Socialization of Employees Part 2

Employee Performance and Organizational Stability
Employee's performance depends to a considerable degree on knowing what he should or should not do. Understanding the right way to do a job indicates proper socialization. Furthermore, the appraisal of his performance includes how well they fit into the organization. The qualities like how well one can get along with coworker, have acceptable work habits and how well one can demonstrate right attitude, differ among jobs and organizations. As a result, proper socialization becomes a significant factor in influencing both the actual job performance and how it is perceived by others.

Over a period of time, when jobs are filled and vacated with a minimum of disruption, the organization will be more stable. Its objectives will be more smoothly transferred between generations. Loyalty and commitment to the organization should be easier to maintain because the organization's philosophy and objectives will appear consistent over time. Given that most managers value high employee performance and organizational stability, the proper socialization of employees should be important.

Socialization to Reduce Anxiety and Adjust To New Situation
The entry of an outsider into an organization is an anxiety-producing situation. Stress is high because the new member feels a lack of identification; if not with the work itself, certainly with a new superior, new co-worker, a new work location, and a new set of rules and regulations. A feeling of isolation and loneliness are not unusual. This anxiety state has at least two implications. First, new employees need special attention to put them at ease. This usually means providing an adequate amount of information to reduce uncertainty and ambiguity. Second, the existence of tension can be positive in that it often acts to motivate individuals to learn the values and norms of their newly assumed role as quickly as possible. Therefore, the new member is anxious about the new role but is motivated to learn the ropes and rapidly become an accepted member of the organization.

The anxiety is high at entry and the new member usually wants to reduce that anxiety quickly. The information obtained during the recruitment and selection stages is always incomplete and usually distorted. New employees, therefore, must alter their understanding of their role to fit more complete information they get once they are on the job. The point is that there is no instant adjustment - every new member goes through a settling-in period that tends to follow a relatively standard pattern.

The learning associated with socialization goes beyond the formal job description and the expectations that may be made by people in human resources or by the new member's manager. Socialization is influenced by subtle and less subtle statements and behaviors offered up by colleagues, management, employees, clients, and other people with whom new members come in contact.

Conclusion
It is clear that socialization process is important in every organization. But, many organizations do not have any formal socialization program. The organization has to organize a program regarding the awareness and importance of orientation and socialization program to old employees so that they can be a part of every such programs. Often the old employees are reluctant to change and might not prefer the enrollment of new employee in their group, so they should be trained regarding the process and importance of socialization as most of them are not aware about it.

In most of the cases, organizations use a one way communication system for socialization process. They believe in dictating the terms and conditions to the new employee. The perception and ideas of the employees are not considered at all which stifles the creative instincts of the new employee. This should be improved by implanting two way communication process during the orientation as well as socialization process. The new employee should be encouraged to ask various questions on orientation program and further while working.

It is not necessary that every organization has to follow same process all the time. If we can come up with new ways that can be customized according the organizational needs then it could save a lot of cost as well as manpower. The organizations can use new technology like audio-visual aids, multimedia presentations and different software can be utilized so as to lessen the manpower required.

Socialization of Employees Part 1

The first day in school, college, university and finally the work place is most memorable one. People remember their first day in any of these events. It is because of the new experience and new expectation. At the same time, we tend to feel anxious, and anxiety rules us over the new expectations and ongoing experience. There is, of course, a lot of uncertainty over the various events and moments to come on the way ahead. We tend to develop stress over a small matter also. We are not sure whom to talk with, what to talk about, what to do and many things revolve in our minds. Moreover, since we do not know people there, we tend to feel isolated and uncared for. All these are very discouraging but we have come across these things many a times which is inevitable most of the time. But all these anxiety and uncertainty can be reduced to minimum, if proper steps are carried out. It can be minimized or even reduced to certain extent.

The human resource department in every organization plays a major role in new employee orientation, that is, the role of coordination, which ensures that the appropriate components are in place. As job offers are made and accepted, the HR department should instruct the new employee regarding each and every event they would come across along with their job description. This process is known as orientation and the ongoing interaction with the employee during the work life in an organization is termed socialization.

Socialization is the process of mutual adaptation of new employees and new employer to one another. In course of familiarization to each other, employees learn the organizational culture, values, attitudes, and behaviors appropriate to their roles in the organization. It is a process of adaptation that takes place as individuals attempt to learn the values and norms of work roles.

Some of the purposes of socialization in any organization are to ensure predictability of employee behavior, to substitute for rules guiding employee behavior, to increase employee performance and satisfaction, and to reduce anxiety.

Orientation - A first step of socialization
Many a time's people are confused with orientation and socialization. Orientation is the introduction of a new employee to the organization, the requirement of job, the social situation in which he will be working and the organization's culture. The organization's culture includes its values, shared beliefs, history, tradition and norms of behavior expressed as do's and don'ts. Orientation is a part and first step of socialization process. A new employee who is socialized understands the key points about an organization and its people and why things are done in particular way.

Orientation should create an initial favorable impression. Key ingredients of the good first impression include sufficient information about when and where to report for work, efficiently handled paperwork and friendly people to guide new employees. Orientation should encourage acceptance by other employees. Introductions, informal interaction, a tour of the facilities with short stops to hear people talk about their jobs and history of employment at the farm, and opportunity for the new employees to ask questions all can help gain acceptance.

Every organization has a culture of its own in which the new employee may find it difficult to adapt in the beginning. The culture of an organization plays an important role in building the concept of socialization. It is necessary to examine organization culture, roles, values and norms to understand the concept of socialization in any organization. The shared values and beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that interact with a company's employee, organizational structure and control system constitutes the organizational culture. It is very important for a new employee to know about the organizations' culture to understand how things are done, what behavioral outcomes are important and how others are behaving in the organization.

In any organization, a new person can easily be socialized if and when their behavior conforms to the organizations' standards. If organizational roles, values and norms are rejected by a new employee, the socialization process will be complicated. Therefore, the organizational culture, values, roles and norms are inter-related and make the socialization process easily accessible to those who understand and act as per these standards.