
assignments:

Leader’s Expectation Checklist

Rating
Area Explanation
(1-10)

Understanding our leader’s

expectations regarding required work
Work Methods
methods and procedures when
completing jobs or projects.

Understanding due dates for project

completion, determining when dates
Time Frames have slipped, and determining which
completion dates are final and non-
negotiable.

Understanding each team member’s

Work
role when assigned a job or
Responsibilities
responsibility.

Understand our leader’s expectations

when dealing with supplier problems,
Customer/Supplier customer complaints, or requests and
Interface how far we should go to build
effective relationships with other
work groups.

Work Priorities Understanding which jobs take

priority and the changes in work
 Rating
Area Explanation
(1-10)

priorities clearly differentiate

between hot jobs and other jobs.

Understanding what our leader

expects in the way of desired
Performance outcomes, what it means to do a good
Expectations job, and the degree of effort we are
expected to put into a job (as opposed
to overworking low-priority jobs).

Understanding what resources

(facilities, support staff, equipment,
software, and budget) have been
Resources
allocated to perform a job and how
much control we have over resource
decisions.

Conclusion

An induction program should:

Be consistent, systematic, comprehensive, strategic, and

integrated.

Tie in with the organisation’s message and mission.

Be customised for your organisation and then for each audience

and each individual.
 Include pre-work, first-day and week assignments, goal setting,
feedback, and follow-up.

Cover at least the employee’s probation period.

In closing:

C h a p t e r 3 : Mo n i t o r i n g t e a m p e r fo r m a n c e
Lesson 3 of 5

Chapter 3: Monitoring team performance

The performance targets and responsibilities of the team are

explained, and an indication is given of the expectations of the
new team member.
Learning Objectives for Chapter 3

Understand the policy for performance appraisals

Introduction
Interpersonal support for the new team member can be provided in a few ways.
Mentors are the most involved type of support; they aim to interact with new
employees and help them develop personally and professionally. A coaching program
is similar but focuses on the employee’s job-related skills. A co-worker is like a tour
guide, helping the new employee find their way around the new workplace and find
information.

During induction, the manager must regularly check in with the employee. The
manager’s role is to ensure that team members are on board with their performance
program and induction plan. The plans may need to be adjusted, or the employee may
need additional support.

Monitoring performance
A great deal of the new team member’s first year should be spent completing training,
developing skills, building relationships with stakeholders, and transitioning to a
100% focus on job assignments. The manager should continue to check in with the
team members regularly and check progress on goals. Typically, an informal review
(like the one we completed at the end of Month One) occurs at the end of Month Six.

A formal review of the induction program should occur in conjunction with the
employee’s first performance review at the end of the first year.
Evaluation Criteria for Induction Program Review

Employee's Coach/Manager's
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Evaluation

Effectiveness of the
✓ ✓
induction program

The decision to join the

✓
organisation

Organisation meeting
✓
expectations

✓ (with specific
✓ (with specific
questions on
Percentage of induction questions on goals
goals and
plan achieved and training
training
completed)
completed)

Lessons learned about the ✓ (what they would ✓ (what they

program change) would change)

✓ (what they would

Advice for a new employee
tell a new employee)

✓ (Example: ✓ (How the

Comfortable using employee is
Specific job objectives
DotCom system for meeting specific
appointments) job objectives)

The following steps for ✓ ✓ (Employee's

transitioning out of the next steps for
program
 Employee's Coach/Manager's
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation Evaluation

transitioning out
of the program)

✓ (Suitability of
Interest in being a buddy employee to be a
✓
in the future buddy in the
future)

The induction program may last a partial year, depending on the role. The audience
may only last as long as the probation period (typically 90 days) or half a year if the
audience is entry-level staff. For senior executives, the program may last beyond one
year. Do what makes sense for your organisation.

Four factors interact to shape a team’s performance. These factors are:

1 Problems related to internal relationships

2 Problems related to team focus

3 Problems related to change and adaptability

4 Problems related to external relationships

2
Performance targets and goals of the team
Goals will be a large part of the induction program. You will have overall goals for the
team and individual goals for each team member.

