Improving the orientation process of the Retail Systems Department of Northwind Corporation

• Main Author: Vergara, Fernando M., II.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2018
• Subjects: Employee orientation; Employees > Training of
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/5621
• Institution: De La Salle University

In this action research, I, in collaboration with the team, focused on addressing the lack of well-defined contents in the orientation process of the RS department. Employee orientation is the process of helping new hires adjust to both the performance and social aspects of their jobs in a quick and smooth manner (Bauer, 2010). Manifestations of our identified issue include the employees lack of familiarity with existing administrative processes of the organization, as well as how orientation is treated with low importance. This action research was developed with the objectives of (1) standardizing the contents of the new hire orientation process so that it fits the technical and administrative knowledge requirements of new hires in the RS department and (2) improving the effectiveness of knowledge transfer to new hires. Our goal is to improve employee efficiency and productivity by ensuring that new hires are equipped with the necessary skills that they need to do their jobs. As an insider action researcher, I used data triangulation as a means to generate and obtain data from interviews, informal and formal discussions, one-on-one conversations, and assessments. I made use of several frameworks which were applicable in addressing our issue. I used Kalamas and Kalamas Gap Analysis and Chens Adapted Orientation Model as guides in the action research effort. We also applied Hiatts ADKAR model to manage change in the organization. The interventions we implemented to address the main issue were (1) the development of an Orientation Curriculum and (2) the refinement of the Orientation Curriculum. These activities were successful in achieving the objectives and goals of this project. I realized that an effective orientation process increases the competency and performance of new hires by equipping them with the required basic skills and knowledge areas. Furthermore, by fostering the importance of knowledge sharing, the department has shifted from maintaining knowledge silos, into letting information flow freely across its members. The experience taught me the value of teamwork and collaboration. With this project, I appreciated the importance of having synergy between the team members, as well as having open lines of communication. This project would not have achieved its goals if not for the support, collaboration, and contributions of each member of our team. The most rewarding part of this project was being able to see that our change effort has been the catalyst for a relevant change in our department. Now, the department values the principles of continuous improvement and actively looks for opportunities where a positive change can be implemented. For the next cycle, I recommend to still actively look for ways to refine the curriculum to be able to increase the positive effect in the new hires competency levels, since there are still a lot more things to uncover given that two cycles have only been run. Furthermore, a focus on the training of having effective orientation facilitators could also be implemented to improve the efficiency of the method of delivery of information in the orientation program.