Joining the

organisation
Getting people to join the
organisation involves
 Attracting potential recruits
 Deciding or predicting which
applicants are most likely to
succeed
 Working with new employees to
forge a contract
(Dakin.1990)
The psychological contract
 Embodies all our assumptions and
expectations about employment
 Is formed largely through the
process of induction and
socialisation
Induction and socialisation
 Induction
 Programme for introducing new employees
to organisation, workplace and work group
 May be called orientation, familiarisation
 Aims to make new employees productive
and accepted as quickly as possible
 Socialisation
 Process by which organisation or group
seeks to influence individual to adopt its
values, norms and behaviour patterns
Induction and socialisation

Induction Socialisation

Relatively short Can be continuous

Few employees at a time All employees

Information and support All work-related aspects

in post-entry period of individual’s life
Takes effect after initial
Relieves initial stress
stress worn off

Programme or event Process

Induction aims
 Remove ‘unknowns’ for new employees
 Communicate essential information
 Increase motivation
 Develop realistic expectations
 Reduce uncertainty
 Reduce turnover
 Save time and money
 Relieve anxiety
When does induction start
 Induction starts when the new employee
first becomes aware of the new
organisation or its products and services
 First impressions cannot be postponed
 The recruitment process is an important
part of induction
 A formal programme during the first few
days of employment is only part of an
induction process
Induction
programme contents
 Profile  Plant
 Policies and  Processes
procedures  Pay
 People  Power
 Places  Problems
Organising the induction
programme
 Information needs
 Timing the induction programme
 Checklists, booklets and
information
Who is responsible for
induction
 Management
 HR or training officer
 Buddies
 Monitoring the progress
 Special groups
 Feedback
 Promotions and transfers
Socialisation helps the new
employee to overcome
 The ‘liability of newness’
 ‘Reality shock’
 ‘surprise’
Socialisation
 Process by which new members
learn value system, norms and
required behaviour patterns of
society, organisation or group
 Does not include all learning – only
those values, norms and
behaviours which the the society
considers necessary for
membership
Socialisation challenges
 Accept reality of human organisation
 Deal with resistance to change
 Learn how to work
 Deal with boss
 Learn how to get ahead
 Locate own place in organisation
 Develop an identity
- Edgar Schein
Socialisation methods
 Schooling
 Formal instruction
 Apprenticeship
 Learn from exposure to peers
 Co-option
 Progressive admittance to in-groups
 Mortification
 Forced into conformity
Risks and problems
 Lack of creativity and innovation
 Resistance to change
 Zealous conformity with organisational
policies and procedures
 A willingness to engage in corporate
crime
 Mismanagement of human resources
 Losing balance between home and
working lives