Induction process

Dear All,

We are in the process are reviewing our induction process as it seems as though there is assumptions on who is doing what kind of introductory training.

Currently we have the standard HR and H&S, IT (telephones, systems) which is always on the first day. Then we also have department introductions so the new employee can learn about what each department does. We also have a finance induction to demonstrate finance process that affect them.

We are looking at standardising this process so there is a clear understand of who explains what elements so ensure a thorough on boarding.

But I am looking to see what other companies do and what works well for them?

Looking forward to your feedback.

Thanks!

 

You need to be a member of DPG Community to add comments!

Join DPG Community

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • Hi Olenka

    Agree with the others, this is a mammoth task! I did this when I joined current company and now have a booklet with check list of all the things I need to go through which I can email to you if you like.

    Its separated into HR and Health and Safety and along with this they have a lovely film to watch on the introduction to the business and how to be safe. They are given basic fire training and manual handling training then they will attend refresher training when that comes round.

    The Manager of the department is responsible of introducing them and showing them where the stationary and processes specific to the department, then they spend time with each department so they can see how they operate.

    Continually reviewing it though as there are always new things to introduce and tell them about.

    Hope this helps

    Rach

  •  

    Hi Olenka,

    An interesting question to consider is should onboarding only start on the employees first day in the organisation?

    What material gets sent between somebody accepting an offer and their "1st day"? How do you keep them engaged and interested during this period? What do they learn about the organisations culture before they even start?

    We are currently reviewing this process in our company and we aren't happy with what we have at the moment. All our new employees receive before they start is the normal contract etc. There is lots that can be provided before somebody starts so it doesn’t feel so intimidating. Videos explaining what each department does, e-learning material for compliance related topics that can be accessed externally. How about getting them in for lunch one day so they can spend some informal time with their team (not always possible admittedly). The way we are trying to look at it now is that the day they accept their job offer is their 1st day and we can stagger the induction from then.

    I hope this makes sense. It's a really big job but is one that needs to be tackled. Break it down into the journey the employee takes and think about what you would want to see. It's also really important to evaluate it afterwards. Do you have informal interviews with new starters after 3 or 4 months to understand how they feel? What they liked? What they would change?

    Good luck with this and if i can help in anyway then just shout :)

  • Hi Olenka

    At my company a colleague & I were tasked with revamping our induction process so we collated loads of ideas but then the whole thing got put on hold (typical!).  Anyhoo, it's a big job so i don't envy you!

    Firstly the induction process must fit in with the company culture & it needs to be appropriate to the businness.  I think the key is to make it interesting & interactive & not overwhelming (starting somewhere new can be abit scary especially when there's lots of information to take in).  Use a varierty of ways to introduce them to the company - face-to-face meetings, blogs, e-learning, group sessions, briefing notes, etc. this is a great opportunity to be creative & innovative.  For example, one of our ideas was to do a virtual tour of the company as we are split over several sites, so it's a good way to get to see the other offices without having to go there in the first week & behind certain doors there would be a little 2minute video from the relevant manager explaining what they did.

    Think about everything you think an employee needs to know & think about when they need to know it by.  What is the priority on the first day?  What needs to be done during the first week? What about in the first month, 3 months, 6 months?

    I think standardising the process is a good idea to ensure everyone has the same information & welcome into the company.  However, i do believe in some level of flexibility & tailoring to individuals is required - different roles will require more or less information on different aspects of the company.  So the way i think about it is like a mobile phone contract with added bolt-ons for individuals or alternatively like creating your own pizza, everyone starts with the same base then adds their own flavours...yep i just used a pizza analogy, you can tell it's a Friday!

    Secondly, i would ensure that their line manager is the one that leads the induction. Although HR would "own" Induction & organise & co-ordinate it, the line manager is essentially responsible for the employee & it's a good way of beginning to build a relationship.  We have a Manager's checklist which lists everything the employee needs to know & by when & who delivers it (some stuff we actually let them read in their own time during the first week to give them some breathing space & time to ask questions) and teh manager ticks them off as & when they're completed then a signed sheet is sent to HR. 

    I feel i have rambled on enough but i'm happy to talk over any ideas with you if you want.

    Jill

    PS just another thought, for me the induction process is a follow through from the recruitment process.  They need to match up in terms of quality & standard.  There's no point having a really wonderful recruitment process which attracts people to the company & then a rubbish induction process that leaves an employee wondering "what happened?!" 

  • Hi Olenka,

    Great subject and to get the ball rolling take a look at some previous thoughts in the community on induction. You may be able to get some ideas from these as well as build on them.

    Effective HR Inductions

    How do you like your induction?

This reply was deleted.

CIPD Branch Events

Did you know your local CIPD branch will put on relevant events that are free to CIPD members.

Take a look for your local branch here and what events are happening. Remember attending these events are great CPD evidence.

CIPD Branch Event Search

Members

Click here to see a full list of members including our Facilitators.

Did you know that if you go to the list of members, the Members Online button will show you who is online right now? Why not say hello?

What's Happening?

Melanie Guttridge and Maria Kenneth joined DPG Community
Monday
David Woodhouse and Jacqueline Ruth Dhanoya joined DPG Community
Mar 19
ZLYI posted a discussion
Mar 16
Ruth Miller and Simone Howarth joined DPG Community
Mar 13
alan cubero replied to NoahCarcia's discussion Besteonlinecasinoschweiz
Mar 13
alan cubero replied to Oscar Poppy's discussion Play wolf gold slot
Mar 13
Patty Black commented on Mike Collins's blog post Unlocking Potential Through Learning
Mar 7
Samuel Rocher is now a member of DPG Community
Mar 7
More…