Guide to Induction or onboarding responsibilities for managers

Induction may be considered as either the last stage of the recruiting process or the beginning of a new employee's employment. In any case, a good induction programme will assist in ensuring that new workers settle in properly and get a grasp of the organisation and its rules, processes, and culture as soon as feasible. It also allows them to rapidly become successful and motivated team members.

While induction is typically thought of as a procedure to welcome newly hired employees into the organisation, it may also be used extremely effectively following a takeover or merger, or when people are relocated to a different section of the organisation. In these cases, it can aid in the assimilation of people into a new working environment.

The significance of implementing an induction programme for new employees

A well-planned induction to the organisation, department, work, and colleagues is critical if a new employee is to become productive and effective as soon as practicable.

Line managers should ensure that each new employee's induction programme begins on day one, with the learning process continuing in the weeks and months that follow.

A well-planned induction programme will build the groundwork for a long-term beneficial working relationship. If induction is left to chance, a new employee is likely to be misinformed about and under-trained in the company objectives, processes, regulations, and procedures. The employee's chance of resigning during the first few months of work will also increase.

The advantages of Induction

Every employer wants its employees to work hard and be loyal to the company. This "psychological contract" will be strengthened if an employee's first impression of the organisation is favourable.

The following are some additional advantages of successful induction:

• The induction procedure enables an organisation to positively promote its business image.

• Employees who are given an awareness of the "big picture" throughout the induction process are more likely to understand how their function fits into it and, as a result, are more likely to perform their role effectively.

• Effective induction assists people in becoming proficient in their roles, feeling secure and at ease in them, and experiencing enhanced job satisfaction.

• An effective induction programme increases the likelihood of workers remaining with the organisation.

The induction programme

Induction timing

The induction process should not be a one-time event that occurs just on the first or second day of a new employee's employment. It should be a continuous procedure that takes several weeks or even months to complete. This helps the new employee to progressively acquire all of the crucial and relevant job specifics. If an employee is bombarded with too much knowledge at once, he or she is likely to forget most of it.

The induction process's location

Separate portions of the induction procedure are often held in different places. A preliminary "induction day," for example, might take place in the company's boardroom or training room, or in a hotel conference suite, while the remainder is performed in the necessary portions of the workplace.

Large organisations with several work sites sometimes adopt a two-part method, with the corporate induction occurring centrally (to guarantee that all new employees hear the same corporate message) and separate local inductions occurring at individual sites.

Participation in the induction procedure

The induction programme will very certainly include feedback from a variety of supervisors / managers within the organisation, as well as the new employee's colleagues.

In a large organisation, the HR or training department may create the whole programme in collaboration with line managers. However, the individual's line manager should take ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the induction programme is completed and that others assist as needed.

Departments and managers that might be involved in the process include:

• The employee's direct supervisor: to offer information on the work, how it fits within the section, and the roles of other employees in the department

• The department manager: to explain how the employee's section fits into the overall department, as well as the functions of the department as a whole; HR - to cover terms and conditions of employment, company benefit schemes, policies and rules, and training; security - to arrange for security passes to be issued; IT - to organise computer access, passwords, and lists of internal phone numbers, and to explain the organization's

• A health and safety representative: to cover safety rules and accident reporting; other department heads will provide an overview of their department's activities; and a trade union representative will explain the option of union membership and provide information about the union's activities if the workplace recognises a union.

Record-keeping

Each member of staff should keep a record of their induction training. This is frequently a checklist of the many components of the induction programme. It is critical to document that each new employee received the appropriate health and safety information, such as information about fire safety regulations. 

Equal opportunities

Line managers must ensure that no employee is discriminated against because of disability, gender, transgender status, pregnancy and maternity, marriage or civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or age when conducting induction.

If it is required to fit the demands of a certain employee, the organisation should be prepared to change the way induction is carried out. This might be the situation if the new employee does not speak English fluently, is relatively young (say, a high school graduate), or has a disability.

Line managers should ensure that any new employee who has a low knowledge of spoken or written English receives particular coaching or further training, or that material is delivered in another format (for example, in his or her native language);

Employees should be given a copy of the organisation's equal opportunities policy and the essential components of the policy, as well as the logic behind it, are properly explained to them.

The obligation to offer reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities

Employers must make reasonable adaptations to any law, criterion, or practise they apply to their workers, as well as any physical aspect of their premises, in order to suit the requirements of their disabled employees. This is to assist such personnel in overcoming any disadvantage caused by their disability.

The entire subject of whether or whether a new employee with a disability requires any adaptations should be considered prior to the person's first day on the job, and suitable accommodations should be made. However, there may be unique alterations that may benefit the individual during the induction process.

The first step is to verify that the methods utilised during the induction programme, such as communication methods, do not exclude the disabled employee. It will be important to review each component of the programme to decide what adjustments, if any, are required, based on the type of the individual's disability and their nique requirements.

Part-timers

Part-timers must be given the same chance as full-timers to complete a comprehensive induction programme. Induction training should be scheduled at times that are convenient for part-time staff.