1.

Following are the standard HR practices for an effective Induction and orientation program:

Induction Training is absolutely vital for new starters. Good induction training ensures new starters
are retained, and then settled in quickly and happily to a productive role. Induction training is more
than skills training. It's about the basics that seasoned employees all take for granted: what the
shifts are; where the notice-board is; what the routine is for holidays, sickness; where's the
canteen; what's the dress code; where the toilets are. New employees also need to understand the
organisation's mission, goals, values and philosophy; personnel practices, health and safety rules,
and of course the job they're required to do, with clear methods, timescales and expectations.

On the point of values and philosophy, induction training offers a wonderful early opportunity to
establish clear foundations and expectations in terms of ethics, integrity, corporate social
responsibility, and all the other converging concepts in this area that are the bedrock of all good
modern responsible organisations. trainers and new starters - anyone - can bring compassion and
humanity to work. The starting point is actually putting these fundamantal life-forces on the
workplace agenda.

Professionally organized and delivered induction training is your new employees' first proper
impression of you and your organization, so it's also an excellent opportunity to reinforce their
decision to come and work for you.

Proper induction training is increasingly a legal requirement. Employers have a formal duty to
provide new employees with all relevant information and training relating to health and safety
particularly.

As a manager for new employees it's your responsibility to ensure that induction training is properly
planned. Even if head office or another 'centre' handles induction training - you must make sure it's
planned and organised properly for your new starter. An induction training plan must be issued to
each new employee, before the new employee starts, and copied to everyone in the organisation
who's involved in providing the training, so the new starter and everyone else involved can see
what's happening and that everything is included. Creating and issuing a suitable induction plan for
each new starter will help them do their job better and quicker, and with less dependence on your
time in the future. Employees who are not properly inducted need a lot more looking after, so failing
to provide good induction training is utterly false economy.

As with other types of training, the learning can and development can be achieved through very
many different methods - use as many as you need to and which suit the individuals and the group,
but remember that induction training by its nature requires a lot more hand-holding than other types
of training. Err on the side of caution - ensure people are looked after properly and not left on their
own to work things out unless you have a very specific purpose for doing so, or if the position is a
senior one.

As with other forms of training there are alternatives to 'chalk and talk' classroom-style training.
Participation and 'GAAFOFY' methods (Go Away And Find Out For Yourself) can be effective,
particularly for groups and roles which require a good level of initiative. Here are some examples of
training methods which can be used to augment the basics normally covered in classroom format:

on the job coaching

mentoring

delegated tasks and projects

reading assignments

presentation assignments
 attending internal briefings and presentations, eg 'lunch and learn' format

special responsibilities which require obtaining new skills or knowledge or exposure

video

internet and e-learning

customer and supplier visits

attachment to project or other teams

job-swap

shadowing (shadowing another employee to see how they do it and what's involved).

Be creative as far as is realistic and practicable. Necessarily induction training will have to include
some fairly dry subjects, so anything you can do to inject interest, variety, different formats and
experiences will greatly improve the overall induction process. Induction training must include the
following elements:

General training relating to the organisation, including values and philosophy as well as
structure and history, etc.

Mandatory training relating to health and safety and other essential or legal areas.

Job training relating to the role that the new starter will be performing.

Training evaluation, entailing confirmation of understanding, and feedback about the quality
and response to the training.

And while not strictly part of the induction training stage, it's also helpful to refer to and discuss
personal strengths and personal development wishes and aspirations, so that people see they are
valued as individuals with their own unique potential, rather than just being a name and a function.
This is part of making the job more meaningful for people - making people feel special and valued -
and the sooner this can be done the better.

For example the following question/positioning statement is a way to introduce this concept of
'whole-person' development and value:

"You've obviously been recruited as a (job title), but we recognise right from the start that you'll
probably have lots of other talents, skills, experiences (life and work), strengths, personal aims and
wishes, that your job role might not necessarily enable you to use and pursue. So please give some
thought to your own special skills and unique potential that you'd like to develop (outside of your job
function), and if there's a way for us to help with this, especially if we see that there'll be benefits
for the organisation too (which there often are), then we'll try to do so..."

Obviously the organisation needs to have a process and capacity for encouraging and assisting
'whole person development' before such a statement can be made during induction, but if and when
such support exists then it makes good sense to promote it and get the ball rolling as early as
possible. Demonstrating an true investment in people - as people, not just employees - greatly
increases feelings of comfort and satisfaction among new-starters. It's human nature - each of us
feels happier when someone takes a genuine interest in us as an individual.
Including a learning styles self-assessment questionnaire or a multiple intelligences self-
assessment questionnaire within the induction process also helps to 'draw out' strengths and
preferences among new starters, and will additionally help build a platform for meaningful work and
positive relations between staff and employer. Ensure that new starters are given control of these
self-tests - it is more important that they see the results than the employer, although it's fine and
helpful for the employer to keep a copy provided permission is sought and given by the staff
members to do so. Line-managers will find it easier to manage new starters if they know their
strengths and styles and preferences. Conducting a learning styles assessment also helps the
induction trainer to deliver induction training according to people's preferred learning styles.

