A well-structured staff induction is very important as it will create a positive impression of your organisation, improve staff retention and ensure a good start to the employer/employee relationship.
(The majority of staff decide if they are going to leave an organisation in the first 4 weeks of employment).
A well planned induction will:
- Make the person feel welcome and comfortable
- Clarify expectations
- Make it easy to commence work
Things you may wish to include in your induction protocol:
1. Talk to your existing staff about:
- Who the new person is
- What their role will be
- What role they can play during the induction
2. Have everything the person needs ready in advance. This may include:
- Name tag
- Email address
- Copy of the roster
- Organisation chart (who everyone is and their role)
- Business card
- Equipment
- Uniform
- Coffee cup (the little things are important)
3. Let the new employee know what is expected:
- Discuss the job description, your expectations and how the individual’s role will contribute to the success of the business.
4. Administration – your checklist may include:
- Payroll have all necessary information
- Copy of employment contract given to employee
- Visa status (if applicable)
- All licenses and permits required are current, including veterinary surgeons boards’ registration and radiology license
- Health and Safety
5. Communicate:
- Speak with your new employee frequently to provide help/guidance. If you are not always available make sure they know who to go to if they need help.
6. Reviews during probation period:
- Reviews are often performed monthly and allow concerns to be addressed and provide clarity on priorities.
Like any other business priority, you and/or your existing staff will need to allocate time to inductions. Where organisations allocate time speaks volumes about what they value.
A well planned and well organised induction has many benefits to both parties.
I would be delighted to hear your thoughts on this. Could you please leave me a comment below?
Succinct but very informative. Totally agree with the points made (especially liked “the little
things are important” comment) as have found that to be true both as an employer and as an employee.
Good advice Mark. Sometimes it is necessary to have a reminder of the things that should be done in writing!
I think it is important to make time for feedback to & from (plenty to hear with gen Y) a new employee.