Inducting new employees

Here at TurnstoneHR we frequently encounter cases where new employees are felt to be underperforming during their probation period. While in some cases the employee may well be at fault, this can often be the result of a lack of a proper induction process.

This is particularly pertinent to school or University leavers – who, as yet, have little or no experience of the world of employment, and won’t necessarily know how to answer the phone, deal with visitors, handle enquiries and pass them onto the right the person, or just demonstrate the overall ethos of the business without reasonable instruction.

Every organisation, regardless of size, should have an induction process. This is a vital step in enabling new employees to get to know their new role and place of work, and for you to be clear about what you expect of them.

Not only is it unfair and unreasonable to expect any new recruit to perform without a proper induction, but it could also have a significant negative impact on your business. Failure to properly induct new employees can result in poor integration, low morale (for both the new recruit and existing staff), and failure to reach their full potential. Eventually this could leave to the employee either resigning or being dismissed – resulting in further recruitment and induction costs (and potential reputational damage).

A good induction process should provide all the information that new employees need, without overwhelming them.

It should include:

• An outline of the role requirements and an explanation of terms and
  conditions.
• Showing them around the facilities.
• Explaining how the employee fits into the team and how their role fits with the organisation’s strategy and goals.
• An awareness of other functions within the organisation, and how the employee fits within that.
• Meeting with key senior employees
• Health and safety information – this is a legal requirement.

It’s also important prioritise training that will make the employee useful, and involve them in productive activities as soon as possible. And remember that one size does not fit all – The length and nature of the induction process depends on the complexity of the job and the background of the new employee.

It’s also a good idea to appoint a Mentor or ‘buddy’ – a colleague who is not a line manager who can assist with the settling in process in a more informal manner.

For support with employee engagement, performance management, and training, contact us on 01229 615280 or email us at info@turnstonehr.com for a FREE consultation.