Induction policy

Use our induction policy alongside our induction checklist to ensure you have everything covered when a new employee starts work. You can also use it for newly-promoted employees and those who have transferred from a different work location.

Purpose of induction

The purpose of induction is to integrate a new employee into the business by providing them with the information they need to settle in quickly and become a productive and motivated member of staff. Statistics show that effective induction is a major contributory factor in retaining newly appointed staff. An effective induction isn’t a one-off event though so don’t bombard the employee with everything on the first morning! It can take place over the course of the first week or two and it’s an ongoing process to ensure the employee is settling in well and understands your expectations of them. Essential information should be supplied to the employee in a planned and systematic way so that they are able to absorb all of it - and this may be a combination of both paperwork and verbal briefings. The exact content of the induction programme can also vary depending on the seniority of the job role, the individual needs of the employee and the job description, so you may need to tailor it accordingly.

Policy provisions

Our Induction Policy provides that you’ll support all new employees through an induction programme and it then goes on to set out the objectives of that programme. It also covers the position of existing employees who have been promoted or transferred. They’ll all need to meet their line manager, other relevant managers and their work colleagues in their first week - it’s preferable for the key introductions to be made on their first day, along with a tour of the workplace. Our policy then sets out a list of core information that will be supplied to the employee by their line manager (or gone through with them), including main terms and conditions of employment and working arrangements, job description, staff handbook, health and safety rules and procedures, targets and performance objectives, training and development plan, location of various workplace facilities, information about the business and the employee’s department and the completion of all necessary documentation relating to their appointment.  Our policy also refers to the Induction Checklist which should ideally be used by managers to ensure the induction programme is fully completed.

Mentoring and training

Finally, our policy covers the appointment of a mentor to provide advice and assistance to the employee in their first few months. A mentor is normally an experienced colleague who can show the new employee the ropes and answer any questions they might have to help them settle in. However, the mentor doesn’t train the employee - it’s the line manager who has to take responsibility for training them and reviewing their progress. A review meeting should be held at the end of the employee’s first month to discuss how things have gone and to identify any gaps in the induction programme and training. Our policy clarifies that the line manager is responsible for the employee’s training and provides for an end of month one review meeting to take place.