HR Pulse

What is ‘best practice’ induction?

A horrific story that has been doing the rounds this week is about a high school pupil, whose initiation into the school – by a number of matrics – got out of hand, with the 'inductee' being subjected to – among others – branding by a steam iron. The matrics' response to these atrocities was that the victim's treatment was "for his own good". The point of initiation – like induction – is to make the newcomers feel at home. Here, the initiation process did clearly not achieve this purpose. So what are the best practice induction processes that will make a newcomer feel comfortable?

Research has shown that a new hire who is effectively and efficiently inducted into the organisation will become more productive, more quickly as they will find themselves being engaged with their work - and engaged employees are more productive employees.

International best practice advocates that to induct a new employee effectively, you need to go through the following processes:

• Prepare a work area for the new employee,
• Have all necessary equipment and materials ready,
• Decide on a mentor or 'buddy' (if applicable) who is the same age and grade as the new hire,
• Set up Internet and e-mail access,
• Arrange schedule of activities and responsibilities for induction with supervisor,
• Prepare all materials, documents, etc., required for induction as an induction pack,
• Prepare a work plan,
• Hold an induction meeting,
• Put the new hire through a structured induction programme,
• Evaluate the induction period training of new hire, and
• Seek feedback on the induction programme.

The CIPD has more detailed information on developing a suitable induction programme for your company. Follow this link to find out more.

Lia Marus is the editor of HR Pulse. She has a BA in French, Italian and Linguistics from UCT, an MA in translation from Wits and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the Wits Business School. She is currently studying towards her LLB through Unisa. Lia started her career off in corporate communications, where she worked as a sub-editor, researcher and marketing coordinator. She then heeded the call of the publishing world and went into the business-to-business publishing field. She worked as a sub-editor as well as a chief sub-editor. Before joining ITWeb, she managed an HR guidebook at a leading international publishing company.