Setting performance targets provides a sense of direction and purpose. Employees

benefit significantly from understanding what is expected of them and how they can
measure this success (or lack thereof). A clear concept of achievement leads to
independent personal development, and setting performance targets can improve the
organisation’s performance. Challenging targets tend to result in higher performance
than easy or no targets.

Performance targets establish what a team member or team wants to achieve. In

setting these objectives, team leaders must ensure that goals are understandable and
achievable to meet performance targets.
Good goals should have SPIRIT!

Goals are only useful if they’re done right.

Specific

Be specific about what you want or don’t want to achieve. The result should be tangible and
measurable. “Get all employees up to speed” is pretty ambiguous. “Data team will be able to
enter 100 records per day by the end of the first week of induction” is more specific.
Prizes

Provide rewards at different points in the goal, particularly long-term ones. For example,
employees who do better than average at training might receive a company T-shirt.
Individual

The goal must be relevant to the employee’s job and something the employee is willing to work
on. The goal should always be tied back to a business or personal result.
Review

Review progress periodically.

Does the goal make sense? Are you stuck?
Do you need to adjust certain parts of the goal?
Inspiring

Frame the goal positively.

Make it fun to accomplish.
Your team could make a poster of the end result, frame it, and post it on the wall.

Time Bound

Give yourself a deadline for achieving the goal.

Even better, split the goal into small parts and give yourself a deadline for each item.
How to monitor performance
A good appraisal, or performance review, as some call it, is as much for your staff as it
is for you. In a busy work environment, it’s easy to take your staff for granted and not
know how they feel. It can also be hard to inform them if they’re doing a good or bad
job.

A performance review is a quantifiable way of assessing whether the employee is

doing their job as defined by their job description, whether they are enjoying it, what
objectives they want or need to achieve before their next review, and what training
and development plans they want or need.

How performance reviews are done

Appraisals are usually carried out by the person most likely to know the employee’s
work and how good or bad they are at it, i.e., their team leader or supervisor. In a small
team, for example, in an individual hotel, the manager could carry out all the
appraisals. This has the added benefit of helping the lower staff members believe the
head manager is taking an interest in them.

Reviews are usually done once a year, although the frequency could be increased in a
high-turnover industry like hospitality to encourage motivation and feedback.

The tangible end result of an appraisal is a written document, so it’s useful to have a
set template that all managers can use. This will help senior management keep track
of employees with whom they have no real day-to-day contact and ensure that all
staff are given equal reviews. There is always a danger that without a set format, a
performance review can become an argument if there are areas of disagreement.

This template can consist of several set questions. A few examples follow, but note
that they are all worded positively. Try to use phrases like “Targets that weren’t
realised” rather than “Things they did wrong”. It may sound a bit over-cautious, but
an ill-chosen phrase can damage motivation and respect.

Typical review questions:

What do you think you’ve achieved this year?

What targets or achievements haven’t been realised?

How could you improve on your performance last year?

How do you think you get on with the other staff

members/management?
And then more specific ones:

What objectives should you aim for in the next year? List them.

How will you measure whether you have achieved these aims?

What training would you like to attend next year?

It is usual for the employee and the manager to discuss the answers and agree on what
is written. This encourages feedback and helps the manager understand how the
employee is doing and what they need in the coming 12 months.

It sounds obvious, but let employees know this is their opportunity to say whatever
they like. Listen to any complaints or grievances and record them on the form, along
with what you must do to resolve them.

Also, try to be constructive with any criticism you have of them. It doesn’t help to
criticise them with all their failings. Tell them that there are aspects of their work that
you feel they are unmotivated in, and try to agree on a plan of action to resolve the
situation. Sometimes, you may discover that someone you thought was a bad, lazy
employee was only that way because they were bored and needed more responsibility
to stimulate them.

At the end of the form, provide a written list of what you and the employee see as the
critical tasks and requirements for the year ahead.

What are the benefits of this Performance Appraisal Program?

 Encourages staff members to understand further how their work
and the department's work directly contribute to the
organisation's ongoing success.

Improves communication and encourages structured feedback.

Recognises improved and valued performance.

It provides the opportunity to develop skills and potential,

identify and address barriers to performance, and identify areas
for improvement.

