Bringing a new member of staff onboard is an exciting time for the incoming employee, their manager as well as current members of staff. However, at Accentuate HR we believe that an employee induction should be tailored carefully as it is important to give the new member of staff a thorough induction in order to help them be best prepared for their new role. Managers should strive to ensure that their employee induction plan helps to clearly set expectations of what is expected of the incoming member of staff in their new position.

An additional benefit of a well organised induction program is that it can help to increase staff retention rates in the workplace, something that is of great importance, with estimates suggesting that, for the average UK SME, replacing an employee can cost around £12,000.¹
With the overarching purpose of an induction program in mind, here at Accentuate HR we believe that a successful induction program should include, at minimum, the following from the list below:

• Administrative Information – Ensuring all new starter paperwork has been completed for payroll and personnel files, contracts signed and returned, right to work in UK checks have been carried out and appropriate copies of key documents made, references have been taken up and received, if relevant DBS checks back, evidence of qualifications, health and safety, fire procedures, payroll paperwork completed and P45 received, set dates for regular probationary reviews, go through timetable of induction activities, copy of the Job Description, and appropriate time to read and review the employee handbook/company policies and procedures and maybe a mentor identified that can provide further support. This is some of the most useful information for a new employee to know. However, it can often be overwhelming to take in all at once, so it is important that you provide the information in such a way that the employee can read through this at their own pace and with access whenever they may need it.
• Office Tour – An office tour is often one of the most enjoyable aspects of an induction. An effective tour should show the new employee where all of the office facilities and resources are and during an office tour a new employee should be briefly introduced to key department heads or figures in the business. Specific time can be added to the induction timetable to speak to key staff members.
• Line Manager Meeting – A new employee should ideally meet with their line manager during their induction. Various topics should be discussed during this meeting such as setting out expectations for the new employee in their position as well as giving the new employee a plan for their first week in their job. Planning the first week or so for the new employee will help to set expectations and allow the new member of staff to ask questions that may help them prepare for the tasks ahead.
• First Month Review – It is important that the new induction of an employee is not a one-day event. Although managers should not be overbearing, checking in with the new member of staff from time to time during their first month is important so as to ascertain if they have settled into their new position as well as to address any questions about expectations or procedures that they may have. This time could also be used to give feedback on their performance in the first month to keep the employee engaged and motivated.

A new employee induction should not be dismissed as a mere box-ticking exercise. A successful induction should be engaging and inspiring and companies can tell if they have been effective by judging as to how swiftly a new employee has been able to adjust to the company and their new responsibilities. However, it is important to note that the induction period should not last just a single day and should, instead, be treated as an ongoing and valuable process for the company and new employee.