Staff Induction Secrets: How to Turn New Hires into Great Performers!

Employee Inductions Help Everyone

A newly recruited employee is usually costly to a business: they consume resources and training time until their competency reaches the Minimum Acceptable Standard. The sooner they feel settled and valued, the sooner they’ll add value.

According to the Harvard Business Review 6, nearly 33% of new hires look for a new job within their first six months. A further 23% leave before a year! If this happens, then all the time and money you’ve spent on recruitment has been for nothing. You have to start all over again!

I therefore recommend serious consideration is given to employee induction. This includes activities that help new employees feel welcomed, supported and prepared to succeed in their new role. It reduces staff turnover while enhancing value for the organisation.

General induction checklist

Induction is normally hosted by the new employee’s manager:

• Greet the new employee at the door. Leaving them waiting creates a bad first impression and is likely to make them more nervous.
• Show them to their workspace and encourage them to personalise it if they wish. Have their technology and login credentials ready. If the worker is remote, ensure that any equipment is sent to them promptly.
• Cover health and safety points such as emergency exits and fire procedures early in the day. Show them the location of the toilets and where to get a coffee.
• Remind them of the Great Performance Profile and provide them a copy so they know how their performance will be measured. Explain that performance reviews will be held weekly or monthly and that you encourage lots of feedback.
• Explain the organisation’s values so that new starters understand how to use their initiative and work independently in line with these.
• Get other staff involved. Give colleagues the new employee’s CV and Great Performance Profile and ask them to describe their own roles, how these relate to that of the new hire and how they might work together.
• Have lunch with the new staff member. A joiner who has to eat lunch on their own on day one is likely to feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Arrange to take them out to lunch, or invite them to join you at the canteen. This will build friendly relationships and help the person integrate more quickly.
• Give the new joiner a plan for their first week. This should include the times and locations of any training sessions and introductory meetings
• Assign a workplace buddy to the new hire to act as an immediate resource for any questions or advice they may need in the first couple of weeks. More advice on this is covered below.

Assign workplace buddies

A workplace buddy is a colleague who is assigned to a new employee to help them settle into their role. They provide support and guidance to new hires and set the tone for company culture.

There are various benefits to having workplace buddies:

1. Enhanced socialisation. A workplace buddy can help new hires feel welcomed and supported, greatly reducing anxiety.
2. Improved performance. New starters can get up to speed more quickly, improving performance and productivity.
3. Greater job satisfaction. Workplace buddies help new starters feel connected to their team and organisation, leading to greater job satisfaction.
4. Increased retention. As mentioned, new starters are often anxious, but ongoing support alleviates this and so reduces employee turnover.
5. Enhanced team cohesion. A buddy programme can help to build the relationships that are so vital in the workplace.

A Great Performer is normally preferred as a buddy, but to be effective they must be:

Knowledgeable about the company, its policies and procedures and the new starter’s role and responsibilities.

• Patient and willing to take the time to clearly explain things to the new starter.
• Supportive and encouraging, helping the new starter feel welcomed and included.
• Responsive to questions and able to give guidance as requested.
• Professional and able to maintain confidentiality when appropriate.

In addition, group new starters together. They often find it easier to build relationships with each other as they’re going through the same transition together.

Introduce them to your Employee Referral Program

As discussed on in other articles, employee referrals can be a great source of applicants. Therefore, educate new starters about the Employee Referral Program and how they can get involved.

I’ve included an Employee Referral Program Policy for you to download.

Additionally you could simply ask new starters <span class="is-speech">“Who did you previously work with who was really good?”</span>

If they start referring early, this could be a great sign that they trust the company enough to recommend it, which may lead to increased retention.