Well known in the engineering and automobile industry for his creations of ignition systems, electric starters, and car lighting, Charles F. Kettering – former Head of Research at General Motors famously stated, “A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved” (Barker & Harding, 1992). On the surface, engineering and Organization Development (OD) may appear to have nothing in common; after all engineering’s primary focus is on the design of components to develop and deliver tangible consumer products. Without the ability to walk into a store, onto a car lot, or click “buy now”, the work of OD is surprisingly similar to engineering. OD benefits greatly from identifying and understanding well-stated problems with a primary focus …show more content…
Tennant Company’s existing onboarding processes are far from seamless, it causes minor-to-extreme disruption, poor reputation, as well as rework for the employees and departments involved. Additionally, it causes confusion and frustration and starts the employment relationship off on the wrong foot with the newly hired employee.
Assessment …show more content…
Individual interviews are being recommended to gather first-person explanation, understanding and opinion of the role and responsibility they play in the onboarding process. Interviewing is a preferred method for gathering data from a wide range of perspectives which allows the OD professional to identify trends and gaps (McLean, 2006, p.81). Aside from the individual interviews, recommended for the onboarding is an intentional repetitiveness of also conducting group interviews by departmental function: IT, HR, HRIS and Payroll. Repetitive or second interviews may not also be recommended, but in the situation of the onboarding problem, it is encouraged following the completion of the individual interviews. With the severity of misunderstanding among the individuals and departments, this will allow for education and learning within each functional area of the responsibilities and timing of their deliverables. This is an effort to enlighten everyone of each person’s unique role in the process and to create transparency around how they learn about a new hire, what they need to take action, what action they take, why it’s completed that way, what roadblocks they encounter, who serves as a backup, who they inform when it has been completed,