Paper: 01, Human Resource Management

Module: 13, Placement and Induction I

Prof. S P Bansal
Principal Investigator Vice Chancellor
Maharaja Agrasen University, Baddi

Prof YoginderVerma
Co-Principal Investigator Pro–Vice Chancellor
Central University of Himachal Pradesh. Kangra. H.P.

Prof. Rajeev Jain

Paper Coordinator Faculty of Commerce & Management,
Kota University, Kota

Dr. Anurodh Godha

Content Writer School of Commerce and Management,
VM Open University, Kota (Rajasthan) India
 Items Description of Module
Subject Name Management
Paper Name Human Resource Management
Module Title Placement and Induction I
Module Id Module no.-13
Pre- Requisites Basic knowledge of selection procedure
Objectives To come across the socialization process of an employee towards an organization
Keywords Placement, Induction

QUADRANT-I

Module 13: Placement and Induction I

1 Learning Outcome
2 Placement: An Introduction
3 Placement: Meaning and Definition
4 Characteristics of Placement
5 Principles of a Good Placement
6 Benefits of Placement
7 Induction or Orientation
8 Meaning and Definition of Induction
9 Objectives of Induction Programme
10 Types of Induction Programme
11 Phases of Induction Programme
12 Induction Approaches
13 Summary

1. Learning Outcome:
After completing this unit, you will be able to:
 Understand the meaning and characteristics of placement
 Know the principles of good placement in an organization
 Understand the various benefits of good placement practices
 Know the meaning and objectives of induction programme
 Point out the various types of induction programme
 Come across the various phases of induction programme
 Develop and understand various approaches of induction.
2. Placement: An Introduction

Source: http://bbdu.ac.in/img/placements/placement.jpg
Selection and placement are often inseparable parts of a single process. After the selection process is
over, an employee is put to a specific job, for which he has been selected. In very simple words
placement means sending the newly employed person to some department for work. Placing the right
man at the right job is as important as hiring the right person. It is, therefore, desirable to have a sound
scheme of placement in every organisation so that the employees feel comfortable on their new jobs.
Most of the organisations put new employees on probation for a specified period after which they are
confirmed, provided they match the organisational requirements. Placement helps the new recruit find
a job in sync with what has been promised by the employer at the time of selection.
3. Placement: Meaning and Definition

Source: https://www.firstplacement.in/img/mainlogo2.png
The selection procedure ends with the placement of a worker to the job. The term 'placement' is
nothing but posting of people to jobs matching their abilities. It implies matching the requirements of
a job with the qualifications of the candidate. It involves assigning a specific rank and responsibility
to an individual. Matching the requirements of the job with the qualifications of a candidate is the
essence of placement.
According to Pigors and Myers “Placement consists in matching what the supervisor has reason to
think the new employee can do with what the job demands (job requirements), imposes (in strain,
working conditions, etc.), and offers (in the form of pay rate, interest, companionship with others,
promotional possibilities, etc.)" They further state that it is not easy to match all these factors for a
new worker who is still in many ways an unknown quantity.
4. Characteristics of Placement

 It is an important human resource activity for an organization.

 It is the actual posting of an employee to a specific job, in other words it is assigning
particular job (specific rank and responsibility) to employee for which they have been
identified suitable.
 It involves the task to understand and capitalize on each person's individuality. Once the
manager establishes a unique profile for each individual, people and jobs can be matched
optimally within the constraints set by available jobs and available people.
 It involves striking a fit between the requirements of a job and the qualifications of a
candidate.
 Placement should be made with as minimum disruption to the employee and organization as
possible.
 Effective placement is a good match of employee’s competence, knowledge, skill and job
interest.
5. Principles of a Good Placement

