Induction should involve communicating well to make a new person feel welcome, understand what they need to do and become familiar with the company culture and values.
You can do this by following these 15 easy tips:
- Get the HR paperwork and email account sorted before their first day in the office
- Look happy to see them when they turn up
- Make it personal. Everyone likes a personal touch
- Introduce them to their team. This needs to happen straight away
- Give them something to do. Most people want to be productive as soon as possible
- Invite them to a team meeting
- Don’t overwhelm them with too much info. Spread meetings throughout the first week
- Tell them their job expectations and what they need to do to be successful in their role
- Tell them how they will be appraised – it’s good to know this from the outset
- Talk to them about the company culture and values. It’s better to talk about culture than to read about it in an employee handbook
- Take them out for lunch
- Assign a buddy. Ideally someone in their team who has been around a while. It’s crucial that a new hire has someone who they can go to for guidance and questions who is not their direct manager. This will be more intensive in the first few weeks. Longer term, the ‘buddy’ system could turn into a workplace mentorship programme
- Check in regularly with them and get their feedback
- Give them the information that they need in a variety of ways – written documents, face to face explanations or demonstrations, team meetings, e-learning. Everyone learns in a different way, so cover your bases
- Smile!
BONUS: Systemise all this stuff, with a little organisation and forethought, new staff induction can be an engaging and empowering experience.
And remember, it’s often the little things that count the most.