new-hire grooming is a strategic imperative for any company. It is an essential component required to maximise new hire potential, foster a positive work environment, and integrate effectively into the companyâs workplace and culture.
Epsilon is a âpeople-firstâ organisation, and this reflects right from the time an employee accepts our offer. We prioritise a thorough onboarding experience for both freshers and seasoned professionals. This is particularly important in our fast-paced industry, where understanding the companyâs expansive operations is crucial.
Once the offer is accepted, we allow hires to soak into the organisation by sending them âNurture Newslettersâ, which give them a sneak peek of the company, events, leaders, etc. This way, pre-onboarding has already begun.
Post which the structured onboarding program equips new hires to integrate into the company culture, understand the company values and how they are integrated into everything we do, and help build connections within the organization together with a supportive network that enables onboarding and continuous learning and development. This ensures new hires are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully from very early on.
How do you approach designing and implementing new hire grooming programs within your organisation? How do you ensure that it aligns with the overall strategic objectives of the organization?
Joining a new organization can be daunting, especially when navigating through the companyâs diverse geographies and cultures. At Epsilon, we recognise this challenge and prioritise ensuring that every new hire grasps the essence of our company, objectives, and work ethos. To facilitate this understanding, we have implemented a comprehensive onboarding program that includes assigning each new employee a buddyâa seasoned Epsilon employeeâas a mentor to guide, support, and answer questions about company culture and work environment and align them to their specific role. This personalised approach offers a supportive culture where all questions are welcomed and answered.
Additionally, our six-month onboarding initiative for new graduates is robust and enables them to succeed in their first ever professional/ corporate journey. We offer diverse training modules, including campus-to-corporate simulations, tech proficiency development, and functional skill enhancement, which ensures that new hires gain the necessary skills and knowledge to integrate seamlessly into their roles and teams.
Furthermore, our program operates on a continuous feedback loop, where we actively seek input from new employees on what aspects of their onboarding experience have been most beneficial in facilitating their integration into our business units. This iterative process allows us to refine and enhance our onboarding strategies continuously.
Given our companyâs growth trajectory, which is characterised by the integration of multiple entities, understanding Epsilonâs strategy can be complex. To avoid overwhelming them, we gradually introduce them to Epsilonâs way of working, thus ensuring a deeper integration of our companyâs mission and goals over time.
How do you balance standardised training with personalised development opportunities for new hires?
Learning and development is a big focus for us, and our attempt is to tailor training based on our associatesâ requirements and fill their learning gaps. We have adopted the mantra âown your development,â cultivating a culture of continuous learning. Employees are empowered to choose the programs and resources that best suit their needs and learning pace, maximizing the effectiveness of their upskilling journey. This approach diverges from traditional, âone-size-fits-allâ training programs, ensuring a more personalised and engaging learning experience for every individual.
Our L&D programs address all facets of our associatesâ personal and professional development and are created with them in mind. In addition, we emphasise behavioural training, which includes resolving conflict, effective communication, developing a leadership attitude, and other crucial topics like diversity and inclusion. Individuals also have the opportunity to choose from a vast body of training programs, both work-related and non-work related.
Community Manager.