Source: https://3.imimg.com/data3/IY/RH/MY-10354851/academic-and-career-counseling-
500x500.jpg
(1) The job should be offered to the selected candidate according to his qualifications. The
placement should neither be higher nor lower than the qualifications.
(2) Employee should be placed on the job according to the job requirements. The job should
not be adjusted according to the requirements of the employee. If a candidate adjusts himself
to the job and continues to perform as per expectations, it might mean that the candidate is
properly placed. Job first, employee next, should be the principle of placement.
(3) The employee should be made familiar to the working conditions prevailing in the
organization and an effort should be made to develop a sense of loyalty in newly selected
employee, so that he may realize his responsibilities better towards the organization.
(4) Initially the placement period may be temporary as changes are likely after the completion
of training. The employee may be later transferred to the job where he can do better justice.
Proper placement helps to improve employee morale. Right placement also helps to reduce labour
turnover, absenteeism and accident rates.

6. Benefits of Placement

The benefits of placement may be summarised as follows:

Source: Designed by Author

 A. Benefits to New Employee
 Make him suitable for the job
 Increase the satisfaction level
 Increase the productivity
 Continuous learning and high morale
B. Benefits to the recruiting organisation
 Reduction in cost and save the productive time involve in hiring process
 Improve the quality of new employee
 Enhancement in retention
 Improvement in efficiency
 Achievement of Organizational goals
If placement is neglected, it may increase employee absenteeism, turnover, accidents, poor
performance, etc. The employee may quit the organisation in frustration, complaining about and
criticising everything.

7. Induction or Orientation

Source: https://www.lovelandpreschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/orientation.jpg

When a new employee joins an organisation, he should be welcomed as a new member of the
family and must be helped to get acquainted and adjusted with his fellow employee and work
environment. Induction is a technique by which a new employee is rehabilitated into his
surroundings and introduced to the practices, policies and purposes of the organisation. The
new employee is a complete stranger to the people, work place and work environment. Thus
Induction is a welcoming process - the idea is to welcome a newcomer, make him feel at
home and generate in him a feeling that his own job, however small, is meaningful and has a
significance as a part of the total organisation. Initial impression counts, much in the attitude
of the employee towards the job and the company.

Gary Dessler says, "Carefully selecting employees doesn't guarantee they will perform
effectively. Potential is one thing, performance is another. Even high- potential employees
can't do their jobs if they don't know what to do or how to do it. Therefore, managers should
ensure that employees do know what to do and how to do it. This is the purpose of orienting
employees." Thus, all organisations have some type of formal or informal induction
programme.
8. Meaning and Definition of Induction

Source:
https://previews.123rf.com/images/radiantskies/radiantskies1301/radiantskies130100086/17148823-
Abstract-word-cloud-for-Induction-programme-with-related-tags-and-terms-Stock-Photo.jpg

Induction, is designed to provide a new employee with the information he needs to function
comfortably and effectively in the organisation. Inductions may be viewed as the socialising
process by which organisation seeks to make an individual its agent for the achievement of its
objectives and the individual seeks to make an agency of the organisation the achievement of
his personal goals.

A few definitions of induction are written below:

According to Michael Armstrong, "Induction is the process of receiving and welcoming

employees when they first join a company and giving them the basic information they need to
settle down quickly and happily and start work."

According to Edwin B. Flippo "Induction is the welcoming process to make the new
employee feel at home and generate in him a feeling of belongingness to the organisation."

In the words of John M. Ivancevich, "Orientation orients, directs, and guides employees to
understand the work, firm, colleagues, and mission. It introduces new employees to the
organisation, and to his new tasks, managers, and work groups."

According to Donald Currie, "Induction is a process through which new employees,

preferably on joining, are introduced to the organisation in the broad context; its culture, rules
and procedures; then in the local context where they meet their new work colleagues."

