HR Practice For Payroll Practitioners

HR Practice for Payroll Practitioners

Using Buddies

In the previous section the use of other staff was discussed in relation to their involvement as a presenter or trainer. Another use for other staff in the induction programme is for the purpose of guiding the new employee in the actual workplace as a buddy. The purpose of using a buddy is to allow the new employee to experience the real work environment safely. It can also, to some extent, let the new employee practise some of the skills learnt in the formal induction learning environment. How buddies are used depends on the nature of the work environment, availability of staff, the activities that the new employee has to know and practise, and the duration of the induction programme. Common ways buddies are used in organisational induction programmes are:

➢ New employee orientation to the workplace ➢ Demonstrating workplace business processes ➢ Practise run on the job

New employee orientation to the workplace

This is where the buddy is used to show the new employee the physical location they will be working in. This may involve tours and workplace familiarisation (where they will sit and work). It can cover all the basic necessities that the employee will need to know, from where the toilets and lunchroom are to where they meet if an emergency occurs (muster point).

Demonstrating workplace business processes

This is where classroom training is taken to the workplace and the new staff member is given the chance to do the activity in a real setting with a real outcome. The buddy will support and control the situation so the new employee can practise. Speed is usually the factor that can’t be initially taken into account. It may take time for the new employee to get up to the required speed to do the task. The buddy has to understand this and slowly build speed while always ensuring quality so the process is completed.

Practise run on the job

When the new employee has completed part of their induction they go back to the workplace to do that part of their training for real, with support from the buddy.

© New Zealand Payroll Practitioners Association, Sep 2024, Ver 12

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