Performance planning, appraisal, and improvement are crucial

elements of the accountability framework and a necessary risk
management strategy.

Performance reviews aren’t perfect

While necessary, these one-to-one formal appraisals aren’t the answer to staff
motivation and morale problems. Line managers hate doing them because they are
time-consuming and can quickly become a griping session if not appropriately
handled.

However, they can help when used in conjunction with regular team meetings, social
events, feedback sessions, etc. Holding performance reviews is an acquired skill;
ideally, anyone expected to do them will have specific training.

4
The Monitoring Process
You need to monitor your results against the performance indicators set in your
original plan to know when to alter your plans or improve resource use.

The following steps are involved in the monitoring process:

Compare actual performance against planned performance.

Document the differences between actual and planned

performance.

Identify the reasons for any differences.

Implement action strategies to adapt performance or alter the

Operational Plan.

Operational Plans should be monitored and adapted on an ongoing basis. They should
be working documents that provide direction and evaluate performance at regular
intervals.

It is important to note changes as they occur in your Operational Plan. This

information can help you improve your planning to go forward.

S.A.M.I.E. Model:
The SAMIE model is a simple tool which can be used to monitor and evaluate your
operational performance
SAMIE stands for:

Select

Analyse

Measure

Improve

Evaluate

C h a p t e r 4 : O p p o r t u n i t i e s fo r L i fe - Lo n g Le a r n i n g
Lesson 4 of 5

Chapter 4: Opportunities for Life-Long Learning

Outline training opportunities, career paths,

individual responsibility for learning, and support
processes within the organisation to enhance
team performance and effectively address
development needs.
Learning Objectives for Chapter 4

Opportunities for training in the organisation are outlined.

Career paths within the organisation are outlined.

The employee’s responsibility for learning is discussed, and

particular skills and abilities that enhance the team’s
performance are indicated.

The process to be followed when a development need is indicated

regarding the people in the organisation who offer support to
employees.

1
Introduction
Recruiting a new team member is time-consuming and costly, and you would not
want to lose an employee to whom you have invested time and money. To retain a
valuable team member, team leaders and members must help them completely buy
into the company’s culture. They must be made to feel they belong and are part of an
organisation that aligns with their values and career goals.

As mentioned earlier, one of the most significant factors for improving employee
retention is presenting a clear and present career path. People within your
organisation must understand there is room to grow and that efforts will be made
from the top down to facilitate that career growth.
Having a career development plan in place shows employees that you value them for
the work they can do now and what they might be able to offer your organisation
long-term. A well-defined career path empowers employees and provides logical
steps to pursue advancement.

An organisation must consider its overall direction and goals to assess the
competencies it needs from its workforce to succeed. It is equally essential that the
organisation believe an employee’s motivation to succeed as an individual.

Training planning and delivery

Following is a relatively simple overview of typical reference models, processes and
tools found in the effective planning and delivery of organisational training.

Click on a tab to navigate between them and explore different topics.

 There are a total of 5 tabs.

2. CREATE 5
1. ASSESS AND 3. CONSIDER
TRAINING OR 4. PLAN TRAINING MA
A G R E E TO LEARNING STYLES
D E V E LO P M E N T A N D E VA L U A T I O N MET
TRAINING NEEDS AND PERSONALITY
SPECIFICATION DELIV

Conduct training needs analysis.

This commonly happens in the appraisal process.

Involve the people in identifying and agreeing on relevant aligned training.

Consider organisational values, integrity and ethics, spirituality, love and compassion at
work, and skills.

Look also at your recruitment processes—there is no point in training people if they are
not the right people.

Why people leave also helps identify development needs.

2. CREATE 5
1. ASSESS AND 3. CONSIDER
TRAINING OR 4. PLAN TRAINING MA
A G R E E TO LEARNING STYLES
D E V E LO P M E N T A N D E VA L U A T I O N MET
TRAINING NEEDS AND PERSONALITY
SPECIFICATION DELIV

Having identified what you want to train and develop in people, you must break down the
training or learning requirement into manageable elements.

Attach standards, measures, or parameters to each element.

