THE ART OF GOOD EMPLOYEE INDUCTION

Employee induction is one of those corporate processes that is often underrated and undervalued. And, while it may appear as nothing but an incidental procedure, over the years, it has proven to be imperative to the health of an organisation or company.

Employee induction refers to the process by which new employees or hires are inducted and integrated into their role at their new jobs. And, unsurprisingly, employee induction has a lot more to do with strategy and a well-thought-out plan for holistic integration as opposed to a good ol’ pat on the back accompanied by, “Here’s your laptop and ID card. All the best for your journey with us!” 

A good and comprehensive employee induction can be the difference between a healthy or unhealthy organisation; between a satisfied, motivated and productive workforce and an unmotivated one.

That being said, it’s important to consider the various aspects of employee induction, so as to arrive at the elements that make employee induction a good one. Here are a few things you should be paying attention to when it comes to framing an induction process/ program that benefits your organisation – its employees and stakeholders.

1. Administrative Keys

When it comes to a good employee induction, never overlook the basics. From identification and address proof to insurance details, official documents – both personal and professional, company-specific policies like technology, confidentiality and contractual policies, leave and now work from home policies, it’s important to collect all these details in one fell sweep right at the beginning of the induction process.

While this may seem like a really complicated basic step, it’s extremely important to strategise and make it an effective process. When it comes to things like company guidelines and leave requests, you can consider a different channel of communication. Audio podcasts or video broadcasts, or even something as simple as a well-structured booklet can help make this otherwise overwhelming process (both for the employer and the employee) a streamlined one.

2. Vision, Mission and Everything in Between

The next step when it comes to inducting and integrating an employee into the workforce is making them aware of the company’s vision, mission, goals, short-term and long-term goals, and everything else that may be important to better understand the working of one’s organisation. 

When an employee is equipped with information of this nature, they’re more likely to be in alignment with the values of the organisation and work towards a common goal. This can only contribute positively to the health of a company.

While this process isn’t necessarily as involved as the first step, it can be addressed differently as well – videos, podcasts or powerful dialogue can help instill a sense of pride in the employee, early on. 

3. Friend of a Friend Introduction to Other Staff Members

This is, arguably, one of the most important steps of an employee induction program. A warm welcome to one’s team can set the new employee off on a journey of real productivity and motivation.

A good employee induction always includes a round of introductions and hellos. In addition to that, a common trend these days has become to set up an internal “buddy system”. Through this system, a new employee is assigned a “buddy” (an employee that’s been around for a while). This pairing allows for quicker and more in-depth integration and also provides the new employee with the right support.

4. Leadership Means…

Good and effective leadership means a lot more than just delegating. The top tier often sets the tone for the ethos of a workplace. And, it’s for this reason that it’s extremely important to facilitate an introduction between relevant team leaders and the new employee. The employee must feel welcomed and like they can, if necessary, approach the team lead. So, make sure to include this in your employee induction process.

5. To Do Lists Start on Day One

One of the worst things that can happen to a new employee is feeling lost – like they don’t really know what to do or where to be. An important part of a good employee induction program is to ensure that the first week, ten days of an employee’s work journey is charted out, the most efficient and maximum possible extent.

This will provide the employee with the necessary direction to get them started in their new role, without wasting time.

Now that we’ve covered the essential steps of a good employee induction program, here are a few ways to best implement such a program.

Aside from face-to-face interactions, video and written material are the most popular and traditional methods of facilitating employee induction. And, more recently, podcasts – a form of audio-only communication are also becoming increasingly popular in implementing employee induction.

Podcasting x Employee Induction

Given their versatility and mobility, podcasts have proven to be the ideal tool for employee inductions. Essentially, they’re digital audio files that can be distributed across various digital channels. Further, they can be used to accommodate most, if not all kinds of content.

Consider using podcasts to streamline various steps in your employee induction process, like company guidelines, vision and mission statements, a comprehensive look at company structure and other elements.

Further, there are also content production companies that can help in the execution of this process from start to finish. Production houses like Timbre Media, for example, cater to companies and organisations world over, addressing a diverse range of employee induction needs and focus on curating content that works best for you and the newest members of your family.