Job offers and staff inductions
Preparing for an induction
Guide
Preparation is the key to a good staff induction.
Before the worker starts
- Tell other people that there's a new starter, prepare their working area, organise any equipment necessary and have any documentation ready for them to read.
- Consider providing them with an information pack about the job before they begin work - see new starter pack for staff.
- Prepare an induction checklist including all the items that need to be covered and what needs to be done when. You can plan for the induction to be spread over a period of days or weeks depending on the nature of the job.
- Make sure that the key people who will be involved in the induction process have been briefed.
- Arrange in advance any instruction or training courses needed - eg on your IT systems.
Once the worker starts
- Ensure that when they arrive they are made to feel welcome.
- Get one person, ideally their line manager, to take care of a new starter throughout the first day.
- Make sure they know how any office machinery works, and the location of commonly used facilities - eg the post room, stationery store and lavatories.
- It is a good idea to get new workers to complete some kind of work on their first day. This can help them relate what they are learning to their job.
- Include informal aspects such as whether the tea, coffee and biscuits are free or whether there is a kitty.
- Ask for feedback during and after the process to check that you haven't missed anything. You might want to give the new starter a checklist and ask them to sign it to show it has been completed.
- It could be beneficial to provide a mentor for the new employee - this would likely be another member of staff who works within their team and is familiar with the type of work they will be doing.
Once you have established a good induction procedure, it is useful to set it out in writing and use it whenever a new person starts.
Induction templates
To help you devise your staff induction activities, download and use our sample induction plans:
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LRA Workplace Information Service03300 555 300
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