How Can I Make Our Induction Program More Engaging and Cost-Effective? Seeking Ideas and Trainer Contacts

Dear Friends,

I am into Training and Development. Ours is a small organization with around 250 employees split up throughout India (Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Delhi). Till date, we conduct an induction program where we simply run a presentation about the company and complete other personnel formalities. Management has now decided that the induction should be at least a two-day program, where all the new joiners from different parts of the country should be called to the corporate office for induction.

I have planned out the program with basic inputs about the company and other standard information that will involve all department heads/representatives. In addition, I have allotted slots for Guest lectures (sales/technical/customer relationship), personality development, and team-building games. We would have at least 10-20 new joiners every month.

Please help me out with suggestions to make this program more interesting, interactive, and cost-effective. I would appreciate it if you could help me out with some freelance trainers' contact details from Chennai who can handle such sessions.

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Thanks & Regards,
Sharmila Shan

Hi Sharmila,

Nice plan, yaar. I would suggest incorporating physical games for team building and teamwork to create liveliness. Through these games, you can interpret team work concepts effectively. For a freelance trainer, you can contact Dr. Parivallal at 9448371237 and Mr. Sivaprasad at 9944992411, who are powerful trainers from The Training People in Bangalore.

The induction programme is important as it marks the first meeting between the new joiner and the organization, and I fully agree with your management views.

Now, take a moment to consider the points I suggest, and you will find your solution.

1st Day
Get everyone together. Allow them to interact with each other, and then ask each person to introduce the person next to them on the left. This activity can be very engaging and help the group feel more comfortable. Then, have each individual confirm what has been said about them. This exercise may take up the first half of the day if you have 10-15 participants.

In the second half, introduce the current company profile and the goals set for the future. At the end of the day, divide them into groups and assign each group different aspects of the organization to discuss. Ask them to come up with their views on the organization as a whole for the following day.

Day 2
Session 1: Begin the day with guest lectures. Each lecture should not exceed 10 minutes. Encourage the new employees to ask questions. Since they have read about the organization the night before, you will likely find the session very engaging.

Session 2: Proceed with a group discussion based on the information provided the previous day. Pose relevant general questions about challenges faced by the company and carefully listen to the solutions suggested to pass them on to management.

Session 3: Invite some senior leaders to speak. Request them to clearly explain the organization's expectations from the new joiners.

Session 4: Ask each new joiner to draft an action plan for the next 6 months. Encourage them positively. Enjoy a nice tea break and then guide the new hires to their respective workstations.