All employees will benefit from being properly introduced to the business. A process for induction is the most common way this is done.

Research indicates that a significant percentage of staff turnover occurs within the first 90 days of hiring, so improving an employee’s initial experience with the business may help to reduce turnover.


What should the induction include? (Induction check list)


What to include in your induction to help the introduce new employee to the business and their colleagues. Inductions should also provide information that ensures the employee can work safely in their new work environment.

Template induction checklist

Template Fair Work Induction checklist

Fairwork Information Statement


What is onboarding and why is it important? (Onboarding overview)

How an employee acquires the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to become effective participants in your workforce. Longer term than the induction which is usually a one-day process.

What information could be sent prior to the start date?

By sending paperwork, policy and procedure documents to the employee before their start date, you can focus the first few days on the actual job.

What sort of welcome pack could be prepared for new employees, work experience and/or work placements?

Show you are looking forward to welcoming the individual, include things like uniform, PPE etc. the new employee will appreciate a tangible pack to prepare them for their first day (you can include the paperwork in this pack too)

What information could be provided by phone the day before the first day? Who would make that phone call?

Explain to the new employee what they need to know on arrival e.g. where to park, which entrance to use, who to ask for, what to bring, what to wear etc. This will make them more comfortable on their first day and ensure they follow any organisational requirements in the process.

How would you describe the following to a new employee (where relevant)?

The below are some suggested topics that can be discussed with the new employee that go beyond a standard induction process. This information will equip the new employee with important knowledge and an understanding of what the organisation and the team will expect from them and what they should expect from the team and organisation.

    • Current business climate
    • Strategic direction and priorities
    • Competitors and positioning
    • Quick wins in the role (how to make a good first impression)
    • Future opportunities (within the role and/or organisation)
    • Employee KPIs and how they relate to organisational strategy
    • The team culture
    • Relevant stakeholders (can you map them out?)
    • Current status of workplace relationships and levels of engagement
    • Capabilities and capability gaps (who to go to for what and what needs improving)
    • Leadership (legacies and current leadership brand or style)
    • Pace of change
    • Opportunities for development
    • Expectations about employee performance


Why bother with an induction? (Benefits of induction)

Developing and providing effective inductions can be time consuming especially when the business does not have dedicated resources to do this. A good induction has a range of benefits to both the business and the new employee.

Induction (otherwise known as orientation) is simply the process of making new staff familiar with the workplace, other staff and management and the business processes.

This is an important step in the recruitment process as the research suggests that new employees decide within the first few days whether their decision was a good one. Whilst a thorough induction can be time consuming, consider it an investment not a cost or burden.

A large percentage of staff turnover occurs within the first 90 days so ensuring new employees have a positive experience can contribute to reduced turnover.

Induction is generally aimed at new employees; it can give existing employees the information they need if they have worked for the business for some time or if they are changing roles or departments.

The key benefits of providing a good induction are:

Reduction in staff turnover

Provided you have undertaken a robust recruitment practice and been realistic in what the job involves a good induction informs the new employee about the workplace and makes them feel comfortable and welcome

Example:

Mary started working at Smith Store, when she first started work, she was shown around the business and where everything was as well as being introduced to her colleagues. A buddy was appointed to be Mary’s point of contact if she needed anything. Mary felt welcome and supported in her new role by having the information and support she needed to understand and meet the expectations of her new employer.

Increased productivity

By having a structured induction process that includes a plan for how the new employee will learn the tasks they need to complete will ensure they have the information they need, when they need it. This includes feedback on performance and coaching the new employee to meet the required standards.

Example:

Jim started work at Bob’s Builders and was given a plan for what tasks he would be shown and when. Jim was also provided with a mentor in the workplace who he could go to if he needed anything. The plan allowed Jim to understand what he needed to learn, why and when. Jim quickly developed competence in his tasks and became a valued member of the team.

Safer workplace

A good induction will include a focus on workplace health and safety from both a physical and psychological point of view. Identifying the areas of risk within your business and providing information on how to stay safe will ensure that the new employee does not pose a safety risk to themselves or others. Never assume people have knowledge and/or understanding of what can cause harm in the workplace.

Example:

George started working at Dawn’s Dry-cleaning, before he started work, he was shown where all the chemicals were stored as well as the safety information regarding how to use the chemicals safely and effectively. George was also shown the Dry-cleaning equipment and provided with training on how to use the equipment safely and according to the manufacturers’ instructions. George was able to work safely as he had the information he needed about the hazards and controls in place.

Common Mistakes

    • Providing too much information too soon – new employees are usually nervous, anxious, excited or a combination of all three. This makes it difficult to take in lots of information let alone remember it all. Structure the induction over several days or even weeks depending on the complexity of the workplace and role.
    • Not providing enough information – many employers as a result of lack of time – will provide only basic information to new employees with the expectation they will work the rest out themselves. This can lead to the new employee taking longer to become competent, not performing in a way that meets employer expectations, poor quality or inefficient outcomes.
    • Not having a plan – having a plan outlining key tasks and responsibilities ensures that the probation or minimum employment period is used to its full potential. Without a plan there is a chance that the new employee will not be exposed to all the tasks required in the role. This can sometimes result in employees underperforming or finding out employees cannot do the whole job to standard after the probation period has passed. The impact of this is that the employee has been allowed to perform a certain way for an extended period meaning there needs to be considerable support and assistance provided to improve performance. This can negatively affect the employee’s experience as they probably thought they were doing a good job as no one had provided them with any feedback on their performance.


