This document summarizes Statistics Norway's previous introductory program for new employees and plans for a new course. The previous 8-day program provided general knowledge but was not well remembered. The new course aims to (1) create a positive start for new employees, (2) provide understanding of Statistics Norway's role and responsibilities, and (3) foster professional and social connections. The new course structure covers Statistics Norway's strategy, quality processes, cooperation, research, and user satisfaction. Feedback indicated benefits but suggested more specific examples, less repetition, and more practical activities. Statistics Norway plans future improvements to the onboarding process based on a model of learning transfer and integration.

1. 1
1
Introduction program for new
employees
Workshop on HRM and Training in Statistical Offices
14. September 2010, Geneva
Ingvild Maanum Møller
Division for Human Resources
Statistics Norway

2. 2
Statistics Norway in a nutshell
• Responsible for 85 percent of all official statistics in Norway
• About 300 statistics produced and 1000 (news) releases on
http://www.ssb.no annually
• Statistics based on administrative registers and surveys
• A Research Department within the institution
– Serving ministries with macroeconomic and micro simulation
models
• 1000 employees in two locations
– 600 in Oslo
– 400 in Kongsvinger
– (200 interviewers)
• Small majority of women
– (54 per cent)
– 34,5 per cent of management
• 2/3 have higher education
• About 100 persons employed annually (but 2009 was
different)

3. 3
Previous introductory program:
• Run at least twice a year, 8 days (3 days statistical
methods)
• Good evaluations, but little was actually remembered, little
used in daily work
• Wish-list:
– more about SSB at a strategic level
– practical information on Human Resource
issues, and IT systems and tools.
– individual career development, and
possibilities for working abroad.

4. 4
Do you remember…
…What it was like to
be new at your job?

5. 5
Purpose with new course
• Contribute to creating a positive start for new employees;
• Create a better understanding of Statistics Norway as an
institution and Statistics Norway’s responsibility for society;
• Give an overall understanding of statistical activities, and
what describes good statistics;
• Contribute to creating professional and social contacts
across departments.

6. 6
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Strategy 2007
Cooperation to improve statistics
Statistics Norway – an institution that counts
Research of high quality
Quality in every process
Statistics portray society
Satisfied users and motivated respondents

7. 7
Statistics Norway – an institution that counts
Statistics portray society
• Statistics Norway’s strategy;
• Statistics Norway’s social mission,
history and culture;
• Statistics Norway’s safety
procedures;
• The totality and the individual
elements of the statistical
production.

8. 8
Quality in every process
• Quality work in Statistics Norway;
• The importance of good
questionnaire in quality work;
• What is metadata and its
importance of Statistics Norway;
• Why do we need statistical methods
in Statistics Norway;
• Quality work - presentation and
dissemination

9. 9
Cooperation to improve statistics
• Statistics Norway 's national contacts and partners;
• Relations with suppliers of administrative data;
• International cooperation;
• International collaboration – some practical experience;
• How we work and cooperate within Statistics Norway.

10. 10
Research of high quality
Satisfied users and motivated respondents
• Statistics Norway’s establishment in Kongsvinger;
• Dissemination of statistics and analysis;
• Data collection;
• Data collection and dissemination of the consumer price
index;
• Statistics Norway’s research activities.

11. 11

12. 12
MAIN FINDINGS
Benefits for participants
• The course gave general knowledge
• Improvement: provide more specific knowledge and
encourage cooperation
What benefits did I get from the course?
General knowledge
Network
Feeling of belonging
Confidence at work
Specific knowledge
Ability to cooperate
1 2 3 4 5 6
12
1 - strongly disagree 5 - strongly agree

13. 13
MAIN FINDINGS
Suggestions for improvements
• More examples, avoid repetition, more practicality and
breaks
13
Suggestions to improve the course
Examples in presentations
Avoiding repetition
More practical examples
More breaks
More discussions
Feedback abut groupworks
Various assignments
More challeging tasks
More interaction
More time for groupworks
Inspiring presenters
1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
1 - strongly disagree 5 - strongly agree

