Welcoming a new employee is often accompanied by a request to write a surprise report, because this moment is a rare opportunity to have a fresh, critical and constructive look at the company and its functioning. To write this document, it is necessary to understand the issues and objectives, whether for the employee or his manager.
What is an amazement report?
A surprise report is a document written by a new employee in which he identifies the blocking points and areas for improvement in the proper functioning of his new function and, more generally, of the company. His manager can thus consider improvements, but also realize the good understanding of the mission of the new employee.
Why make a surprise report?
Upon arrival at the company, the new employee has a fresh outlook that allows him to have a critical approach to his new function and thus challenge established ideas. Moreover, a report of astonishment is said in English fresh eyes report. In this document, he can identify dysfunctions, but also propose new tools or processes that he has been able to experience in his previous activities.
For his manager, the amazement report is both a means of involving him in the company and in his new position. Because it is also a tool that will allow the manager to ensure that the employee has understood the scope of his function, the privileged interlocutors, the resources available and the objectives to be achieved.
7 steps to make an amazement report
The recipient of the report is generally the direct manager, but it can also be addressed to Human Resources as well as to the management of the company. It often depends on the hierarchical level of the new employee as well as the objectives of the company when asked to write one.
Start with contextual information
To start a surprise report, it is necessary to mention information about the author such as his first name, last name and position held. Then, it is necessary to designate the direct manager as well as his department of attachment. After adding the date of writing of the document, do not forget the entry into the company. Finally, it is a question of succinctly listing the main attributions of the function of the new employee.
Also read: How To Make A Functional Organizational Chart
Welcome in the company
This part of the amazement report is devoted to the recruitment process and the way in which the reception of the new employee within the company took place. The latter will be able to express his various impressions and remarks there, whether positive or negative. In the latter case, it is fashionable to present them from the angle of improvement by suggesting a new way to overcome the identified problem.
This is an opportunity for the newcomer to reflect on various questions: did he have the right tools at his disposal, did he lack any, was he presented to his main interlocutors, a transition was it organized with its predecessor? These are all questions that allow us to identify what can be improved so that the integration of new employees is optimal and that they can take up their duties as quickly as they are efficiently.
The organization of the service and the company
In this section, the new employee must detail his vision of the organization of his service and possibly that of the company. He can identify what is positive and what appears to him as difficulties to come. It is also an opportunity to express your astonishment on certain structures, because the report is a medium of exchange which will allow his manager to provide him with clarifications and explanations on past choices.
For example, a director of the digital division may be surprised that web project managers are located within different product teams and not brought together to exchange more easily on their core business: project management. His manager will then be able to present the reasons which have motivated this choice of location in the past and present him the benefits.
Internal communication
With his fresh outlook on internal communication, the employee will be able to express his opinion in the amazement report. This is an opportunity to express their needs and questions, but also their ideas or the positive points they observe.
The challenges and missions of the position
A good understanding of the objectives is essential for the integration and then the daily life of the new employee to take place in optimal conditions. He must therefore formulate here what he understood of the issues related to his position. He must also identify the means to achieve this, both those already at his disposal and those he will have to ask for. He can also define different stages and indicators to follow the good progress of his actions. On this occasion, he will be able to share his new ideas or identify possible blocking points.
Resources available
Some functions require special tools in order to complete a task. It is therefore a question of listing here the obsolete tools, those which are missing or those which should be replaced. The employee may also request an explanation on the operation of some of them, or even more formal training.
Other professions require human or financial resources. Here again it is in this section that the employee can request it. For example, a community manager may be surprised not to have an image editing tool at his disposal and / or a graphic designer to support him. This must therefore be formulated in his amazement report.
Add themes specific to your function
Each function has its own universe and it is therefore the responsibility of each to add personalized themes so that their amazement report is as constructive as possible. If the employee is free to address other topics in his surprise report, the company can also guide him and invite him to take an interest in what is a priority for it.
Indeed, in some of them the corporate culture is for example very important. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the newcomer feels comfortable there and adheres to the values ​​that his organization puts forward. The manager / managed relationship can also be part of the personalized themes of this document.
After writing the report (presentation, analysis)
If the amazement report can take several forms (Word or PowerPoint document), it is however always accompanied by an oral presentation. Most of the time, this presentation is made directly to the manager, but it may include representatives from Human Resources or General Management.
We must not lose sight of the fact that this is a privileged moment to improve the functioning of the company, but also the conditions of well-being at work of the employees. It is a privileged moment of exchange where points of astonishment can be discussed and solutions considered.