Use training needs analysis tools- they can help organise and assess training elements on a
large scale.
 2. CREATE 5
1. ASSESS AND 3. CONSIDER
TRAINING OR 4. PLAN TRAINING MA
A G R E E TO LEARNING STYLES
D E V E LO P M E N T A N D E VA L U A T I O N MET
TRAINING NEEDS AND PERSONALITY
SPECIFICATION DELIV

People's learning styles significantly affect what type of training they find most
straightforward and effective. Look also at personality.

Remember, you are dealing with people, not objects. People have feelings as well as skills
and knowledge.

Consider the team and the group.

2. CREATE 5
1. ASSESS AND 3. CONSIDER
TRAINING OR 4. PLAN TRAINING MA
A G R E E TO LEARNING STYLES
D E V E LO P M E N T A N D E VA L U A T I O N MET
TRAINING NEEDS AND PERSONALITY
SPECIFICATION DELIV

Consider evaluation training effectiveness, which includes before-and-after

measurements.

Understand what sort of development you are addressing.

Consider team activities and exercises.

2. CREATE 5
1. ASSESS AND 3. CONSIDER
TRAINING OR 4. PLAN TRAINING MA
A G R E E TO LEARNING STYLES
D E V E LO P M E N T A N D E VA L U A T I O N MET
TRAINING NEEDS AND PERSONALITY
SPECIFICATION DELIV
Consider modern innovative methods.

Presentation is an essential aspect of delivery.

Good writing techniques help with the design of materials.

Training and Development

Exploring the Diversity of Training and Development Methods

There are many different training and development methods. On-the-job training,
informal training, classroom training, internal training courses, external training
courses, on-the-job coaching, life-coaching, mentoring, training assignments and
tasks, skills training, product training, technical training, behavioural development
training, role-playing and role-play games and exercises, attitudinal training and
development, accredited training and learning, distance learning – all part of the
training menu, available to use and apply according to individual training needs and
organisational training needs.

Beyond Classroom: Expanding Training Opportunities

Training is also available far beyond and outside the classroom or training venue.
More importantly, training—or learning, to look at it from the trainee’s view—is
anything offering learning and developmental experience. Training and learning
development include ethics and morality, attitude and behaviour, leadership and
determination, and skills and knowledge.

Understanding Development: More than Training

Development isn’t restricted to training—it’s anything that helps a person grow in

ability, skills, confidence, tolerance, commitment, initiative, interpersonal skills,
understanding, self-control, motivation (see the motivation theory section), and
more.

If you consider the attributes of really effective people, be they leaders, managers,
operators, technicians, or any role, the critical qualities that make good performers
unique are likely to be attitudinal. Skills, knowledge, and the processes available to
people are no significant advantage. What makes people effective and valuable to any
organisation is their attitude.

The Role of Attitude in Effective Performance

Attitude includes qualities that require different training and learning methods.
Attitude stems from a person’s mindset, belief system, emotional maturity, self-
confidence, and experience. These are the most significant training and development
challenges faced, and there are better ways of achieving this sort of change and
development than putting people in a classroom or, indeed, by delivering most types
of conventional business or skills training, which people see as a chore.

Challenges in Attitude Development and Training

This is why training and learning must extend beyond conventional classroom
training courses. Be creative, innovative, and open-minded, and you will discover
learning in virtually every new experience, whether for yourself, your team, or your
organisation. If you want to make a difference, consider what helps people change.

The Importance of Leadership in Training and Development

All supervisors and team leaders should enable and provide training and development
for their people. Training develops people, improves performance, and raises morale;
it increases the health and effectiveness of the organisation and the business’s
productivity.

The leader’s ethics and behaviour set the standard for their people, determining how
productively they use their skills and knowledge. Training is nothing without
the motivation to apply it effectively. A solid capability to plan and manage skills
training, acquire knowledge, and develop motivation and attitude largely determines
how well people perform in their jobs.

Training’s Impact on Organisational Health and Performance

Training – and enabling learning and personal development – is essential for the
organisation. It helps improve quality, customer satisfaction, productivity, morale,
management succession, business development and profitability.

