An empty bag cannot stand
upright is an old saying
which, from the literal rather than the figurative point
of view, signifies that the bag requires to be filled up adequately to
"stand upright". The bag, by itself, may
be very useful in many other ways, but if it has to stand upright, it has to
be packed suitably. A new recruit in a workhouse may, similarly, be an
individual having all natural traits, but in order to serve the specific
and the focused requirements of goal-oriented employers, he has to be
imbued with the required knowledge, skills and attitudes in order
to match the high expectations of such employers. Like the proverbial
bag, the employee has to be filled with knowledge, skills and
attitudes which could be imbibed only after a successful and effective
initiation into the workplace, so that he may earn the coveted recognition in
the organization.
In words, that are a part of the lingo in the electronic environ,
an employee who is new has to be `loaded' with the `software' of
`induction' and `orientation' to be an effective part of the overall
HRD `system' of any business house. The subject of employee induction
and orientation thus becomes a sine qua non for a corporate from its
Human Resources Management point of view.
In this context, the meaning of the word `induction' as defined
in some dictionaries as: "stimulation that calls up (draws forth) a
particular class of behaviors". The meanings of the word `orientation' are
defined as: (i) "A person's awareness of self with regard to position,
time, place and personal relationships" and (ii) "An integrated set of
attitudes and beliefs". Hence, when a new employee is inducted, he is
familiarized with the workplace environment and is stimulated
into the required behavior. When he is oriented, he becomes aware of
his self and develops a set of attitudes and beliefs that benefit him in
addition to the experience and benefits which he had derived from
formal training. |
