Induction – Getting It Right First Time

Read our article about getting induction right

You may think that a new employee induction is simply following a checklist of instructions and processes on day one. But if you’ve watched our videos on induction, you’ll know this is not the most successful way to welcome, or keep, a new employee in your business.

Recruiting new employees can be costly and time consuming, so when you’ve put all that effort into finding the right person, why throw it away again with an inadequate induction? 22% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment. This could be because the new employee feels overwhelmed, doesn’t feel they fit in with the environment or isn’t made to feel part of the team – all things that can be changed by ensuring a good induction plan is put in place and followed through.

So, what does good look like? We’ve put together some tips from some of the most successful businesses:

• Have a plan – don’t wait until the morning of day one to decide what’s going to happen. Once you’ve confirmed your new hire and have a start date, create a plan for their induction. Include things like what equipment you need to prepare, setting up access to your systems and software, making sure you have all the essential information to pay your employee. Share this plan with your new employee, show them you are thinking about them before they have even started.
• Keep in contact – you’ve made an offer and its been accepted, but your new employee has to work a months’ notice before joining your team. It’s too easy to forget about that new employee until its nearly day one. Instead make your new employee feel wanted and cared for by arranging a weekly check in with them up to their start date. Let them know what’s been happening in your business that week and keep them excited to be a part of your team.
• Ask for feedback – ask other new employees for feedback on their induction. What worked, what did you miss, what confused them, how can you improve on the process for your newest recruit? Then make sure you ask your new recruit for feedback too once they’re settled in.
• How will you carry out your induction? In today’s world you may need to do a remote induction for a new team member that will be working from home. It’s weird. We know because we’ve just gone through the process ourselves! Trying to make a new employee feel like part of your team when they can’t BE a part of your team is tricky. How about asking them to record a short video introducing themselves, you can share this with the team beforehand. On the employee’s first day start off with a 30 minute whole team meeting so everyone can be introduced and say hi.
• Give them a welcome gift – everyone loves getting presents and you can be as generous and creative as you like. On my first day with CUBE HR I received a welcome gift that included a beautiful plant – it still sits on my window and reminds me every day of the amazing company that I work for. What about providing some nice stationery, some sweets, or some branded merchandise?
• Get them involved in a social as soon as possible – that might have to be a virtual social just now, but arrange a meal, a drink, a walk. One company we know sent all their employees a tea bag and some biscuits so they could have a virtual tea party.
• Think about their start date – are they coming straight from one job to another? If so, what about allowing them a couple of paid days off at the beginning to recharge and unwind from their old role and set them up for the new? We’re not suggesting you go a far as some companies that give new employees a cash gift to go away for a few days, but allowing a little rest and recuperation time definitely isn’t a bad thing. Alternatively, why not allow them to start a couple of hours later on their first day.
• Pair them up with a buddy – choose someone who has a good personality fit and can help and support the new employee through their first weeks and months, they can make sure the new employee is introduced to other staff members, give them hints and tips that you just simply may not think of in the induction and act as a guide in general.
• Pay them to leave – this is a bizarre one, but Amazon offer new staff $5000 to leave after their training period – it’s designed to week out those who aren’t a good culture fit and not many employees actually take them up on the offer!

Keep it going – remember an induction doesn’t just last a day. It will take time for your new employee to feel comfortable and really fit in. Make sure they have regular catch ups, that you’ve set some simple objectives for their first few months, and that you acknowledge their probation period and the successful completion of it.

Do you have questions about induction?

Give us a call at CUBE HR, we’ll be happy to advise you and we have policies and templates available to meet every HR need.

Why not check out our other blog on the same topic Do You Have a Good or Bad Induction Process?

You can also watch a range of other videos on our YouTube channel