The guidance employees receive when starting a new job can mean the difference between feeling welcomed into a new team or completely bewildered. Despite this, inductions are often rushed or overlooked by employers.

But how important are inductions really?

In a word, very.

Getting people through the doors is one thing, but making them part of the team is what will keep them with you for the long haul.

There are of number of reasons why employers often fail to provide thorough inductions:

  • You may not have time to devise and then carry them out;
  • you may not have staff who are appropriately trained to induct new starters;
  • you may be so familiar with the company yourself that you fall into the trap of thinking these things are self-explanatory; or
  • You may simply not believe they add value.

The reality is that employers often spend a lot of time and effort recruiting employees, only to let their hard work go to waste by not providing enough support in the initial few weeks. This can seriously harm your employee retention rate, as well as invite issues down the line.

Without a proper induction, costly mistakes could be made or the employee could injure themselves or others due to a lack of training. It could also lead to poor performance, and if you then consider dismissing an employee for this reason, you would need to be able to show that you have followed a fair process, which would include having provided adequate training. 

However, these issues are easily avoided.

So what’s the key to an effective employee induction?

It is always worth spending the time to devise a thorough induction plan for any new employees. Before you leave them to their own devices, make sure you have completed these 10 steps:

10 steps to an effective employee induction

Information overload

Be cautious of bombarding the new starter with too much information too quickly, as this can lead to them feeling overwhelmed. Try to structure the induction process appropriately, keeping in mind what new employees will need to know on day one and what can wait for a few days.

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Need a helping hand?

If you want to make sure that your recruitment and induction processes align with best practice, our qualified HR, Employment Law and Health & Safety Advisers can help with Contracts of Employment, Employee Handbooks, risk assessments and training.

Alternatively, if you’re currently facing a claim which has arisen as a result of your recruitment and induction processes, we can provide expert advice on how to deal with the situation.

For a free consultation, call 0345 226 8393.

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