Essentials of Induction Training for New Starters

Start with the essentials, such as induction training for new starters. Induction
Training is significant for new starters. Good induction training ensures new starters
are retained and settled in quickly and happily to a productive role. Induction training
is more than skills training. It’s about the basics that seasoned employees take for
granted: what the shifts are; where the notice board is; what’s the routine for
holidays, sickness; where’s the canteen; what’s the dress code; where the toilets are.
New employees also need to understand the organisation’s mission, goals and
philosophy; personnel practices; health and safety rules; and, of course, the job
they’re required to do, with clear methods, timescales and expectations.

Planning and Implementing Induction Training

Team leaders must ensure proper induction training is planned. An induction training
plan must be issued to each new employee so they and everyone else involved can see
what’s happening and that everything is included. You must prepare and provide a
suitable induction plan for each new starter.

Early Personal Development Initiatives

Addressing personal development needs, wishes, opportunities, particular strengths,

abilities, talents, etc., during or very soon after the induction process is highly
advantageous. The sooner, the better.

Assessing Skills Training Needs and Personal Capabilities

An organisation needs to assess its people’s skills training needs using various
methods and then structure how the training and development is to be delivered.
Managers and supervisors play a crucial role in helping this process.

People’s strengths and capabilities—and aims and desires and unique talents (current
and dormant)—also need to be assessed to help the person understand that the
opportunities for their development and achievement in the organisation are not
limited by the job role or the skill set that the organisation inevitably defines for the
person.

Empowering Beyond Job Roles: Individual Development

As early as possible, let people know that their job role does not define their potential
as a person within or outside the organisation. Subject to organisational policy, look
to develop each person in a meaningful, relevant way that they will enjoy and seek, as
individuals, beyond the job role and beyond work requirements.

Utilising Mentoring and Facilitative Coaching for Development

If possible, ‘topping up’ this sort of development through mentoring and facilitative
coaching (drawing out—not putting in) is very effective in producing excellent
people. Mentoring and proper coaching should be used alongside formal structured
training anyway. Still, this type of support can also greatly assist ‘whole-person
development’, especially where the mentor or coach is seen as a role model for the
person’s aspirations.

Managerial Self-awareness in Coaching and Mentoring

You must understand yourself well as a manager before coaching, training, or

mentoring others.

Are your skills adequate? Do you need help or training in any critical areas necessary
to train, coach, or mentor others? What is your style? How do you you communicate?
How do you approach tasks? What are your motives? These all affect how you see and
perform, see the training, coaching or mentoring role, and how you see and relate to
the person you are coaching, training, or mentoring. You aim to help the other person
learn and develop – not create another version of yourself. When you understand
yourself, you know how you will be perceived, how best to communicate, and how
best to help others grow, learn and develop.

Understanding Learning Styles for Effective Training Delivery

You must understand the other person’s style and personality too – how they prefer
to learn – do they like to read and absorb a lot of detail, do they like to be shown, to
experience themselves by trial and error? Knowing the other person’s preferred
learning style helps you deliver the training in the most relevant and helpful way. It
enables you to design activities and tasks that the other person will be more
comfortable doing, ensuring better results and quicker delivery. Various models and
tests, such as the Kolb model, are available to help understand learning styles. Look at
multiple intelligences, the VAK learning model, and free learning style tests.

Following is a list of benefits of proper quality training and development

programmes:
Optimum Utilisation of Human Resources—Training and Development help
optimise the use of human resources, which further helps the employees achieve
the organisational and individual goals.

Development of Human Resources – Training and Development helps to provide

an opportunity and broad structure for the development of human resources
technical and behavioural skills in an organisation. It also helps the employees in
attaining personal growth.

Development of employees' skills—Training and Development help increase

employees' job knowledge and skills at each level. They also help expand the
horizons of human intellect and the overall personality of the employees.

Productivity—Training and Development help increase employees' productivity,

which helps the organisation achieve its long-term goal.

Team spirit—Training and Development help inculcate a sense of teamwork,

team spirit, and inter-team collaborations. It also helps instil the zeal to learn
within the employees.

Organisation Culture—Training and Development help improve organisational

health culture and effectiveness. They also help create a learning culture within
the organisation.

Organisation Climate—Training and Development help build positive

perceptions and feelings about the organisation. Employees get these feelings
from leaders, subordinates, and peers.

