New employee induction checklist
Hurrah, the initial part of hiring a new employee is done. You’ve ‘ummed and aahed’ over what to write in the job description, you’ve waded through CVs from potential candidates and you’ve held interview after interview and now you feel as if you’ve finally found the right person, so what comes next to get this person settled in quickly and efficiently?
An induction or onboarding process is a critical next step and is an opportunity to officially welcome, integrate and train a new employee into your business. The aim of it is to help them settle in, get to grips with the business and understand their role a bit better.
First day Induction checklist
On your new employee’s first day, there will be a few things to go through and a few new ropes to learn. Here’s a helpful list of tasks to make your way through:
Deal with important documentation such as a signed contract and payment details
Arrange any security passes or codes the new employee might need
Explain health and safety policies and procedures
Make sure they know what to do in the event of a fire or an accident/emergency
Show them where they will be working
Check they have proper access to any tools/equipment they need and have logins to any systems (and know who to go to if it doesn’t work)
Introduce them to the rest of the team and book ‘meet and greet’ sessions with management
Familiarise them with basic facilities such as toilets, kitchen, staff room, parking, smoking areas
Issue them with all necessary documents e.g. policies, or your handbook.
An induction doesn’t have to be a formal process and there’s no set length of time it needs to last. Ultimately it depends on the role and the needs of your business.
And don’t forget, your new employee is entitled to be paid for any time they spend on induction, whether this is a whole day or just a few hours.
The difference between induction and probation
While a new employee’s probationary period and induction might happen at the same time, the two aren’t the same. A probationary period will assess the new worker’s performance in order to make sure they’re a good fit for the business. It’s a more formal process than an induction before the employee is ‘officially’ part of the company.
A well-planned induction can make a huge difference to how your new employee settles into their role. It also helps create a positive first impression and gives new starters the confidence that they’ve joined an organised and supportive workplace.
By taking the time to put a clear onboarding process in place, you can improve employee engagement and reduce any confusion.
If you need support with onboarding processes, probation periods or workplace policies, professional HR consultancy services, like us, can help ensure your business is compliant, organised and giving new employees the best possible start. Get in touch and we can discuss your needs in more detail.