Thus, after selecting compatible personnel the organisation must communicate to the new employee
its philosophy, policies, customs and practices. The new employee is handed over a rulebook, policy
manuals, progress reports, company booklets and documents containing company information which
are informational in nature. It is the responsibility of the HR department to execute the induction
programme. Planned induction helps the new employee, creates a good attitude, reduces labour
turnover and the employee feels at home right from the very beginning.
9. Objectives of Induction Programme

Source: http://www.ecbcouncil.com/images/about/objective.jpg
An organisation especially a large one should have a systematic induction programme to achieve the
following objectives:-
1. To reduce the initial anxiety and stress all new entrants feel when they join a new job in a
new organisation.
2. To build up the new employee's confidence in the organisation and in himself so that he
may become an efficient employee and to promote a feeling of belongingness and loyalty
towards the organisation
3. To provide favourable initial job experiences and to answer any questions and to clarify
any doubts.
4. To understand the firm in a broad sense (its past, present, values, culture, and vision), as
well as key facts such as structure, product, policies, rules and regulations.
5. To bring an agreement between the organisation goals/ expectations and the personal
goals of the organisation.
6. To foster self-directed behaviour which is consistent with the company’s needs.
7. To familiarize the new employees with the job, people, work-place, work environment
and the organisation.
8. To assist the new employee in acquiring appropriate role behaviours and to adjust to the
work group and its norms..
9. To create a sense of security for the worker in his job by impressing upon the idea that
fairness to the worker is the inherent policy of the organisation and to reduce employee
turnover and start-up costs.
10. To reduce the time it takes for the newcomer to reach proficiency.
10. Types of Induction Programme

Source: https://remiyasivan.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/17397603-abstract-word-cloud-for-
induction-training-with-related-tags-and-terms-stock-photo.jpg

According to a classification, induction programmes may be of following types:

A. Informal or Unplanned Induction: It is generally done by the small scale units. This may
be simply an introduction to the new entrant about the job and organisation. It can be
conducted by the immediate job supervisor or by an experienced employee.

B. Formal or Planned Induction: It is usually carried out by the large size organisation to
integrate the newcomer into the organisation. It is carefully designed to introduce the
newcomer to his job, colleagues and organisation. Accordingly, the contents of the formal
induction programme cover the following various aspects:

 The company, its mission, goals, rules, policies, practices, history and products,
process of production and major operations involved in his job;
 The significance of Job, job training and job hazards;
 Employee's own department and job and how they fit into the organisation, methods
of reporting, tardiness absenteeism;
 Terms and conditions of service, hours of work and overtime, employee benefits,
holidays and vacations, amenities, and welfare facilities;
 Organizational Structure- functions of the various departments;
 Social benefits, grievance procedure and rules of discipline;
 Follow-up interviews at the end of 3 or 6 months with a view to finding out how the
new employee is getting along;
 Opportunities, promotions, transfers and job stabilisation
On the basis of purpose and objectives, an induction programme may be of three types:

Source: Designed by Author

General Orientation: It is conducted by the personnel department. This type of induction is

general; it gives the necessary general information about the history and operations of the
organization, the purpose of this is to build employee’s pride and interest in the organisation.
Information is also given on specific employee services, such as social benefits, pension,
health and welfare plans, safety programmes, etc.

Specific Orientation: It is conducted by the job supervisor. This type of induction is specific
in nature and requires skill on the part of the foreman. The employee is oriented his
department or place of work, introduced to other employees of the department, informed
about the organisation's specific practices and customs (such as lunch timings and length of
rest periods, the work dress etc). The purpose of this induction is to enable an employee to
adjust himself in his work environment.

Follow-up Orientation: It takes place within one week to six months from the time of the
initial hiring and orientation. It is conducted either by a foreman or a human resource
specialist. Its purpose is to find out whether the employee is satisfied or unsatisfied with the
work place, how he feels about his fellow workers, how he feels about his boss, and whether
he has any suggestions for improvement in organization. The interviewer records the answers
as well as his own comments on the employee progress. At the same time, the immediate
supervisor does an evaluation of the employee about his strong and weak points. Through
personal talks, guidance and counselling, efforts are made to remove the difficulties

11. Phases of Induction Programme

The socialisation process may take months hence the induction programme can be divided into
following four phases:

Phase one: Acclimating workers by providing expectations and product training.

