As you probably know, getting new people on board at your organisation can make a huge difference to the way they feel about their role and the work they do. We all want an engaged workforce and to retain our top talent. A critical part of achieving these two outcomes is providing an effective induction experience.
We've been designing induction experiences for many years now for clients in the public and private sector. We decided to take a close look at what has worked well for these clients and were able to identify the following 12 principles for designing and effective workplace induction.
1. Everything matters
When it comes to induction, 'everything matters'. Every choice, every action, every communication has a consequence. Not only does every choice have a consequence in terms of how quickly an employee gets up to speed, every choice also communicates to the employee something about the business. Because every action carries an implicit message, the new induction programme needs to communicate a message consistent with the company’s culture, vision, and values to employees.
2. Think experience
When creating an induction process, think 'experience.' When making decisions about how to structure the induction process, how to welcome your new staff, how to introduce them to their team members and the business as a whole, consider each choice through the lens of “What kind of experience does this choice create?”
So for instance, overloading new staff with technical information on the first day creates an experience that overwhelms and is frustrating. By providing measured doses of only the most essential information in small chunks creates a very different experience. It leaves the employee with a very different feeling and a very different perception of the business.
When “thinking experience”, ask two questions:
- “What emotional take-out do I want to create?”
The emotional take-out refers to the feeling that a person takes away from their experience. - “What perceptual take-out do I want to create?”
Because everything matters and every action sends a message – and therefore creates a perception – think of each step of the process as an opportunity to send a desirable message.
3. Make your new staff feel welcome
If new staff feel welcomed and valued from the outset, they are more likely to act in ways that provide value. Because it’s easier connecting with people who welcome you, they will also more quickly and easily become integrated into their team and the service.
4. Encourage satisfaction
One of the most important roles of the induction process is communicating to new employees:
- You made the right decision.
- We want you to be part of the business.
- This is why its great to work here.
You encourage satisfaction by sharing stories that capture the magic, that illustrate what makes the business special and great.
5. Help new staff see the big picture
Talking about the business’s strategy and what makes it great is one component of bringing the big picture into view. Explaining how the business works and how the various parts work together to make the business function well is another critical part of this process.
6. Show how employees matter
Explain from the outset the importance of their contribution. Give examples of how employees made valuable contributions, how they came up with ideas for change and process improvements, and how management values and uses their input.
People want to know that they matter not just in terms of helping contribute to the big picture and to the business’ goals, but also that they matter as a person. They want to know that their individuality is recognised and respected.
7. Collect and share stories
Few forms of communication can match story-telling for the capacity to captivate, teach, and enthuse. A well-told story is almost like being there. Because engaging stories create a strong gut reaction, and a vivid experience, they can create powerful emotional and perceptual take-outs that last a lifetime.
The induction programme should include stories that illustrate the key values of the business, the unique culture, how much employees are valued and respected – and anything that lets new staff know what is good and what is different about the business.
8. Make your induction programme interesting and interactive
Making induction more interactive not only makes learning more enjoyable, it is also more effective because it mirrors the natural way we learn. The more learning is designed in a way that are consistent with on-the-job learning, the more effective it will be. Making induction as interactive as possible is also great for team-building integrating the new staff person into their team.
9. Designing induction from the new employee’s perspective
The induction programme needs to have a user-centric focus. Asking for feedback and using this to upgrade the programme will be one of the most important steps in improving the induction process.
Timing for induction is also critical; having time to learn one’s job and have some real life experience in the role provides the new staff member with context, so that when they hear representatives from other parts of the business describe their own ’piece of the puzzle‘ it will make more sense.
10. Offloading as much information as possible to the intranet/internet
One of the rules of effective learning is ’just-in-time information delivery‘. Rather than overload staff with information they won’t remember the next day – let alone weeks or months later show them how to access the information when they need it. Use a reference based approach where you are replicating how people learn day to day.
11. Make it easy for new staff to tell you how they’re doing
Set meetings and opportunities for feedback from new staff to see how they are going. This is critical during the first 2 to 6 months in their role. New staff are reluctant to complain so offering key times to talk through any issues will help engage and retain the new staff member.
12. Help your managers and coaches do their part.
Provide training specifically related to the induction process and the manager’s role in making it a success. You can also give them a straightforward induction ‘to do’ list they can follow. This not only makes sure busy managers remember to address all the key components of their part of the induction process; it also makes their job easier.
Since everything matters, doing this communicates to your managers that you care about helping them do their jobs well, and you care about them inducting their people well.
Question
Which of those principles have worked well for you when designing an induction? Post a comment and share your thoughts and experiences.
Image via NinaZed
