Human Resource Management
Day 03 of 08
by
Dr. Chandanie Hadiwattege
Staff Induction
• Induction is a systematic and planned
orientation of employees to their jobs, their
co-workers and the organisation
• Induction process provides information to the
new employees to function comfortably and
effectively
• Induction is a process (not an event)
Purpose of Induction
• Welcome new staff
• Reduce start-up costs
• Reduce anxiety
• Reduce employee turnover
• Save time of supervisors and colleagues
• Develop realistic job expectations and job satisfaction
• ‘Feel – at home’
• Expedite proficiency
• Assist in newcomer assimilation
• Enhance adjustment to work group and norms
• Encourage positive attitude
Induction process
Pre-work: Plan and develop
• Check list for Induction
• Employee Welcome Pack
• Induction Programme
Hints for Success
• Communicate pride: e.g. Logo printed in handbook
• Encourage communication: e.g. Lunch/coffee invitations
• Reduce stress: e.g. Pair with buddies
• Mind thinks in Images, Not Words
• Repetition is the key..
• Keep the excitement alive: e.g. Games
• Collect feedback
Deliverables at Induction
• Contractual and other written information
• Company forms
• Welcome letter
• Parking pass and information on car parking
• Company policy documents (e.g. No Smoking Policy, Data Protection policy)
• Maps of sites (Shops, banks and catering facilities, nursery facilities)
• A current organisation chart listing the current roles and employees' names
• Copy of the company Human Resources manual
• Copy of their job description
• Copies of any marketing materials - brochures etc
• Staff telephone list
• A safety and health guidelines including evacuation procedures
• Security access codes
• Staff ID card
• Bus service information
• Year plan
• Induction programme details
• Sources of internal information and communication details
• Salary details
• Leave details
• Pension information
Information at Induction
Three (03) types of information
I. General information about the daily work routine,
II. A review of organisation history, vision, mission,
organisation structure, products/services as well as
how employees contribute towards the
organisation success
III. Organisational policies, work rules and employee
benefits, and disciplinary procedures
To whom?
• Managers (with guidance from HR) need to invest
time in inducting all new employees
• Some groups have specific needs – e.g. graduate
trainees, people returning from career breaks,
long-term absence or maternity leave, technical
specialists, senior appointments and directors
• Tailor-made programmes should also be available
for groups e.g. job-sharers, temporary staff,
promoted staff, transferred staff and remote and
hybrid workers
• Important for employees to be clear about the
nature and objectives of the arrangements
Common ways to deliver the
employee induction
• Online
• Face to face
• Mobile App
– A mix of face to face and online for the best new
employee induction experience.
– New staff might initially go through an online
induction going through the above steps and then
once starting the role, do additional face to face
onboarding activities such as a workplace tour,
introductions to team members and line manager
follow ups for that personal touch.
Impacts of Induction failures
• New employees can get off to a bad start, and lack clarity on their role
and how it links to the organisation’s goals, which could impact on their
intention to stay in the role.
• Turnover like this results in:
– Additional cost and time for recruiting a replacement.
– Wasted time for the inductor.
– Lowering of morale for the remaining staff.
– Detriment to the leaver’s employment record.
– Having to repeat the unproductive learning curve of the leaver.
– Damage to the organisation’s employer brand.
• According CIPD (2020), 42% of organisations are improving their induction
process to enhance retention.
• As more organisations are working remotely because of the COVID-19
pandemic, it’s particularly important to tailor induction programmes so
new joiners have a positive experience and additional support to connect
with new colleagues.
What to avoid
• Providing too much, too soon - the inductee must not be
overwhelmed by a mass of information, especially on the
first day.
• Pitching presentations at an inappropriate level - where
possible, presentations should be tailored to take into
account prior knowledge of new employees.
• HR rather than local managers providing all the
information - it should be a shared process.
• Creating an induction programme which generates
unreasonable expectations by overselling the job.
• Creating an induction programme that focuses only on
administration and compliance but does not reflect
organisational values.
Evaluation
• An effective induction programme should be engaging
and reassure the new employee that they have made
the right decision to join the business.
• The induction process should be evaluated to
determine whether it’s meeting the needs of the new
recruits and the organisation.
• This should include opportunities for feedback at the
end of the induction process and allow new recruits to
highlight areas for improvement.
• Identify key measures of success of the induction
process and evaluate the process against these metrics.
Information from turnover statistics or employee
feedback can also be used – particularly from those
who leave within the first 12 months of employment.
