An
Organization's recruitment activity does not end with bringing people on board,
as is sadly conceived by many. By carefully sifting through a multitude of
resumes and after detailed interactions and filtering, you have only identified
the candidates whom you consider could fill the needs of the organization. It
is just like carefully selecting a seed and a seed does not grow automatically.
You need to choose the right location to sow the seeds in such a way that it is
neither too exposed to the sunlight nor completely deprived of the same. Then ,
periodically water it, apply manures, protect it from pests and after such
close monitoring and nurturing, some of the seeds start bearing fruits and some
keep on persisting with fruits, every year season after season.
Selected
personnel of an organization also has to go through all these phases to become
a productive arm of the Org. In modern days, which are more driven by business
critical requests, many organizations choose to focus on selection but fail to
persist with the same focus of nurturing and developing them, which is also one
of the main causes for the attrition.
The
training that is being given to the selected staff is as important as the
recruitment. In case of freshers, the current college education clearly falling
short of relevant working knowledge is by no means preparing the students to
take on the expectations of a customer, while the laterals come with different
cultures already imbibed into them through their associations with various
organizations. It is for you to educate them on what the policy of your concern
is, what other popular misnomer are not valid in your own organization etc.,
It is
akin to hand holding a girl walking into a household as a daughter in law,
where you clarify and explain the culture and expectations of your own house!
This
part of Induction training is normally given a Go-by or is given in such
urgency that the candidate is all at sea, when the training concludes. In an
organization I joined some years back, I was straight posted to the Personnel
Administration Dept and attended the induction training after 18 months, by
which time I seemed to know more about the Org than the rookie trainer, who had
joined recently. Private sectors are more methodical in that they insist on an
induction but at times compromise on the duration based on client commitments.
But ,
the induction I am discussing is not on the basics of technical or domain but
about the organization and its culture! I had a very good experience in one of
the Companies, where they had a separate one day programme called KYO - Know
Your Organization. This day long meet, consisting of many one hour sessions
will be addressed by all key operative stakeholders, whom you are likely to
interact with during the discharge of your official duties. This includes the
Chairman and representatives of key Depts such as HR, Finance, Admin,
Technology, Support, Security and each will be explaining the salient
activities of their area through a simple presentation and also share the key
contact points. This gives the new entrant a warm hand shake idea of the
persons and he/she will not hesitate to contact the presentation for SPOC,
in case of need.
Most important of these sessions is the PR exercise that one shall be explained
about. Over the past few months, I had occasion to visit some Banks, privately
run nursing homes and private organizations. Almost at all these places , I was
pained to see staff shouting issues, discussing internal matters in front of
the waiting customers and at times blaming the organization's shortcomings
thereby taking undue advantage too. Some of the common excuses given which
could have been avoided are:
·
I am no more attached to that
seat
·
Printer is not working. Come some other day
·
Some staff on leave. Come next week.
·
Manager has to sign this and he is not available- come
some other day
·
Your papers are locked in his table draw and that
officer is on leave. Come later
In
addition, some of their genuine concerns, though they are not of any concern to
the customers are also shared. "Eg., It's already 10th and the salary is
yet to be credited what more can I do".
If you carefully analyze, most of the excuses tendered are company oriented,
for which the customers need not be penalized or exposed to. Like in Airlines,
staff must be properly trained and advised not to get personal or emotional
over issues and in case of insurmountable situations to refer to the superiors
than inflicting further damage to the organization.
Courtesy and service are not only expected at root level, but at all levels. A
simple communication from the customer, if not properly acknowledged and
updated with the progress of its follow-up, could be construed as an
indifference and slight by the company!
It is the management which has to take the cross for these woes and neither the
staff, who are ill trained and ill supported, nor the customers who have
reposed confidence in you to transact business through you are responsible for
such a poor display!
When a friend of mine was asked to handle the dispatch section, he protested
saying it was too low a position for his service . The Manager took pains to
explain that it is one section through which one could observe and track all
exchange and interactions of the Bank with the outside world. Similarly, a
Cashier was convinced that despite many departments in a Bank, his is the last
point at which a customer is disposed off and he is the Real Face of the bank.
If the cashier is good , the customer is happy but if he is otherwise, the
customer is not only dissatisfied but also spreads the news, which is more
detrimental to the business and reputation of the organization.
So,
it is the person who faces the customer is the Face of the Company and he / she
needs to be trained for better customer satisfaction.
