The first few weeks of an employee’s appointment can have a lasting impact on how they perceive the business. In fact, a study by Wynhurst Group found that employees that went through a structured induction program were 58% more likely to stay with a company in three years’ time.

Additionally, HHR states that structured induction programs provide greater compliance and understanding of company culture, while increasing employee productivity.

So what do you want your employees to know about your business?

Prepare an induction checklist

The induction to your company needs to reflect the role of the position that you have recruited for. This means that different roles should have slightly different induction programs. However, there should be a consistent framework that covers the required aspects of the company. Consider writing a checklist to ensure that you cover all the necessary aspects of your new employee joining the company. This should include but not be limited to:

• Organisational Chart & overview of the different roles
• Company Information
• HR Policies
• Workplace Health & Safety
• Standards of Behaviour
• Expectations at key points i.e. by end of the first week, first month etc.

This is essentially the ‘nuts and bolts’ about how the company runs, who’s who on the organisational chart and what behaviour is acceptable and what is not. There will be a component of ‘on the job’ training that is required or possibly structured training, depending on the nature of the role that is being recruited for.

Get the team involved

Bringing a new employee into your business can be a way to rejuvenate the culture and get other employees involved in the process. Miles Burke from 6Q recommends engaging with members of the team to deliver components of the induction program to the new starter. Consider asking the Administration team to cover aspects of Payroll, senior team members to discuss culture and so forth. This also breaks up what can be a great deal of information for the new inductee to digest. More importantly than understanding the essential components is for the new starter to gain an understanding of the company culture. The best way to do this is for new starters to spend time with different employees from different divisions and offices. This has an additional benefit of them understanding how they might progress into different roles and work environments, which increases their engagement and retention.

Consider Professional Development opportunities

It’s also important to consider professional development for the new starter. Is there a mentoring system already established within the business? Pairing your new starter with an established (and more senior) employee can be a great way to help them navigate the workplace and understand the culture (as well as a sounding board for any questions they might have).

 Check in with them

Induction doesn’t finish on the first day or the first week: Ensure you check in with your new employee every few months to understand how they are finding the job, the role and the company! Take note of any feedback on their induction experience and use it to input into future induction programs.