| dc.description.abstract | There are many challenges in the labor market today due to globalization and new
technology, which gives an increased need for competent, well-educated and motivated
employees. One big part of working with Human Resources is to fill this need. The
recruitment process is something that is costly for organizations, which can be an unmotivated
cost if the newly recruited leaves the company in a short matter of time. One thing that
organizations can do to increase the chances of new employees staying within the company is
to have a well worked out introduction process. Introduction processes include both formal
and informal methods which aim to help the newcomer be a part of the organization as fast
and effective as possible, as well as socialization to colleagues and the organization itself. The
subject of introduction processes is often presented as if there is a best practice, which was a
contributing factor for the purpose of this study. Another contributing factor was the lack of
literature that problematized the subject.
The purpose of this study was to explore the introduction process through the opinions of
employees that have responsibilities as a mentor within the introduction process. It aims to
examine how the respondents perceived their own introduction, what their perception is about
the introduction process they conduct as mentors and lastly if there are any clear differences
in between the line of business that the respondents work within. The empirical data for this
study was gathered through seven semi structured interviews with employees with mentor
responsibilities. The respondents work in different areas of the labor market and their
common factor is their responsibility during the introduction process of new employees. The data was analyzed using a thematic analysis, and the results were compared with earlier
research within the subject.
Analysis of the empirical data resulted in six common themes; first period of time,
introduction time, socialization, lack of resources, evaluation and mentors. The results also
showed that there were no clear, distinct differences based on the line of work of the
respondents. Differences in challenges during the introduction process came up, as
respondents mentioned a lack of time during the introduction, but the evidence is not strong
enough to say that it is due to the industry in which they work. The conclusions made in this
study may contribute to the field of Human Resources by highlighting the perception on the
introduction process by mentors, and thereby on which areas may need focus for further
development towards a more effective and positive process for everyone involved. | sv |
