For some people the mere task of coming out with ideas and getting the chance to implement them is a Eureka moment. The ideas are largely either pulled in from previous Organizations’ successful ventures addressing the same issue or something really out of the box that promises ease and convenience to anyone who happens to use it. Some of them plan it out really well, and follow all the protocols one ought to and design a step by step stage to go about the process. Whilst others may not follow the usual routes and create their own methods of doing things. However there is one step/protocol both kind of task doers should indulge in – Pilot Testing.
Pilot testing is a terminology primarily used by training specialists in Organizations where an entire cycle is followed before the Training & Development team decides to implement a newly designed programme upon employees. Besides developing theoretical documentation of the system, real time users / testers are allowed to use and abuse the programme stretching it to all limits of durability. If one tries searching over the Internet, in fact one may find a lot of articles and blogs addressing the available types of pilot testing and the ways of administering it all the while keeping in mind its pros and cons.
Before any of the models can be brought out into the market for the end users/customers use, a small section of testers should always see, work upon and critically analyse the intention of the model, its intended utility, the correctness in the functionality and most importantly – how is it helping the end users. However many innovators or idea generators take a leap over this step and decide to face the end users on their own. For the IT industry this terminology is equivalent to beta testing that we keep seeing on newly launched software’s and websites every other day.
The same holds good for the HR industry as well. We are in a constant race of coming up with new ideas on employee engagement as we keep observing no idea lasts for a cycle of more than 4 – 6 months. An employee outgrows himself/herself on every one of the employee welfare schemes, recreational events and activities and employee engagement. Especially when the three form the foundation for employee retention to stay! Suddenly the HR guys need to reinvent themselves as the brightest of the artists coming out with whims and fancies that seem to go well with the Management and of course doesn’t land the Organization in soup or bring them at loggerheads with their policies and employee reaction.
With the growing advent of the Internet resource available at a mouse click, today anybody from anywhere can keep a tab with what is happening at some Organization miles away and at times Continents away too. However what may work best with Organization X may go sour or in worst case, bitter too with Organization Y. Special care should be taken when people shift sectors as in different kind of industries and try to add a feather to heir cap – coming out with innovations! There’s no guarantee that if you were a star performer and the CEO of the Organization shook hands with you in great appreciation, you may end up receiving the same reception in the new Organization.
For people who have just job hopped from the IT sector to the Manufacturing sector, there’s always a challenge up the sleeve - the concept of replacing manual labour by machines often taking a back seat and receiving flak as it threatens the job security of individuals. Here one would always be sceptical to find fine exhibition of latest technologies and software’s in the market on the roll. If one man earns a living by manual entry of attendance and daily tabulation of it across the Organization’s extended units, software by the country’s most promising technology builder of HR systems may lead to snatching of his job. The helpless Manager would always try to bring about up-gradation in the department, and at times may borrow ideas by introducing a swift transition phase by first working on internally developed programmes or systems and then graduating to ERP’s. Or introducing new employee engagement schemes that worked out super duper well at an IT industry however fails to stir the curiosity and results to dropping morale and enthusiasm in employees.
Man is plagued by the need to do something challenging, however to capture the right attention at the right moment has always been a tumultuous task. It’ll be always wise for the HR conglomerate on the whole if before they decide to handle the end users face up, a small section of the employees known to be neutral and good feedback givers test the feasibility of the new system or scheme. It could save many an embarrassing moments and help better structure the implementation phases of the new idea.
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