At least in some part of the Middle East and in most cases in Asia, the Employee Handbook is one that is seen, felt on the first days of induction, followed by it finding a nice place on the side of the study table of the associate in their accommodation (or in their suitcase - which makes it completely out of sight - if they don't have a study table!).In true reflection, did that serve the purpose, really?! Not, really!!
The question is, at a time when even senior managers put aside Paolo Coelho's "Alchemist" or Dr Covey's "Seven Habits" with a flick of pages in just a few minutes, regardless of the wealth of inspiration /information it carries in it, what do we build-in to the handbook that will make them hang on to, read, understand and implement proactively!!!
From those that I have personally seen, there is nothing much other than Do's and Dont's and when the cafeteria opens, and why you should not wear two finger-rings, and a series of how you will be punished!!!
More or less, it was a whitewashing to protect the employer by saying "See, we told you on your first day, didn't we! You signed on the last sheet, don't you remember?!
As an experiment, and to move away from the 'conventional' handbook, we have tried to incorporate the information of handbook along with the workbook materials meant to be part of the various training programs that forms the 'onboarding' experience.
Which means, the associate will not only have the handbook with her, but will also be 'engaged' with it for the first five weeks of her onboarding, and bring that with her as a 'reference source' to all the induction programs that she will be attending.
Will you call it a handbook? Perhaps not. Does it meet my objective. It surely does, or so I hope!!!
Interested to know more, or do you have a better idea, I would love to hear!
The question is, at a time when even senior managers put aside Paolo Coelho's "Alchemist" or Dr Covey's "Seven Habits" with a flick of pages in just a few minutes, regardless of the wealth of inspiration /information it carries in it, what do we build-in to the handbook that will make them hang on to, read, understand and implement proactively!!!
From those that I have personally seen, there is nothing much other than Do's and Dont's and when the cafeteria opens, and why you should not wear two finger-rings, and a series of how you will be punished!!!
More or less, it was a whitewashing to protect the employer by saying "See, we told you on your first day, didn't we! You signed on the last sheet, don't you remember?!
As an experiment, and to move away from the 'conventional' handbook, we have tried to incorporate the information of handbook along with the workbook materials meant to be part of the various training programs that forms the 'onboarding' experience.
Which means, the associate will not only have the handbook with her, but will also be 'engaged' with it for the first five weeks of her onboarding, and bring that with her as a 'reference source' to all the induction programs that she will be attending.
Will you call it a handbook? Perhaps not. Does it meet my objective. It surely does, or so I hope!!!
Interested to know more, or do you have a better idea, I would love to hear!
Shahir
21 June 2011
