Smart strategies for new staff: The induction process

Smart strategies for new staff: The induction process | Thursday 22 November 2018 | 3 min read

Inductions help prepare new starters for their role and are an effective strategy to integrate the employee into the organisation. Whether the new starter is a graduate, executive level or an experienced senior hire; having a structured induction or new joiner process in place can help integrate new starters into the organisation and gives them the knowledge and support they need to excel.  

Why is an induction process important?

Regardless of where you are in your career, starting a new job can be daunting. A structured organised induction is an opportunity for a business to welcome their new recruit, help them settle in and ensure they have the knowledge and support they need to perform their role. As well as supporting the employee, a good induction process can shorten the new recruit’s time to productivity and encourage long-term retention. A win-win for both employees and employers.

What should an induction process include?

The structure of an induction course will depend on the size and nature of an organisation and also on the type of recruit. Regardless of the organisation size, key areas to include in an induction are:

• Engage with your new recruits even before they join by sending them welcome messages and key action points to be followed once they are part of the business.
• Physical orientation; a tour of the department and introduction to colleagues; and day-to-day guidance in local procedures and health and safety information.
• The employee induction program is the perfect opportunity to introduce new recruits to your corporate culture as well as an overview of the organisation, its history, its strategy and objectives.
• Details of company benefits and memberships.
• Introductory one-to-ones with key members of the organisation. This ensures new recruits have some meetings in their diary during the first couple of weeks and gives the individual the opportunity to meet more people in the organisation, understand their role and how they can work together.
• We also recommend using a ‘buddy’ system to provide support more informally to help new employees settle in. A buddy can provide the new employee with an informal support and social network and a starting point for general queries.

Ask for feedback

Feedback is key. At SA Law we check in with all our new staff members once they’re settled in and ask for their feedback: What worked for them? What confused them? What they miss from their previous employer.

Learning about their experiences in reference to how easy (or not) it was for them to get up and running will tell you a lot about how to improve your overall induction process. Whether you’re a new company or a large enterprise, there is always something to learn.

Contact Kelly

We hope you enjoyed this article by Kelly Pike. Please do not hesitate to contact Kelly Pike on 01727 798011 or email kelly.pike@salaw.com

• 

  Kelly
  Pike Head of Human Resources
  Principal Associate

  • Phone 01727 798 010
  • Email Kelly.Pike@salaw.com