Phase two: Providing training sessions on the company's history, strategy, policies, and
benefits.

Phase three: Putting the employee on the job for first three months and focusing on training
of employee about the market, its customers, and business plans.

Phase four: It carries on through at least six months and consists of interim reviews and
feedback.
According to Edwin B. Flippo the induction programme can be divided into three phases as
mentioned below:

A. First Phase: It is usually conducted by the staff personnel unit. In thus phase the newly
recruited employee is make aware about products of the company, employee benefits, salary
schedules, safety, probationary period, time recording and absences, holidays, equal
employment opportunity programmes, parking, and the grievance procedure.

B. Second Phase: It is performed by the immediate supervisor. The inductee is introduced to

fellow employees, given a tour of the department, and informed about such details as locker
and rest rooms, supply procedures, hours of work, overtime, call-in procedures, rest and lunch
periods, and lunching facilities.

C. Phase Three: The complete induction programme provides a 'follow- up' some weeks
later. This is conducted by either the supervisor or a personnel specialist, and it is concerned
with (1) employee satisfaction with the job and organisation, and (2) supervisor satisfaction
with the employee. Dissatisfactions may be cleared up by explanations or actual transfers to a
different job.

12. Induction Approaches

Source: https://fixingtheeconomists.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/differentapproachtosuccess.jpeg

Based on the managers' attitudes to induction, resources, objectives, he adopts several types of
induction approaches. Organisations adopt several approaches to induction, out of which some are
more complex and larger in duration than others. Some approaches are discussed below:

A. 'Induction Pack' Approach

Under this approach, the new employee is provided with various information materials in
writing which we call induction pack. This may include annual reports, briefing about
corporate structure & history of the organisation, something about its future plans, vision,
layout for car parking, the staff canteen, any other facilities, terms and conditions of
employment and the procedure of disciplinary and grievance handling.

B. Initial Briefing Approach

 Under this approach, the new employee is explained about the main points of 'induction pack'
by the HR practitioner. At this stage, a favourable picture of the organisation, especially in
terms of its employment policies is shown to the newly appointed employee. A detailed
briefing about the organisation is not normally offered at this stage.

C. Walk and Talk Approach

Under this approach, the new employee is visited to actual site and is given explanations
about each work activity of each place. At the end the employee is taken to the department in
which he will work and then a more detailed explanation of what happens in department is
given. This is a good time to introduce the new employee to the staff.

D. Induction Training

A large number of organisations have adopted it as it is the most successful and effective
form of induction. In this approach a number of training sessions are conducted and each
session deals with a particular subject and is usually delivered by a person who has
specialization in that area. The duration of the training sessions varies, and sometimes they
are staggered across a number of days or even weeks, depending on the amount and
complexity of the information to be delivered and work profile of the newly employed person.

13. Summary

Placing the right man at the right job is as important as hiring the right person. It is, therefore,
desirable to have a sound scheme of placement in every organisation so that the employees feel
comfortable on their new jobs. Placement involves assigning a specific rank and responsibility to an
individual. Matching the requirements of the job with the qualifications of a candidate is the essence
of placement. A good placement programme makes the employee suitable for the job, increase his
satisfaction level & productivity and provide continuous learning to enhance the morale of employee.

Induction is a technique by which a new employee is rehabilitated into his surroundings and
introduced to the practices, policies and purposes of the organisation. Inductions may be viewed as the
socialising process by which organisation seeks to make an individual its agent for the achievement of
its objectives and the individual seeks to make an agency of the organisation the achievement of his
personal goals. Under induction the new employee is handed over a rulebook, policy manuals,
progress reports, company booklets and documents containing company information which are
informational in nature. It is the responsibility of the HR department to execute the induction
programme. Planned induction helps the new employee, creates a good attitude, reduces labour
turnover and the employee feels at home right from the very beginning.