The Situation: HPCL as an organization is growing and as a result, many new people are entering the workforce. Often these are fresh graduates with no experience or the corporate culture. New joiners in a large corporation (MNC) often face challenges such as adapting to a diverse corporate culture, navigating complex organizational structures, and understanding global communication dynamics. Additionally, they may encounter difficulties in integrating with existing teams, handling increased workloads, and managing time zone differences if the company operates internationally. It’s important for these organisations to provide effective onboarding, clear communication, and mentorship to help new employees overcome these challenges.

The Intention: HPCL, as part of their induction program intended to help their fresh graduates transition from campus life to the corporate world. The need was two-fold: first, these new joiners needed to adapt their mindset and skills from an individual-centric approach (“I”) to a collaborative and interdependent one (“We”).

Second, new joiners often approach their careers with an excessive focus on individual performance, leading to detrimental internal competition and a lack of synergy. The intention was to re-emphasise the need for collaboration and a win-win style of working.

The Intervention: An immersive day-long workshop with game-based learning to introduce the concept of moving from “I” to “We” through engaging activities and real-life case studies with a sharp focus on understanding interdependencies, collaboration, communication and influence over authority, emphasizing their significance in a corporate environment.

We also use a self-awareness tool, Johari window, for participants to figure out their own personalities and where they stand today so they can use that as starting point in this learning journey.

The Impact:

• Participants reported a significant shift in mindset, demonstrating a deeper understanding of collaboration and interdependencies.
• A reduction in internal competition was observed, leading to increased cooperation among new joiners.
• Enhanced communication skills were evident in both interpersonal interactions and team collaborations.
• Participants appreciated the need for greater adaptability and resilience in the face of organizational changes.
• The use of the Johari Window assessment led to several “aha” moments, as participants gained insights into their blind spots and areas for improvement.

Our flagship program, Jumpstart successfully bridged the gap between individualistic campus mindsets and collaborative corporate environments. By focusing on key competencies and utilizing the Johari Window as a self-assessment tool, participants gained the skills, insights, and self-awareness necessary to thrive as valuable team members in their new professional journey. The program’s comprehensive approach ensured that graduates left with actions and rituals they will need to incorporate into their work habits to transition smoothly, set themselves up for success and deliver the impact the organization expects of them.