Business Case for
-------------------------------------------------
New Induction Program

<By Rudolf Dayao>

<S3239566>
-------------------------------------------------

Table Of Contents

1. Executive Summary…...…………………………………………………3

2. Activity Objectives………………..………………..…………………….4

3. Recommended Solution……….…………………………………………5

4. Impact if the Activity is not Approved………………………………….6

5. Solution Deployment & Time Scale………..…………………………...7

6. Cost & Resources………….……………………………………………..8

7. Conclusion………………………………………………………………..9

1. Executive Summary

This business case has been prepared to analyse the need of an Induction Program at Advantedge Financial Services and to recommend ways of conducting the program. Advantedge Financial Services has been operating for over 10 years, and while it has been a relatively small company in the past, its growth in conjunction with National Australia Bank acquiring the entity this has expanded the company and its business to unprecedented levels. Currently, Advantedge Financial Services does not have any Induction Programs in place, as it has been unnecessary in the past due to its low profile persona. However due to its expansion the company has employed a high number of staff to accommodate the increased volume of work that the business has acquired. This past year alone Advantedge Financial Services has hired over 50 staff including 10 Co-Op students around the company.

First hand accounts has revealed that the absence of an Induction Program has made it more challenging for new staff to adjust to the environment, particularly Co-Op students who most times are settling into their first full time office job. Work productivity has also been relatively low compared to staff that has received work induction program from other companies.

It is recommended that the Induction Program will involve: * A program that will have their supervisor host the 1-2 day program to build rapport early * General training – relating to the organization, including values & philosophy as well as structure and history etc. * Mandatory training – relating to health and safety and other legal areas * Job Training – training relating to the role that the starter will be performing * Training Evaluation – entailing confirmation of understanding & feedback about the quality & response to the training. *

2. Activity Objectives

* Assist new staff as well as new Co-Op students familiarize with their new environment

* Provide an overview of general legal & safety requirements for the workplace

* Inform new staff as well as new Co-Op students the employer’s legal rights & obligations.

* Understand the company’s mission, goals, values & philosophy

* Instruct new starters with employer’s expectations, schedules, core tasks & targets throughout the day

* Provide opportunity to socialise with fellow colleagues and other new staff *

3. Recommended Solution

The induction program will be divided over two days comprising three types of trainings; General, Mandatory & Job Training. The training types will all have checklist that must be presented or discussed over the course of the induction, which will be listed below. The order of which each item can be decided locally, however there must be some attempt to reflect a logical sequence and priority for the induction-training subjects

General/Mandatory Training: * Essential ‘visitor level’ safety and emergency procedures * Facilities and amenities * Food and drink * Smoking areas & policy * Health Insurance * Pay * Trade unions * Access to personal data * Organization history and background * Ethics & philosophy * Mission statement * Departmental structure & interfaces * Who’s who (names, roles & responsibilities) * Dress codes * Absenteeism & lateness * Rights and legal issues * Discipline procedures
As a recommendation the General Training can be made into a lengthy video and can be used throughout the company as it can apply to all staff and is not limited to the department the staff will be working in.

Job Training: * Department tour, how it functions and team goals * Team & management * People and personalities overview (can be very helpful, but be wary in avoiding sensitive or judgemental issues) * Work flow – daily core tasks * Politics, protocols & unwritten rules * Customer service standards * Terminology, jargon, glossary & definitions of local terms * Expectations, standards & targets * Performance evaluation * Mentoring
As a recommendation the job training can include the shadowing of another staff to allow the inductee to observe their core tasks throughout the day and the standard at which the workload is set. * 4. Impact if the Activity is not Approved

Induction training is increasingly becoming a legal requirement. First hand accounts has revealed that new staff have recently had difficulty in adjusting to the culture at Advantedge Financial Services. New staff subjects deprived of an induction has also shown more dependency on the collective time of team because of the uncertainties they come across throughout the day. Employees that have not been inducted have generally taken a lengthier time to adjust to their environment and as a result their productivity in a workplace has been unusually low even for a new starter. New staff may also become reluctant coming to work and may eventually lead to absenteeism. While the repercussions may be short-lived it does not give the new employee the best possible start to their employment and may hinder their performance down the line, which is especially dire for employees who are on a probationary period and expecting to meet targets on a daily basis.

5. Solution Deployment & Time Scale

A program can be planned out in over a week depending on the approach that is taken. Supervisors from each department can collectively decide on the comprehensiveness the induction program can take form. Typically an induction program may take 1-2 business days. It is recommended that the first day be filled with video and speakers that will entail General and Mandatory training as listed earlier. It is an important facet of the program to allow the new staff to familiarize important figures around the company and get acquainted with their surroundings.

Ideally the second day would consist of more practical training centred around the inductee’s core tasks throughout the day. The supervisor would preferably lead the training, introducing the new started around the team and important mentors they can approach when they are in need of assistance. The core tasks, targets and team goals would be then identified through this process. As with any training it is vital to seek feedback to constantly improve the program which can be easily done through a survey at the end of each training. Overall the program can be deployed relatively quickly and can be used on any new starter around the company.

6. Cost & Resources

Advantedge Financial Services has had a high staff turnover in recent times due to its expansion to National Australia Bank. This past year alone the company has acquired 50 new staff including Co-Op students. As recommended earlier it is ideal for the respective Supervisor of each new starter to conduct the Induction program. The average rate per hour of a supervisor at Advantedge Financial Services is about $35. If the proposal of two days is taken into consideration and if Advantedge’s staff turnover becomes consistent, the cost would average to approximately $28,000 per year. This is a relatively low cost to ensure the new staff is receiving an appropriate start to their employment and thus reach their productivity and targets a lot earlier in their career.

7. Conclusion

A new Induction Program is a very feasible idea with a relatively low cost. The only reason that the company did not have an Induction program in place is that it was unnecessary due to its comparatively low staff turnover in the past but with its recent growth, it has only become logical to have a program in place. Minimal resources are required and with the ability of a program being launched within a week, it is an imperative program that any big corporation must have.