Organizations around the world are adapting to the new normal and maintaining the continuity of their businesses. Successful integrating new hires into company culture is one of the most important hiring processes. A properly formulated, new-employee orientation strategy focuses on employee satisfaction, and a positive working environment makes the new employee feel welcome and knowledgeable about the organization.
Leena Sahijwani talks about "Incorporating new hires into work cultures". According to Leena, it's challenging for new hires to understand the company's culture and it needs to be taken care of. She encourages managers to implement regular cadence with their team that gives a good sense of direction to the team members. Managers must make sure to create an informal channel to connect with team members, helping them to settle better.
Recently, the TATA Group has launched a digital induction module during lockdown, hosted on TATA Tomorrow University at a group level. The new employees from across the globe can go through the journey, TATA history, legacy, and information around the global business, which has been curated. People coming from outside get a few initiatives taken to understand the company's culture.
Leena hosts a session "Chai Pe Charcha" in the evening, where they don't discuss anything about work; it's an excellent platform to share their stories and their anxieties, helping new employees to engage with their teams.
The TATA Group has also come up with work from home newsletter, which was circulated to employees daily. It features their employees, a few stories, and host talent shows virtually for remote employee engagement.
Leena added, "Engagement through this time should be led by people totally; it's essential to know what appeals to people. Empathetic listening ensures that you understand the context of what the person says. The conversation will give detail about what activities will work for your people."
Leena Sahijwani is a Vice President- Group Human Resources at TATA Group. In this role, she is responsible for group Performance, Rewards, Diversity and Digital Transformation along with leading HR function for Tata Sons. She is a seasoned HR leader with over two decades of experience, having previously worked with Sun Pharmaceuticals, GE, Accenture, Aon Hewitt, and Glaxo SmithKline Consumer Healthcare in various HR leadership roles.
Connect with Leena Sahijwani on Linkedin.
Show Notes:
(0:39) How did you get into HR?
(1:49) How can companies onboard new employees into work culture?
(6:13) How can new remote workers do their online training?
(12:13) How is Tata Group hiring remote workers?
(14:53) How can leaders and HR managers boost the engagement among employees?
(19:12) How are HR leaders measuring performance in the remote world?
(21:42) What can companies do to make sure employees safely return back to work?
(24:58) What is your favorite business book?
(25:35) Do you follow any HR leader/ CEO?
(26:40) What is the one piece of advice would you give to young HR leaders?
Read More: How to Optimize Remote Employee Onboarding
