After the recruitment process, a good induction programme is key to help a new employee settle into the organisation and become effective quickly. Remember, your new employee is enthusiastic and ready to be engaged, after all they have chosen to join your company, and all they need are the tools to do the job. Joining a new company can be daunting, stressful and initially an unproductive experience, so it makes sense to try and alleviate the new employees anxieties and get them up to speed as soon as possible.

So, what makes a good induction?

One size does not fit all

A good induction should be tailored to the new recruit’s role, so it is important to personalise each plan to meet the needs of your new employee and the business. Elements of the induction plan can of course be standardised but role-specific elements should be planned in detail to ensure a person understands their new position, what is expected of them and how they can support their colleagues.  

Provide structure

An induction process that lacks structure can leave a new recruit with no sense of direction, little affinity with their new employer and a general sense of dissatisfaction. To avoid this issue, it is important to have a structured plan in place, a checklist if you like, while ensuring there’s enough flexibility to suit different skill sets, roles and personalities.

Keep it simple

Don’t over complicate the induction process. Joining a new organisation can be daunting enough without being given irrelevant written information. Keep it simple and ensure information packs and other materials that have impact and are relevant to the employee.

Training

This includes training for the specific role, but don't forget general office and IT training. It should also include how to use the telephone system and general office software programs. Obviously not all training will take place on the first day or even in the first week but anything that the employee will need to use from the get-go should be covered as soon as possible.

Buddy-up

A great way of supporting new recruits is by teaming them up with a trusted employee. To reap the rewards of ‘buddying’ make sure that buddies are happy to support the new recruit, and they are trained in effective workplace coaching and mentoring.  

A plan for the first week

It is very reassuring to be given a plan for your first week in a new role, even if it needs to be flexible. Setting out roughly what they are going to be working on in the first week with their line manager will help set expectations but will also allow the employee to ask any questions that may help them prepare for this work. If possible send them a copy of this plan before they start so they know what to expect when they arrive on day one.

Feedback

To ensure the induction process is working, there should be a process for seeking feedback from new employees and from existing staff involved in the induction process. In a pressurised working environment it is easy for managers to fall into the trap of thinking that a thorough induction will suffice and feedback is something they only really need to think about when something goes wrong or the annual appraisal comes around. But if the business wants to raise performance and keep people motivated and engaged, it should be part of the everyday dialogue managers have with their teams – and never more so than during someone’s early days in a new role.

Good luck!