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Things to think about when implementing an employee induction process

1. Identify the business objectives and desired benefits

Effective induction can have many benefits including reducing turnover costs, engagingand motivating new and existing employees, contributing to the implementation of good

systems and processes and gaining feedback and ideas from new hires looking at an

organisation through fresh eyes. Thinking about how a new or improved inductionprocess could benefit your organisation will help you determine the focus and shape of

the programme. If you are keen to help new hires build internal networks for example, a

programme which brings all new hires together may be important. If your key business

driver is to ensure consistent standards and messages across a multisite organisation, anelearning solution may be most appropriate.

2. Secure early commitment

!on"t underestimate the powerful effect that induction can have in developing

commitment to a new organisation. # good induction process shows that the companycares and is committed to setting people up for success. It can also help to identify

problems or barriers at an early stage and allow the appropriate action to be taken.

$onversely a poor induction experience could make some new entrants doubt theirdecision to %oin your organisation representing a risk in terms of future retention and

reputation.

3. Agree roles and responsibilities of different players in the process

$learly identify the roles and responsibilities of the different players in the inductionprocess. These may include the &'( )*! functions, the line manager, the administrationfunction, mentors or buddies and of course the individual themselves. This is perhaps best

achieved via a detailed induction checklist which allocates specific responsibilities and

timelines to the various stakeholders.

4. Thin of induction as a journey

Thinking about your induction process as a %ourney rather than a oneoff event isessential. It may be useful to consider the induction %ourney in terms of the first + days,

first + weeks and first + months. This approach might include a mini induction during the

first + days with an immediate supervisor covering essentials such as security,housekeeping, organisation charts, initial ob%ectives and introductions to key personnel. #

more comprehensive induction training session may follow during the first + weeks and

then a review meeting after + months to check that everything is on track. ivingconsideration to what postprogramme support may be needed is also important. This

may include additional training, -uick reference guides, key contact lists or personal

support which could be provided by mentors or buddies.

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!. "ngage staff prior to joining

# good induction process should start from the moment an employee accepts an offer

with your organisation. !evelop a comprehensive induction checklist and also givethought to what could be covered prearrival to prepare someone for life within your

organisation. This may include a pre%oining visit, regular phone and email contact or

access to the company intranet site. Ensuring that all the relevant administrative and ITarrangements are in place will also be a big factor in getting a new employee up and

running as soon as possible and creating good first impression.

#. $ave clear learning objectives for training sessions

hen designing content for induction training, it is important to start by identifying the

desired outcomes of the training. /ichael /eighan advises thinking in terms of what a

new entrant must know, should know and could know. The must knows willinclude key policies and procedures, regulatory, health and safety and personnel matters

essential for a person to do their particular %ob. 0hould knows may be things that theperson ought know in order to fit in within the organisation and could knows may be of

interest but would not be essential for a new entrant to do their %ob e.g. organi1ational

history. hen designing the training also ensure that training sessions and inductionmaterials take account of different learning preferences and where possible include a

variety of delivery styles.

%. &espect the induction needs of different audiences

2ne si1e does not necessarily fit all and recogni1ing that different groups of new

employees may have varying induction needs is essential. ithin the same organisation,the induction needs of a senior director, a school leaver and indeed a returning expatriate

are likely to be -uite different. hilst the fundamentals of the induction process may

remain the same, ensuring that the content of induction training sessions is appropriatelytailored and relevant to the needs of different audiences will be vital in securing

engagement.

'. "nsure a (uality e)perience

3or most people, the induction programme will be their first experience with the )earning

and !evelopment function within the organisation and all too often this can be less thanpositive. It is important to remember that this is a uni-ue opportunity for )*! to set out

its stall with new hires. !eveloping carefully tailored content and choosing competent

trainers who motivate and engage their audiences will be key ingredients in delivering ahigh -uality experience.

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*. +eep induction material up to date

#ll too often organi1ations will make a significant investment in designing a new

induction process and then fail to keep key content up to date. It is vital that at the outset

an owner for the process is identified and it is agreed how induction content will beupdated by key stakeholders on an ongoing basis. 4sing ebased induction materials can

be one way to ensure that it can be easily maintained and updated. hilst this may mean

a more significant upfront investment, ebased induction materials may also help reduceexpenditure on classroom based training and the associated travel and delivery costs

particularly in multisite organisations.

1,. "valuation

3inally, as with any new process it is important to continuously evaluate the success of

your induction process and make appropriate changes as re-uired. 0ome measures which

may be helpful in assessing the success of your approach could include5

1- 3eedback from new hires who have gone through the process 6 this could take thefrom of course evaluation sheets if you are delivering an induction training session or

could be achieved via 757 interviews with a selected group of new entrants after their first

+ months with the organisation.

2-'etention rates for new entrants 6 monitoring these will be particularly important for

organi1ations who implemented a new process in an attempt to reduce attrition levels

amongst new %oiners.

3-Exit Interviews 6 data from individuals choosing to leave the organisation can providevaluable information about the success of an induction process.

4-/onitoring common -ueries 6 where your organisation has a &' 0ervice $entre it

may also be useful to monitor the types of common -ueries coming from new %oiners toreview whether additional information should be included in the induction process

!- Employee Engagement 0urvey 6 where your organisation has a regular employee

engagement survey, this could prove valuable in measuring changes in levels ofcommitment and engagement following the introduction of a new induction process.

ositive outcomes of a good induction process

8 &igh levels of motivation and commitment amongst new employees.

8 &igh retention rates for new %oiners within the organisation.

8 9ositive influence on existing staff involved in the induction process 6 who arereminded of the positives attributes of their organisation and motivated by their

involvement in the process

8 2rganisation is perceived externally as a good employer, who cares and works hard tointegrate new staff 6 likely to act as a positive attraction tool for new hires.

8 9ositive impact on the implementation of processes and procedures within the

organisation.