HIGH TECH BEGINNINGS ALLEVIATE FALSE STARTS TO NEW JOBS
New employees usually feel completely at sea on the first day in a new job and 87% say they have to force themselves to go back for day two according to Anil Sabharwal of Talent2. Further, 90% of Australian employees say they make their decision to stay or leave a company within the first six months. As such, it is crucial for employers to give a positive first impression of their organisations.
Fortunately, new technology and innovative thinking is helping new recruits get a handle on the job in a nano second with the latest trend taking the frustration and nerves out of first day jitters.
Employers are giving first dayers iPods with downloads of all sorts of necessary information like who is who in the office, where to go for lunch in the vicinity, pubs for that after work drink, shortcuts to the exit in case of a fire, safety procedures and everyday housekeeping matters.
"Its really handy to watch a video from the CEO explaining the vision of the company you have just joined not only to gain an understanding of the company but also so you dont mistake the big boss for the busboy", says Mr Sabharwal.
"Excited new recruits are also finding that they need to learn less about their job because all the information they need to know in a real time situation is right there on their iPod. So instead of having to spend days being trained in front of a boring trainer, just enough information is delivered, just in time."
"Some employees find that blocking out annoying noises and irritating colleagues and playing music that motivates also means that iPods on the job will make them far more productive."
"With corporates having to find new and innovative ways of getting to Gen X and Ys, we will see more and more organisations adopting new technology to make life on the job easier."
"That said, we are noticing that the younger workers have worse memories than older workers, being more used to using technology for calendar reminders, mobile phones to remember numbers and computers to do the adding up. Organisations need to be careful not to be too reliant on technology such as iPods for just-in-time learning - its still critical for employees to know and remember how to do their job!"