4 Responses

1. induction review
   Hi Stuart

   In my view the approach taken to induction should reflect the nature and culture of the organisation. Without knowing what line of business you are in I can only offer some general comments. The last induction review I did was about 2 years ago for a large, national law firm and, in a nutshell, it focused on breaking down the induction programme into 3 stages – about the organisation, about the team you are in, about your job. It also involved a planned approach, identifying exactly who would contribute and what aspect they would be responsible for. Lots of stuff to think about when yuo are doing this. Please feel free to contact me direct if you would like to know more.

   good luck with the project

   best wishes
   Jan

2. Good induction leads to basic competence
   Stuart,

   I believe that a good induction programme will go way beyond day 1. A well-designed induction training programme that involves different sections of the organisation in its delivery, delivers great results. I believe that a good induction will not only familiarise new employees with their company, their rights and responsibilities, but also ensures that they quickly become a part of the team, are able to complete all key aspects of their role to the basic standard required. I have helped to introduce this style of programme to a number of companies, and have seen that this approach helps to reduce turnover, increase engagement and develop a coaching culture throughout the business.

   A flexible, self-directed approach where new starters complete a series of clearly defined activities, and are supported by line managers and experienced colleagues, means that new employees can become trusted, competent team members in all key aspects of their role in just a few short weeks. An added bonus of this approach is that time ‘off the job’ is kept to a minimum for both the new starter and their manager, meaning that operational issues need not suffer, and the new employee is kept busy during the first few weeks when they may otherwise be sat ‘twiddling thier thumbs’ and wondering what is going on all around them.

   Sorry for going on, but induction is one of my specialisms and I truly believe that a poor or ‘minimum requirements’ induction is a massive wasted opportunity. Feel free to contact me if you want to chew over some ideas.

3. Thanks
   Thanks so far for the responses.

   Sheridan if I could get your e mail address, that would be fantastic to bounce some ideas around.

   Thanks

   Stuart

4. induction programme
   Hi Stuart,

   To add to those you already have, here are few thoughts from my own experience of designing and facilitating company induction programmes.

   Firstly the need. This has generally been; to welcome in the newcomers warmly, to give them an overall understanding of the company dynamics and culture, to help them build supportive relationships with their peers, to give them analytic skills to stand back and see the bigger picture, and as part of their induction to give them practical opportunities for hands on involvement within the organisation.

   And secondly the process. To meet these needs I have made use of; an experiential induction workshop using a learning by doing simulation of the company’s operations, an action learning programme where participants have their own projects but receive regular support and challenge from their peers, mentoring from others in the company, and an exduction workshop to review their learning and prepare for their next steps.

   Overall I have found that this combination helps to integrate the newcomers within the company in a short time, and gives them the relevant understanding, skills, and team working relationships to make a contribution and enjoy doing so.

   Glad to share more information with you if needed.

   Good wishes,

   John

   john.teire@virgin.net