How to Induct New Employees to Your Business

Staff turnover is an unavoidable truth in the sustained operation of a business. Employee needs change over time, and various factors may form part of an individual’s decision to move on. Indeed, employee retention has been a point of particular concern for UK businesses this year, with many emboldened to seek new roles with preferential terms, or even in new careers entirely.

While attention is rightly given to contract terms, perks, and the institution of a robust hiring system, there is an area of HR that many businesses inadvertently fail to address: induction. Indeed, according to recent statistics around a third of younger adults in the workforce reported a lack of management support as a leading reason for leaving a role.

The onboarding process is a crucial part of this management-employee relationship, and a strong path through which to ensure the employee feels themselves a good fit within your business. What should you be doing to induct new employees into your business?

Use a Buddy System

It is easy for new employees to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of being left to their own devices. This can happen all too often in larger businesses with a number of staff per department.

A good way to counteract this is to institute a buddy system, wherein new employees are given existing employees in their department as a main point of contact for questions and information. This can also serve to provide an initial social link, enabling new staff members to better ingratiate themselves as a member of a team.

Review Their Equipment Ahead of Time

Another issue faced by businesses relates to the equipment given to new staff members. A good example of the potential issues in this area can be found in workshop-based environments.

If a member of staff has their own workbench with their own supply of tools and personal protective equipment, these materials may fall under that staff member’s list of responsibilities. On induction, a new employee might find blunt tools and missing PPE, on account of poor upkeep by the previous employee to use the bench.

A direct, audit-led approach to workspaces and new staff provisions can help avoid this eventuality. A good relationship with a PPE supplier would ensure ample provisions for all staff, while a proactive system of equipment and workspace review would equip new starters with everything they need.

Grant an Induction Period

Induction days are a common fixture in contemporary employment practice, giving employers a day to get new starters up to speed on certain aspects of the business, and also to allow for the reading and signing of contracts and codes of conduct.

But many businesses are taking the smart approach of expanding this initial induction period to a week or more. With a curriculum of sorts, new starters can learn their way through the business’s internal processes and quickly get to grips with the ins and outs of their role, without feeling the pressure of having to perform well out of the gate.