14. 14
What worked well
• Using Strategy 2007 for structure
• Ownership of course in HR
• Course leader present at all
times
• Overnight stay at hotel
• Support from top management
• Consumer price index (CPI) was
used as an example throughout
the program, to make some of
the more theoretical topics more
accessible to the participants, as
well as understanding CPI.
“It’s great to meet top
leaders in the course, have
the course in different
locations and get to know
people”

15. 15
Let’s remember the purpose
– Contribute to creating a positive start for new employees
 Met. “The course gave positive impressions”.
– Create a better understanding of Statistics Norway as an institution and
Statistics Norway’s responsibility for society
 Met. “The course was informative and provided general knowledge
about the company”.
– Give an overall understanding of statistical activities, and what describes
good statistics
 Partly met. “Gave an overall understanding.
The course could provide more specific knowledge”.
– Contribute to creating professional and social
contacts across departments
 Met. “This is a great opportunity to meet
leaders and get to know other employees”.

16. 16
What about next time?
• General vs. job specific knowledge
– Many backgrounds, different job tasks
– the topics are perceived as too general ?
– How to make topics relevant for everyone?

17. 17
What about next time?
• Many brief vs. a few thorough topics
– ambitious program, many topics
– tried to keep the presentations short
– participants wanted more examples in the presentations,
– more practical tasks,
– more discussions,
– and more feedback

18. 18
What about next time?
• Statistical vs.
non-statistical competence
– Framework for competence: “basic competences”,
“core competences” and “job specific competences”
“Modern statistics needs new profile of statistician.
Knowledge of statistics (concepts and methods)
must be accompanied by flexibility, invention,
communicative and language abilities, capacities
in team co-operation. We need more staff with
managerial skills, understanding its own work in
relation to other activities of the institution”.
Mr. Jan Fischer
at the UNSC High level forum in 2008
- process
orientation
abilities in team work and
project/process
- management
combined with innovative
and analytical capacities
?

19. 19
What about next time?
• Inspiring presenters
– Presenters given a summary of the evaluation and clear
instructions on the main purpose of the topic,
– we encouraged interactivity.
– Some presenters not engaging the participants
– Monologues
– PowerPoint with a lot of text
– the presenters are first and
foremost statisticians

20. 20
What else can be done?
Before the course
• Trigger participants’ interest
• Signalize the importance of the course
• Assure participants’ preparation for the
course
• Create e-learning course
• Test the knowledge before the course?
• Let participants to be aware that their will
be tested after the course
During the course
• Show how different methods can be applied
at work
• Increase concentration
• Use more practical examples in the
presentations
• Initiate discussions
After the course
• Test the knowledge that participants gained
after the course?
• Initiate small group works after the course
• Inspire new employees to share their ideas
20

21. 21
Evaluation Model
Kirkpatrick, 1998
4. Results - did it generate results?
the effects on the business or environment
resulting from the trainee's performance
/application
3. Transfer/behavior – did they use it ?
extent of behavior and capability
improvement and implementation
2. Learning – did they learn?
the resulting increase in knowledge or
capability
1. Reaction - did they like it ?
what they thought and felt about the
training

22. 22
“Newcomers learn through active participation in a
social practice, and as a result of interaction
between newcomers and established members”
Lave and Wenger, 1991
“The most important aspect of human
resource development is the daily
professional work and cooperation with
colleagues”
Statistics Norway HR strategy

23. 23
Towards integration, not only introduction
We are currently also working on the following measures:
• The role of the mentor, more assistance and clearer definition of
responsibility
• Review information given by HR department at arrival and after some
months
• Assess (and possibly add) courses offered at our internal training to this
target group, make some mandatory for some groups
• Update and supplement information at our intranet
• Individual career planning offered after 12 months on the job
• E-learning on certain topics. This means training
can be offered at a more targeted time, e.g.
2 weeks after employment begun

24. 24
Thank you!
imm@ssb.no