If you look back in time, the responsibility of converting a new hire into a knowledgeable contributor was the onus of the personnel department. The newbie would be assigned to a junior executive who would take them through an orientation program about the role, the company and its policies.
They would then make them fill up innumerable forms. After the first few days of induction the new hires are left to fend for themselves. Some sink into the system without any trace while some others swim towards success.
This is a story of the past. Today’s businesses realise that employee engagement starts much before the employee comes on board. In fact impressions are built right from their very first interaction with the brand, which could be during the interview or even before. This has resulted in a new addition to the manager’s checklist – onboarding. Companies now make concerted efforts to make a newbie feel welcome and wanted in their new environment, reassuring them that their decision to be there was the right one.
Traditional orientation programs and some minimal paperwork are still very much in the agenda. However care is taken to ensure that the newbie does not feel that all he or she has done during the first week is fill up a hundred forms.
Onboarding – the process of getting a new recruit acclimatised to a company, its people and its culture requires open and continuous communication. For the right messages to be sent, it is important to have a deep understanding of the person’s behavioural priorities, their challenges and their preferred approach to work needs. Behavioural assessments like DiSC Classic 2.0, which are globally accepted and statistically validated can be used to increase the effectiveness of the onboarding process.
How can DiSC Classic 2.0 be used in the onboarding process?
- Understand the individual’s behavioural priorities, preferences, strengths and challenges
- Appreciate the similarities and differences and sensitise them on where each can be applied.
- Decipher a common language to discuss individual styles.
- Open dialogues to dive deeper into the anticipated challenges for the individual because of their behavioural choices.
- Provide personalised tips on how to bridge these challenges and how to overcome frustrations to gel better with the team.
- Use the tool to help the individual to understand their needs and preferred work environment and provide strategies to increase personal effectiveness.
What are the added benefits of using DiSC Classic 2.0 in onboarding?
Bridge performance gaps sooner
Organisations would need to give almost a year for a new recruit to adapt to the work culture in the normal case. This is because they are completely dependent on their interactions at the workplace for getting a hold of how things work and this could be painfully slow for some. However by using a tool like DiSC Classic 2.0, past behaviour is used to predict future behaviour. The personalised strategies derived from the behavioural analysis are highly practical and can be easily implemented which in turn can bridge performance gaps sooner.
Quicker acceptance from the team
DiSC Classic group culture report can be used in tandem with the assessment helping the newbie understand the culture of the group they are going to be a part of. Challenges that they may face because of their behavioural priorities can be understood and strategies provided for better adaptability. This ensures that they become a part of the group sooner and they start feeling comfortable in the organisation in no time.
Open and transparent feedback to the individual
By sharing the results of the assessment with the candidate a culture of open dialogue is created and an environment of trust built. The newbie will have a clear understanding on what the role requires and also the extent of adaptability it demands. This helps them adjust better and sooner.
Being a part of the DiSC Trainer Certification will help you gain a deeper understanding of DiSC Classic 2.0 – Register now.
