An induction programme is the process used within many businesses to welcome new
employees
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...
to the company and prepare them for their new role. It helps in the integration of employees into the organization.
Induction training should, according to
TPI-theory The theory of TPI is an attempt to reconcile theoretical understanding of organizational socialization such as the process of integration.
TPI-theory refers that new employees need to develop theoretical (T) and practical (P) skills towards the pe ...
, include development of theoretical and practical skills, but also meet interaction needs that exist among the new employees.
An Induction Programme can also include the safety training delivered to contractors before they are permitted to enter a site or begin their work. It is usually focused on the particular safety issues of an organisation but will often include much of the general company information delivered to employees.
Benefits
An induction programme is an important process for bringing staff into an organisation. It provides an introduction to the working environment and the set-up of the employee within the organisation. The process will cover the employer and employee rights and the terms requirements for working at the company and pay attention to the
health and safety
Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wo ...
of the new employee.
An induction programme is part of an organisations
knowledge management
Knowledge management (KM) is the collection of methods relating to creating, sharing, using and managing the knowledge and information of an organization. It refers to a multidisciplinary approach to achieve organisational objectives by making ...
process and is intended to enable the new starter to become a useful, integrated member of the team, rather than being "thrown in at the deep end" without understanding how to do their job, or how their role fits in with the rest of the company.
Good induction programmes can increase productivity and reduce short-term
turnover of staff.
These programs can also play a critical role under the socialization to the organization in terms of performance, attitudes and organizational commitment.
In addition, well designed induction programmes can significantly increase the speed to competency of new employees, thus meaning they are more productive in a shorter period of time.
A typical induction programme
A typical induction programme will include at least some of the following:
*any legal requirements (for example in the, some
Health and Safety
Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...
training is obligatory)
*any regulatory requirements (for example in the banking sector certain forms need to be completed)
*introduction to terms and conditions (for example,
holiday
A holiday is a day set aside by custom or by law on which normal activities, especially business or work including school, are suspended or reduced. Generally, holidays are intended to allow individuals to celebrate or commemorate an event or tra ...
entitlement, how to make expense claims, etc.)
*a basic introduction to the company, and how the particular department fits in
*a
guided tour
A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized sightseeing and individual clients at educational establishments, relig ...
of the building
*completion of government requirements (for example in submission of a
P45 or
P60)
*set-up of payroll details
*introductions to key members of staff
*specific job-role train
Best practice
In order to fully benefit the company and employee, the induction programme should be
planned in advance. The timetable should be prepared, detailing the induction activities for a set period of time (ideally at least a week) for the new employee, including a named member of staff who will be responsible for each activity. This plan should be circulated to everyone involved in the induction process, including the new starter. If possible it should be sent to the new starter in advance, if not co-created with the new starter.
["Onboarding - How to Get Your New Employees Up to Speed in Half the Time", George Bradt and Mary Vonnegut (John Wiley & Sons, 2009) - ]
It is also considered best practice to assign a buddy to every new starter. If possible, this should be a person who the new starter will not be working with directly, but who can undertake some of the tasks on the induction programme, as well as generally make the new employee feel welcome. (For example, by ensuring they are included in any
lunch
Lunch is a meal eaten around the middle of the day. It is commonly the second meal of the day, after breakfast, and varies in size by culture and region.
Etymology
According to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED''), the etymology ...
time social activities.)
See also
*
Onboarding
''Onboarding'' or organizational socialization is the mechanism through which new employees acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors in order to become effective organizational members and insiders. In the United States, for example ...
regarding acquiring, accommodating, assimilating and accelerating new employees
*
Induction (teachers)
Induction is the support and guidance provided to novice teachers and school administrators in the early stages of their careers. Induction encompasses orientation to the workplace, socialization, mentoring, and guidance through beginning teacher p ...
for induction of teachers in
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
*
Employee Exit Management Employee offboarding describes the separation process when an employee leaves a company. The offboarding process might involve a phased transfer of knowledge from the departing employee to a new or existing employee; an exit interview; return of any ...
*
TPI-theory The theory of TPI is an attempt to reconcile theoretical understanding of organizational socialization such as the process of integration.
TPI-theory refers that new employees need to develop theoretical (T) and practical (P) skills towards the pe ...
*
Employee offboarding Employee offboarding describes the separation process when an employee leaves a company. The offboarding process might involve a phased transfer of knowledge from the departing employee to a new or existing employee; an exit interview; return of any ...
*
Induction training
References
ACAS article "Recruitment, selection and induction*Alvenfors, Adam (2010) ''Introduction - Integration? On the introduction programs’ importance for the integration of new employees''.
*Browning, Guy (15 July 2004) ''New kid on the block'' People Management Magazine
Further reading
How the early career framework (ECF) supports induction
{{employment
Business terms
Human resource management
Recruitment
Outsourcing