A key part of establishing a successful employment relationship is the extent to which employees feel engaged with the purpose, values and direction of the organisation; that is, whether they understand and feel they can contribute to the “bigger picture”.
There may be events organised centrally that cover the strategic purpose, values and direction of the organisation. Your role is to build on these events and bring them to life for your new starer, so that they understand how they can contribute to the organisation’s purpose, values and direction.
This might involve setting up sessions with relevant departments and drawing on central resources such as events, intranet documentation and online learning, but you will also need to put thought into how you can help the employee find a connection between their role and what the organisation is doing as a whole.
Use this checklist to help with this process:
- Does the new starter know how the organisation is structured and how their role fits into the structure? Use an organisation chart, but bring this to life through introductions and meetings. Ensure you new starter attends each of the Meet the Teams sessions.
- Does the new starter know the purpose of the organisation at a high level and how each of the businesses with the group function together? How does this impact your team and the individual’s role? Can you bring it to life via customer/client or internal stories?
- How will you make sure the employee understands the company values and behaviours? Refer to the company website to support this, but it is also important to talk about what the values and behaviours mean in your team; how do they manifest? Talk about your own values and those you like to see in your team. If you have ways of working that are integral to your culture, for example collaboration and inclusivity, include these in the discussion.
