Securing an employee today in the war on talent is a no easy task so establishing a world-class employee induction programme should be at the very top of your agenda…right?
In a previous article, we explored how a new employee might wish to approach induction week and today; it’s the turn of the employer:
The Offer Pack. Before an employee has started, it’s good practise to send the offer letter (including details of benefits), the job description, the employment contract and the employee handbook (including a who’s-who of key people). This helps to ensure that your new hire is comfortable with all expectations beforehand.
Required Training. Prior to writing the schedule, the obvious start-point is to determine what training is needed to help your new employee achieve success. From the health and safety induction to job-based skills, leave no stone unturned and focus heavily on present team / employee performance (what does the line manager need and want from this role?).
Trainers and Facilitators. A common mistake is that a well-meaning induction plan can rapidly fail because the organiser hasn’t confirmed trainer availability to prepare and be present. This can be a cause frustration and your new hire left wondering whether they’ve made the right choice (communicate, people!).
Planning. Once comfortable with subjects and trainer availability, collectively plan the induction schedule with all stakeholders (whilst ensuring that you have commitment). Will you include client visits and shadowing? What about online or self-learning at their own pace? Where will the majority of training be held? What is “Plan B” should “Trainer A” become unavailable at late notice?
The Set-up. When possible, setting up the workspace before the start-date helps everyone feel just that little bit more prepared. This might include access cards, email, phone, laptop and perhaps even a small welcome gift (chocolate, we love chocolate!).
The First Day. Contact your new colleague a couple of days before their start to inform of the time they should arrive, and who they should ask for (do they need a parking permit? Is the traffic poor around this time? Is the public transport reliable?). Think about introductions and how this might be managed productively with the existing team. Keep it relaxed, and whatever you do, don’t give your new recruit the long list of tasks nobody else wants to do!
The Checklist. Moving into the execution phase is focused upon ensuring that the plan is on-schedule and hasn’t veered into the:”Can you just complete these small tasks, whilst I do something else?” territory…! Keep a checklist and hold people to account over their previous commitments.
Seek Feedback.What worked well? What could we have done better? What areas do you still need help in? The feedback loop is invaluable to mastering the induction process whilst also giving your new hire an early opportunity to be listened to (not to be underestimated).
Finally, Link Back when at the Probation Review. A great piece of advice we once received was to link the induction process and employee performance at the end of the probationary period. This should, theoretically at least, provide great insight into what you might emphasise or reduce for your next round of hires.
This article was originally published on https://gofitjobs.com/blog
