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Step by step induction Recruitment is an expensive exercise. It takes time, money and
effort to find the right people to join your team.
What a pity it would be to jeopardise this by forgetting the importance
of treating a new employee really well on joining you.
Not meeting expectations could make the psychological contract Induction is the process, formal or informal, that introduces newcomers to your organisation. Ideally it should take place as soon as possible after the new member has arrived. An effective induction process shortens the time it takes to get the new recruit up to speed. According to the CIPD (Recruitment, retention and labour turnover survey 2009), one of the most frequently cited actions taken by organisations to address retention is improving the induction process (45% in 2008 and 2009, up from 37% in 2007). The Intellect HR step by step guide takes you through the essential steps to implementing a successful induction.
Choose the day and time for the new employee to start. You might like to take into consideration that you and your team are often extremely busy when they first come into work and so are not readily available to meet the newcomer. Perhaps an 11am start would be preferable. Choose the day carefully too. Mondays or the day after bank holidays can also be very busy times so pick a day and time when you know that you and anyone who is likely to be involved will be free. Design the induction plan Make a list of all the things that the newcomer needs to know. Typically these fall into three main areas:
Think about the sequence of the induction process: you might want to start with the larger picture (a meeting with one or more senior managers) to give an overview of your organisation and then move on into the detail of the actual job. Or you might like to get the employee comfortable in his/her workspace and then move on to the larger picture. Consider what sequence and timescale will work best for this particular employee - people who are in their first job or returning to work after a gap may find it easier if you spread the induction over a longer period of time as there is so much to take in. In which case you may wish to concentrate on the immediate needs, and timetable the general background information for later on. Set aside a specific time when the newcomer can meet all the people in your department. It is also very useful to appoint someone in your department who can be readily available to the newcomer to act as a 'buddy' and will be his/her first port of call for queries and concerns. Make absolutely certain that everyone concerned (including your receptionist) knows when the new employee is joining, what he/she will be doing and how this fits in with everyone else in the team. Brief the 'buddy' on what will be expected of him/her. A few days before the newcomer arrives, send a copy of the
induction plan There is nothing more dispiriting than having to scramble around for your work tools in a new situation where you don't know where anything is kept or who to ask. Here is a little checklist that will help you to prepare the newcomer's work area. (You may well have specific tools or utilities to add to this):
Check and, where necessary, customise then download the
induction checklist
If the employee is to undergo a probation period this should be discussed
and review meetings (perhaps at end of week one, month one and month
three) and an end of probation review booked in from the start. Ensure
that you use the probationary period well - this is the time when your
employee is likely to be the most receptive to constructive feedback and
guidance! Ensure that sufficient monitoring of his/her work takes place
during this period and any training or coaching is delivered promptly so
that the employee can become fully effective in the role as quickly as
possible.
Use our template letters to invite the employee to an end of probation review and to confirm the outcome. Very early on the new starter should be 'walked' through the appraisal cycle so he/she is familiar with the timings, process etc and knows what to expect and what is expected. If individuals work to objectives you could draw up some objectives for the first few months (one or two). This gives the joiner some control over his/her tasks, direction and self-led learning to encourage him/her to be proactive. Objectives can be simple such as "investigate and understand our intranet", "gain a basic knowledge of how to use our email system" or "make contact with and understand the roles of your colleagues in x department". If you have a particular style or culture it might be useful to position this to the new joiner early on. During recruitment he/she may not have realised things that are obvious to employees such as dress code, parking, lunch rituals etc. There may be more formal aspects too such as style of written communications. Formal rules, regulations, policies and procedures should all be highlighted in the first week. Many employers include these within a handbook which they rely on the new joiner reading. You should check that the handbook has been read and understood and discuss particular aspects such as personal use of the internet and email system, attitude to working hours etc.
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