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, engaging
and 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 induction
process 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, an
elearning 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 company
cares 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 their
decision 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 induction
process. These may include the &'( )*! functions, the line manager, the administration
function, 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 is
essential. 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. ,iving
consideration 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.

!. "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 give
thought 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 IT
arrangements 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 will
include 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 the
person 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 induction
materials 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 appropriately
tailored 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 than
positive. 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 a
high -uality experience.
*. +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 be
updated 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 reduce
expenditure 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 the
from 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 provide
valuable 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 to
review 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 of
commitment 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 are
reminded 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 to
integrate 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.