According to new research, many employees feel that they would have settled into a business much more quickly if they had received a proper induction. What should an induction for a new starter include?

Getting them onboard

In September 2017 cloud software company webonboarding released the findings of its survey of 4,000 employees. It found that: 56% of employees it questioned did not receive a sufficient induction from their employer; 71% of those felt that they would have settled into their role much more quickly had there been a better induction process in place; and 69% believed that a better induction process would have improved their performance at work.

The induction process

There’s no legislation which sets out what an induction process must include - so this is entirely up to you. As a minimum, we would recommend that you start by welcoming the employee, then explain the background to your business and its structure; gather any outstanding information and paperwork, e.g. P45 and NI number, and issue any passes or keys that are needed in your premises, e.g. swipe/security card.

The job role

From there, you can move on to cover the job description and terms and conditions of employment. Your induction should ideally include information about the employee’s job duties; responsibilities; the reporting line; workstation location; training needs, objectives and provision; supervision and appraisals; and promotion avenues.

Tip. At this point, you should also go over important contractual terms; the probationary period; hours of work and breaks; salary and payroll matters and expenses.

Business rules

The next logical area to focus on is your workplace rules and procedures. Here, you should cover annual leave entitlement and holiday application rules; sickness and other absence rules; the standards of dress, appearance and behaviour required; disciplinary and grievance procedures; your equal opportunities and dignity at work policies. Draw attention to any other important policies in your staff handbook and other admin matters.

Health and safety

After this, move on to health and safety matters that are relevant to your business. Outline all safety rules, precautions, emergency procedures and the location of the first aid kit; explain the procedure for reporting accidents and the location of accident book.

Tip 1. Don’t forget to conduct a full tour of your premises (even if the employee already had one at the interview stage) and point out all facilities, e.g. toilets, rest areas, lockers and staff kitchen.

Tip 2. Inductions should only ever be carried out by managers or other experienced and trusted staff otherwise bad habits and/or incorrect information may be passed on to new hires.

Tip 3. Follow our induction checklist to ensure that nothing is missed. Get the employee to sign the checklist at the end to confirm they’ve understood everything.

Summary

A robust induction process should cover your business and its structure, the employee’s job role and responsibilities, workplace rules and procedures, health and safety and workplace facilities. Always conduct a full tour of your premises. Follow our induction checklist and you’ll have everything covered.

INDUCTION CHECK LIST