Start-ups let new hires find out if they fit in with the company’s culture

These companies understand that in a competitive marketplace where talent is in short supply,a well-designed onboarding strategy is a differentiator in attracting and retaining employees

October 21, 2015 12:00 am | Updated 05:31 am IST

Young entrepreneurs work at an office area inside the University Students Venture Park, in Shanghai, China, July 29, 2015. The University Students Venture Park in northern Shanghai was designed as an incubator for college students considering a startup. The lobby is decked out in a sunny palette and garnished with inspiring slogans about creativity; outside a large sign reads "Dream Community". Picture taken July 29, 2015.  To match INSIGHT CHINA-ENTREPRENEURS/   REUTERS/Aly Song

Young entrepreneurs work at an office area inside the University Students Venture Park, in Shanghai, China, July 29, 2015. The University Students Venture Park in northern Shanghai was designed as an incubator for college students considering a startup. The lobby is decked out in a sunny palette and garnished with inspiring slogans about creativity; outside a large sign reads "Dream Community". Picture taken July 29, 2015. To match INSIGHT CHINA-ENTREPRENEURS/ REUTERS/Aly Song

In an overtly competitive marketplace where talent is in short supply, some start-ups have introduced a “free look” period wherein all new hires have the right to leave or stay based on a deeper understanding of the company’s working culture.

In a start-up ecosystem, engaging with the employee for the first 30 days is extremely crucial, as some employees sometimes choose to work in a start-up because of the fat paycheque, but delivering according to the requirement often seems difficult, as compared to an established corporate.

Education technology company Simplilearn has a ‘Free Look policy’, which applies to hires at all levels, including senior management and across divisions.

Under this, new hires are required to focus primarily on their training and familiarising with Simplilearn’s process and culture.

“Similar to the free look policy in the insurance sector, we give liberty to new hires to judge our culture, understand the job profile and let them assess if they would be a cultural fit considering personal and professional parameters,” Simplilearn COO Gerald Jaideep said.

According to experts, in an overtly competitive marketplace where talent is in short supply, a well-designed onboarding strategy is a differentiator in attracting and retaining employees.

“The onboarding programme has been found to be valuable for all employees and has made us confident that doing this well would give them a great launchpad and keep them engaged. One of the direct impacts of this is reduction in our first 90 days attrition,” Rohit Hasteer, chief human resource officer, PropTiger.com and Makaan.com said.

According to property portal Housing.com CAO Ajay Nair, this trend is here to stay. “When you compare this cost of engagement against the traditional onboarding, there might be a slightly higher monetary impact on the forefront, but it has a longer retention value which compensates for the other unwarranted/ unexpected costs that companies incur during the stage of employment,” Nair added.

Online marketplace IndiaMART director Dinesh Gulati said earlier start-ups lacked a structured engagement process for new hires but, with time they have realised that they need to adopt strategies for dissolving their staff with the company goals and objectives.

“Predominantly startups such as e-tailers and e-shopping companies are introducing upgraded tech-savvy innovative ideas fastening the engagement pace of new hires. This trend has arisen due to bulk hiring practices in such firms,” Genius Consultants CMD R.P. Yadav said.

These industry players typically recruit new heads during extravagant festive times and celebration season like Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, Diwali and New Year. “In a start-up, individuals have to don different hats, work more than the normal shifts and be ready to be promoted or fired any moment. To hire and manage such dynamic workforce, HR needs to be one step ahead in dynamism,” Manu Jolly, CEO & founder, Digiperform, a digital marketing training company said.

PTI

In a start-up ecosystem, engaging with the employee for the first 30 days is extremely crucial, as some employees choose to work in a start-up because of the fat paycheque, despite being out of sync with its culture

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