Quality – Training and development help improve the quality of work and work-
life.

Healthy work environment—Training and Development help create a healthy

working environment. They also help build good employee relationships so that
individual goals align with organisational goals.

Health and Safety – Training and development help improve the health and
safety of the organisation, thus preventing obsolescence.

Morale – Training and development help improve the morale of the workforce.

Image – Training and development help create a better corporate image.

Profitability – Training and Development leads to improved profitability and

more positive attitudes towards profit orientation.

Organisational development - Training and development aid in organisational

development, i.e., the organisation gets more effective decision-making and
problem-solving. It helps in understanding and carrying out organisational
policies.

Leadership skills - Training and Development help develop leadership skills,

motivation, loyalty, better attitudes, and other aspects that successful workers
and managers usually display.

Commitment - Training and Development demonstrates a commitment to

keeping employees on the cutting edge of knowledge and practice.

4
Career paths
Career pathing is the process an employee uses to chart a course within an
organisation for their career path and career development. Career pathing involves
understanding what knowledge, skills, personal characteristics, and experience are
required for an employee to progress their career laterally or through access to
promotions and departmental transfers.

Career pathing requires employees to look honestly at their career goals, skills,
knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics. Career pathing requires the
employee to plan to obtain what is necessary in each area to carry out their career
path.

With a written career path plan, the employee can approach Human Resources and his
or her supervisor for assistance in implementing the plan.

In organisations with a formal career pathing process, such as performance

development planning (PDP), the employee receives some support and assistance in
developing a career path. In some organisations, the performance appraisal is also an
opportunity for career pathing. In organisations with a formal process, career pathing
is also perceived as having institutional support.

Taking responsibility
Career development is not only the responsibility of the employer. Employees are also
responsible for their career development and should ensure that they have the skills
to meet the company’s long-term goals.
In earlier years, many companies could promise a new employee lifelong employment
and a predictable career path. Today, very few, if any, companies can make that
promise. Even when your company has a formal training department and offers a
catalogue of courses for employees, no one knows better than the employee and their
team leader what needs to be learned and how that learning can be applied to the job
to make a positive difference in individual, group, and company business results. It
would be best to take responsibility for your career path, whether with your current
employer or through a series of employers.

The responsibilities of the organisation and the team member’s perspectives are:

Organisation: What skills and knowledge do we require to

achieve our business goals?

Employee: What skills and knowledge are critical to my current

and future career plans?

Learning in the workplace

Many companies promise every employee will receive one week (and sometimes more
than one week) of training annually. However, forward-looking team leaders know
that one week of training isn’t enough to create better performance and new
opportunities for the future. They know that they and their employees must
continuously learn every month, every week, and every day.
How does an employee or new team member know their learning
needs, or what skills they would require to perform the job?
A learning contract or plan needs to be personalised for each employee. It is
negotiated by the employee and the team leader, for no one in the company knows
better what the employee needs to learn than the employee and their immediate
manager/team leader.

The learning contract starts with the company’s business goals or, at the minimum,
the part of the company’s business goals that are affected by the employee’s work. By
beginning and, as we will see later, ending with these goals in mind, we ensure that all
learning activities are designed to positively contribute to achieving both personal
and company goals. However, it is often difficult for the individual employee to see a
direct connection between their work and the larger company goals. It is the team
leader’s job to help the new team member or employee understand the company’s
goals and how those larger goals are affected by the department’s or function’s work
and by the work of the individual employee.

Why must every employee understand the company’s overall

business goals, especially if their work seems very distant from those
goals?
The answer is simply this: if you don’t understand the company’s business goals, how
can you possibly work to help the company achieve those goals? Demonstrating how
your work is helping the company achieve its goals will be important when you seek
your next raise or promotion. And even if you decide to leave the company to seek
work elsewhere, potential employers will look more favourably at applicants who can
tie their work experience to achieving the company’s business goals.
Once these goals are understood, the next question is:

“How must I change my work or skills and knowledge to help the company
achieve this goal?”

Too often, companies publish ambitious business goals. Still, people need to ask how
those goals will be achieved or what changes will be necessary to enable the company
to meet those goals.

