Job offers and staff inductions

Preparing for an induction

Guide

Preparation is the key to a good staff induction.

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.

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.