Implementation of a new onboarding process for Field ICT Officers at Médecins Sans Frontières

Details

Supervisors

Prelz Oltramonti, Giulia

Faculty

Faculté des sciences économiques, sociales, politiques et de communication

Degree label

Master de spécialisation en action humanitaire internationale

Abstract

Médecins Sans Frontières is a non-profit organization founded in 1971 by a group of doctors and journalists. The organization's mission is twofold. First, it is to provide humanitarian medical assistance in case of conflicts, exclusion from healthcare, epidemics and natural disasters. Secondly, it is to testify, when necessary, about the abusive situations they face, with the aim to act against human suffering. A strong and motivated team is needed to achieve this mission. Like any other companies, retention, training and motivation of its staff is a concern for MSF. To facilitate the integration and to boost the motivation of new employees, companies implement a comprehensive onboarding process. It is a training time that enables the new employees to integrate the company more quickly and easily, by introducing them to their colleagues, their work environment and their future responsibilities. On the other hand, it enables the company to communicate about its internal culture or about the unwritten rules. This is also a perfect moment to share and transmit the company's values, especially in organizations such as MSF where full compliance to the values is requested from the all staff. This is even more important as young generations and many of us are more and more looking for meaningful jobs and challenging the company’s attitude. The implementation of such an onboarding process requires a lot of preparation and the involvement of many specialists. The company needs to develop best practice like having a structured but adaptable process according to the context and the person concerned, the assignment of a buddy or mentor and the integration of digital resources. A good onboarding process has a positive impact on both the new employee and the company itself. It increases the employee's motivation and the attractiveness of the company. This has an impact on the efficiency and on the productivity and on the company image. It can also save time and money by reducing turnover and therefore the costs linked to the recruitment process.