Employee Induction – why is it beneficial?
Often referred to as orientation, socialisation, onboarding, bedding in period and many more; employee induction is the set of processes and activities which welcome and efficiently integrate a new employee into a business. This short article examines why an employee induction can be very beneficial – both to employer and employee.
A bit of background
A good induction programme makes the new employee feel welcomed, respected and valued. An induction programme which includes a checklist to make sure a new employee has all the ‘tools’ to do their job in the first few days of their joining, is a must. Starting a new role is often nerve wracking so making sure the employee has everything they need on the first day makes things a lot less stressful for them. Plus the simple things, like making sure team members and key stakeholders know the new employee’s start date need to be covered, as it can be quite disconcerting for the new employee if key team members have no idea about the fact they are starting and may leave a negative impression with the new employee, plus it’s not exactly a welcome that gets off to a good start!
The induction process is pretty much the first experience a new employee will have of a business (outside of the recruitment process) so it’s important to get it right to mitigate the risk of new employees potentially leaving and hence creating a rather expensive merry go round of recruitment.
What should be included in an Induction plan?
Inductions are often a mix of job essential training, familiarisation with the business values, mission and strategy, understanding the company processes and procedures, meeting key stakeholders and integration their own team. As such a typical plan might include some or all of the following (but it’s important to shape it to your own business needs):
1. Tour of office and facilities.
2. ‘Walk’ through of the website and relevant IT systems.
3. Meeting senior leadership team and key stakeholders/functions the new employee is likely to work with on a regular basis.
4. Overview of other functions and how the new employee and their team fits in and collaborates with same.
5. Any health and safety information.
6. Full run through of the job description, expectations and agreement with manager on how best to optimise the relationship, including the frequency, shape and format of any regular check ins.
7. Team lunch or social event.
8. Assigning new employee with a ‘buddy’ - a buddy can help the new employee socialise and share important information such as where to get the best coffee, who the office ‘guru’ is etc. Plus, also a great sounding board for the new employee, who may not want to go to their line manager all the time.
9. Make it fun – asking a new employee to made their way through copious amounts of policies and procedures is not exactly fun, nor is it the best way to learn. Set some small challenges at the end of each week for eg, go and find out what X role does, see if you can get to speak to 2 senior leaders, log a call with the IT helpdesk. This helps to get the new employee more quickly integrated with a business as opposed to asking them to lock themselves away for a week reading a load of dull documents!
10. Get feedback – a really important part of any induction is to get feedback on the process from those who have gone through it. This allows you to keep the process fluid and relevant whilst responding to any areas raised as in need of improvement.
Having briefly explored what an induction is and what should be included in an induction plan, what might be the benefits of having a good induction plan?
1. Saves on recruitment – a great induction makes an employee feel welcomed, valued and quickly integrates them into the company. This means they are less likely to leave in the first few months of employment and therefore saves on the need to recruit a replacement and all the associated costs.
2. Achieves a speedy integration – the sooner the new employee is fully integrated into the business the sooner they will be able to make a full contribution to it. Inductions which enable a swift and efficient transition onto the business will save money in the long term as you have a fully functioning employee able to make their mark at the earliest opportunity.
3. Overall increased staff retention – employees who are well integrated into a business are more likely to hang around. This is good for overall employee morale and productivity. A high turnaround can have a negative impact on productivity levels which can then have the same impact on profit. Plus, high employee turnover often leads to a higher spend on recruitment.
4. Increased employee engagement – where the induction includes training and information on the Company values and mission, the new employee will quickly gain a sense and understanding of what they are working towards, how they fit in and what their own contribution achieves. Overall, an engaged workforce tends to be more productive and committed to the business, which contributes positively to overall profitability.
5. Increased innovation – an induction enabling staff to quickly gel means a team will feel comfortable and at ease with each other in a short time frame. This, in turn, can often lead to collaborative relationships, facilitating a free flow of ideas, feedback and resolution.
And finally…..
A great induction process has many benefits – for the new employee and business alike. A good induction programme needs to be bespoke to the specific business and there needs to be a clear purpose. If you get it wrong it can have negative results and potentially cost you more money in the long term. Plus, it won’t do your employer brand any good if the induction is poor and results in a high turnaround of new starters.
Here at Treenhill consulting we can help you formulate an effective induction programme suitable for YOUR business, based on YOUR needs and objectives. Please just DM me to see how we can help build you a robust Induction Training programme.
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