When you understand the changes you must make to help achieve the goals, then you
must ask:

“What do I need to learn to make those changes?”

How will the learning take place

The Relationship between Change and Learning

You can’t change without learning. Learning may involve greater knowledge of
customers and markets, building new skills to work differently, etc.

Planning the Learning Process: Methods and Resource.

The next part of the learning contract deals with how the learning will take place: Will
I attend a company-sponsored training program, take a course at a local college, read
some books and articles, become an apprentice to someone who is a master of the new
skills — the list of potential learning methods is vast (and will be the subject of
another article in this series). In planning your learning, you need to specify the
strategies you will use in the learning contract, where you will find the learning
resources you need and a schedule for completing the specified learning activities.

Identifying Coaches and Learning Partners.

It is recommended that you find someone inside or outside the company who has
already mastered the new skills or knowledge and can act as a coach and answer the
employee’s questions as they arise. Ideally, this is the employee’s team leader, but the
team leader does not always have the needed expertise or the time to acquire it. If you
cannot find someone to act as a coach, find someone else learning the same skill or
studying the same material to be your “learning partner.” By having a learning
partner, you will have someone to exchange questions and experiences with, and the
two of you can help each other study and discuss your experiences as you later try to
apply your learning to your jobs. If you cannot find a learning partner in your group or
your company, look for groups on the Internet who are interested in the subject. The
Internet can be an excellent resource, and you can get assistance from people
worldwide, even if you do not know the person and will never actually meet that
person.

Evaluating Learning Achievement.

You also need to specify in the contract how you will demonstrate that the learning
has taken place — what will be the measure of your learning achievements? Will you
submit a report on what you have learned? Will you take tests before and after the
learning activities to show how much you have learned? Will you demonstrate the
skills for your manager?

Application of Learning in the Workplace.

The learning contract must include a section on how you will apply your learning to
your job. Most corporate training programs fall short in this regard; most of the
knowledge acquired during formal training never finds its way back into the students’
work, wasting the company’s training budget. It is also where the employee needs the
most assistance from the manager. When you try out new skills, you will inevitably
make errors — no one can be expected to try something new and succeed the first and
every time. The manager must provide the opportunity to make errors and reinforce
the employee’s learning with coaching and reinforcement until the new skills are
mastered. Without this assistance from the manager, the employee will quickly revert
to the old way of doing things when faced with a problem — “Why should I risk
making an error and being penalised by my manager for trying the new methods
when I can continue to do things the old way — the way I know and with which I am
comfortable. The old way may not be the best, but I know it works.”

Setting Expectations for Business Results.

Finally, you must specify in the contract what difference in business results are
expected once you have applied what you learned to your work. This ties back to the
first step in the learning contract, where you specified the company business goals
you contributed to. By beginning with the end in mind, all learning activities will be
focused on specific, measurable, achievable business results for the individual, the
group/function/department, and the company as a whole.

Linking Learning Activities to Business Goals.

Using the learning contract can also yield another benefit: When you demonstrate the
direct connection between your learning activities and the company’s business
results, no one will question the value of your training programs or other learning
activities. You will never be asked to justify the investment in your learning because
the justification is built into the plan from the beginning.

Summary of the Learning Contract

1 Specify the company’s business goals and how your work

contributes to their achievement.
 2 Specify how you must change your work to help the company
achieve its goals.

3 Specify what you need to learn to make those changes.

4 Develop a learning plan, including:

What you need to learn.

What learning resources will you use?

A schedule of learning activities.

5 Specify measures of learning achievement.

6 Develop a plan for applying what you have learned to your job.

7 Specify what changes in business results are expected from

applying what you have learned to the job.

Individual learning is the ability to pursue self-development. It requires individuals to

take personal responsibility for their learning and development through assessment,
reflection, and action. Individual learning helps employees continually update skills
and remain marketable in the workplace.

Q u i z 5 & Ne x t Mo d u l e
Lesson 5 of 5

Quiz 5 & Next Module

Congratulations!
You have completed Module 5

Quiz 5
Use the link to go to Quiz 5

QUIZ 5
Module 6: Productivity
Use the link to go to Module 6.

MODULE 6