So much of conventional induction training necessarily involves 'putting in' to people (knowledge,
policies, standards, skills, etc); so if the employer can spend a little time 'drawing out' of people
(aims, wishes, unique personal potential, etc) - even if it's just to set the scene for 'whole person
development' in the future - this will be a big breath of fresh air for most new starters.

Use a feedback form of some sort to check the effectiveness and response to induction training -
induction training should be a continuously evolving and improving process.

Take the opportunity to involve your existing staff in the induction process. Have them create and
deliver sessions, do demonstrations, accompany, and mentor the new starters wherever possible.
This can be helpful and enjoyable for the existing staff members too, and many will find it rewarding
and developmental for themselves. When involving others ensure delivery and coverage is managed
and monitored properly.

Good induction training plans should feature a large element of contact with other staff for the new
person. Relationships and contacts are the means by which organisations function, get things done,
solve problems, provide excellent service, handle change and continually develop. Meeting and
getting to know other people are essential aspects of the induction process. This is especially
important for very senior people - don't assume they'll take care of this for themselves - help them
to plan how to meet and get to know all the relevant people inside and outside the organisation as
soon as possible. Certain job roles are likely to be filled by passive introverted people (Quality,
Technical, Production, Finance - not always, but often). These people often need help in getting out
and about making contacts and introductions. Don't assume that a director will automatically find
their way to meet everyone - they may not - so design an induction plan that will help them to do it.

induction training checklist

Here is a simple checklist in three sections, to help you design an induction plan to suit your
particular situation(s).

Whilst the order of items is something that you must decide locally, there is some attempt below to
reflect a logical sequence and priority for induction training subjects. Consider this an induction
checklist - not an agenda. This checklist assumes the induction of an operational or junior
management person into a job within a typical production or service environment. (See the training
planner and training/lesson plan calculator tool, which are templates for planning and organising
these induction training points, and particularly for planning and organising the delivery of job skills
training and processes, and transfer of knowledge and policy etc.)

general organisational induction training checklist

Essential 'visitor level' safety and emergency procedures

Washrooms

Food and drink

 Smoking areas and policy

Timings and induction training overview

Organisational history and background overview

Ethics and philosophy

Mission statement(s)

Organisation overview and structure

Local structure if applicable

Departmental structure and interfaces

Who's who (names, roles, responsibilities)

Site layout

Other sites and locations

Dress codes

Basic communications overview

Facilities and amenities

Pay

Absenteeism and lateness

Holidays

Sickness

Health insurance

Pension

Trades Unions

Rights and legal issues

Personnel systems and records overview

Access to personal data

Time and attendance system

Security
 Transport and parking

Creche and childcare

Grievance procedures

Discipline procedures

Career paths

Training and development

Learning Styles Self-Assessment

Multiple Intelligences Self-Assessment

Appraisals

Mentoring

Awards and Incentives

Health and Safety, and hazard reporting

Physical examinations, eye test etc.

Emergency procedures, fire drill, first aid

Accident reporting

Personal Protective Equipment

Use, care, and issue of tools and equipment

Other housekeeping issues

General administration

Restricted areas, access, passes

job and departmental induction training checklist

The induction training process also offers the best opportunity to help the new person more quickly
integrate into the work environment - particularly to become known among other staff members.
Hence the departmental tours and personal introductions are an absolutely vital part of induction.
Organisations depend on its people being able to work together, to liaise and cooperate - these
capabilities in turn depend on contacts and relationships. Well-planned induction training can
greatly accelerate the development of this crucial organisational capability.
 Local departmental amenities, catering, washrooms, etc.

Local security, time and attendance, sickness, absenteeism, holidays, etc.

Local emergency procedures

Local departmental structure

Department tour

Departmental functions and aims

Team and management

People and personalities overview (extremely helpful, but be careful to avoid sensitive or
judgemental issues)

Related departments and functions

How the department actually works and relates to others

Politics, protocols, unwritten rules (extremely helpful, but be careful to avoid sensitive or
judgemental issues)

The work-flow - what are we actually here to do?

Customer service standards and service flow

How the job role fits into the service or production process

Reporting, communications and management structures

Terminology, jargon, glossary, definitions of local terms

Use and care of issued equipment

Work space or workstation

Local housekeeping

Stationery and supplies

Job description - duties, authority, scope, area/coverage/territory

Expectations, standards, current priorities

Use of job specific equipment, tools, etc.

Use of job specific materials, substances, consumables

Handling and storage

 Technical training - sub-categories as appropriate

Product training - sub-categories as appropriate

Services training - sub-categories as appropriate

Job specific health and safety training

Job-specific administration, processing, etc.

Performance reporting

Performance evaluation

Training needs analysis method and next steps

Initial training plans after induction

Training support, assistance, mentor support

Where to go, who to call, who to ask for help and advice

Start of one-to-one coaching

Training review times and dates

Development of personal objectives and goals

Opportunities for self-driven development

Virtual teams, groups, projects open to job role

Social activities and clubs, etc.

Initial induction de-brief and feedback

Confirmation of next training actions

Wider site and amenities tour

On an HR practitioner point of view, Adams case is as follows: