So, you’ve hired a few new employees to work for your already thriving business, and you’re wondering if they need an induction. The answer is always yes; new employees benefit greatly from being gently inducted into their new roles, rather than being thrown into the deep end of their duties and responsibilities.
Put yourself in their shoes for a moment: You’ve just walked into the office building of your new job, where you will be spending 40 hours a week. You know your job duties, and you’ve probably spoken to all of three people so far – one of those being the person that interviewed you. You don’t know where anything is, nor do you really know what’s expected of you day-to-day or who your line manager is.
An induction clears up all of these questions (alongside a little “on the job” training, which should ideally take place in an employee’s first week working with your company). There is plenty of essential information that needs to be communicated to your new employees. To give an induction is to give an employee the best possible start in your business.
Giving An Induction
Most employers give casual inductions to their new employees. These are often done in groups – with all of the new employees meeting on the same day, in the morning. There will be an introduction, employee handbooks will be passed out, and questions about their contracts will be answered as they sign them.
From there, a tour of the building usually follows. An induction is never about putting in a workday, but rather, getting to know your potential workday. Small bits and pieces of training are given; these usually show an employee how they are expected to do their job. Sometimes, new inductees may observe other employees in their work habitat, to get a feel for the business.
Though this type of induction works, it leaves a new employee feeling a little lost. When you look at the amount of information they’ve been given, most of it is just fed to them through paperwork and health and safety presentations. Past that, many employee inductions don’t deem it necessary to help an employee any further. This is where the issue lies.
Making Your Induction The Best It Can Be
A well-written induction program can be one of the most efficient ways of bringing a new employee into your team. New employees need to be assimilated into your workplace and its culture, because this can help them feel like a team member faster than they would otherwise.
By properly educating your new employee on your company’s policies, and what you expect them to do during their work shifts, you can quickly cut out the awkwardness that comes with starting work in a new place.
The goal of an induction should be to create a positive work atmosphere for your new employees, while addressing their concerns and increasing their comfort levels and knowledge. The more you share with your employee, the less stressful their first week will be. At AJ HR Solutions, we can help you create an induction solution that’s right for you. Whether that’s revising what you already have in place or creating a new process from scratch, we can tailor your induction to meet your needs, and the needs of your new hires. To find out more, just get in touch with the team today.
