Staff induction. That one period of time upon an employee’s commencement when they are inundated with information—paperwork completed, emergency evacuation procedures explained, and policy boxes ticked. While a necessary part of the hiring process, inductions alone do not have a lasting impact on the success of new staff.
Instead of seeing induction as the final step in recruitment and signing off, look at it as one step in the process of onboarding.
If you are interested in all the differences between induction and onboarding, you can find some valuable information here and here. Basically, inductions are short-term, one-size-fits-all, transactional kind of programs that serve an informational purpose. Onboarding (or “organisational socialisation”) takes a longer-term, tailored approach, intentionally integrating new hires into the organisation and all its nuances. The bottom line: the sooner new staff feel welcome, part of the group, and prepared for their new role, the sooner they are able to successfully contribute to the company.
SHRM Foundation has published an excellent onboarding guide. One of the key takeaways is the four building blocks of successful onboarding:
- Compliance—all the legal and policy related “tick a box” stuff.
- Clarification—ensuring new staff understand their roles and expectations.
- Culture—providing new hires with a sense of formal and informal organisational norms.
- Connection—relationship and network building.
Induction sessions typically focus on the first two “C”s. An intentional onboarding program acknowledges the importance of the latter two “C”s in providing employees with the sense of belonging and confidence that largely influences their success.
Why bother with all the effort over and above a standard induction? Surveys have found employees are 58 per cent more likely to still be with the organisation three years later if they went through an onboarding program. Organisations with an onboarding program also notice 50 per cent greater new staff productivity. Longer term outcomes include decreased turnover, higher performance, and increases in job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Clearly, a little extra effort invested at the start maximizes the chances of your new employee succeeding.
Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression.
Share