What to do before the employee starts?

Creating a good first impression for the new employee begins with being prepared for their arrival. There are several things that can be done before the first day to both welcome the new employee and ensure their first day is a positive experience.

In order to make the new employee feel welcome and help with a seamless transition into their new role, there are a few things that can be done before the first day.

Employment Forms and Important Workplace Information

Consider what information can be sent prior to the first day. This can save time and free up the first day for learning about the workplace and the actual job. Information that can be sent prior to the first day might include:

    • Employment paperwork i.e. employee detail form, tax declaration, super choice form, fair work information statement, employment contract or letter of offer
    • Workplace policy and procedure documents – these may be in the form of an employee handbook or just the key policies and procedures the new employee needs to be aware of, including but not limited to:
        • Workplace Health and Safety Policy
        • Code of Conduct
        • Bulllying, Harassment, Discrimination Policy
        • ICT/Computer/Email Use Policy
        • Social Media Policy
        • Drug and Alcohol Policy
        • Privacy/Confidentiality Policy

Sending these documents through prior to the start date gives the employee time to read through important information as well as complete paperwork before starting. Most employees keep their personal information at home so providing this information before starting means that the employee should come to work on the first day with their paperwork completed. Not only this, the new employee will have read some information on the workplace so will come better informed than if this information was provided to them on their first day. As a bonus you will be able to assess the new employee’s organisation skills and initiative – it’s a good sign if they show up with paperwork completed and have read and understood important workplace information.

Welcome Phone Call

The first day can be scary for some, giving the new employee a welcome call the day prior to starting is a great way to check in with them and give them the information they need to feel more comfortable.

This information may include:

    • Where to park
    • What to wear
    • Which entrance to use
    • Who to ask for
    • Options for lunch i.e. shop nearby or bring your own

Arrangements for New Employee’s Workstation

Before the new employee starts there may be some tasks that need to be completed to make sure they have what they need to start work. This may include:

    • Tools and equipment
    • Uniform
    • Personal Protective Equipment
    • Computer including installation of software
    • Phone
    • Email address
    • Inclusion in relevant email groups
    • Locker
    • Vehicle
    • Informing other employees of the new employee starting


Payment of salaries and wages (Checklist)

Step by step process for establishing and maintaining compliant payment of salaries and wages.

Payment of salaries and wages checklist


How to support the new employee (Supporting the new employee)

Having a buddy system or equivalent in place helps get the new employee up to speed and standard. The buddy should be engaged in the process of training the new employee, consider identifying and training up key personnel to take on this role.

A buddy system involves pairing a new employee with a more experienced one in order to provide support and information during the beginning of the employment relationship.

Selecting the right buddy is critical to the success of the buddy system to ensure the new employee is given the right information as well as made to feel comfortable in their new workplace. When selecting a buddy consider:

    • Interpersonal skills – they need to be able to patiently communicate information to the new employee
    • Good habits – whatever work habits the buddy has will more than likely be passed on to the new employee
    • Capacity to support the new employee – a buddy should be asked to perform this duty not ordered to, make sure the buddy has the time and motivation to support the new employee effectively
    • Knowledge of job – the buddy should have a good working knowledge of the tasks involved in the job to be able to accurately direct and advise the new employee

Whilst this may seem like a drain on time and people a good buddy system can accelerate the productivity of a new employee whilst improving job satisfaction in the early stages. Some addition benefits of the buddy system include:

  • Helping the new employee settle into their role and the workplace
  • Encouraging positive working relationships between co-workers
  • Increase the confidence of the person performing the buddy duties through recognition of their skills and knowledge
  • Increased retention of new employees
  • Quickly respond to urgent or emergency situations


What records should be kept during probation (Probationary meetings)

Make the most of the probation period by holding regular meetings throughout to inform the new employee as to their progress. What they are doing well and areas for improvement. If you don’t address performance issues with them, they are unlikely to improve, if they do not respond to feedback and support this is an indicator that the employee is not likely to be successful in the role.

Probation Meeting Fact Sheet

Probation meeting agenda template 


What training needs are there? (Identifying training needs)

Don’t assume new employees have the skills and experience you want, just because their resume or experience indicates they should. Observe the new employee and identify where training or on the job coaching is required and provide it.

Training needs analysis template


What happens at the end of probation? (end of probation)

Where an employee has proved that they can do the job, do not forget to acknowledge the end of probation. Put a reminder in your calendar a month before probation ends to ensure the new employee is performing as you expect, if not don’t wait until the end of probation to give them the bad news, tell them as soon as practical.

How long is the probation period?

The probation period, otherwise known as the Minimum Employment Period, applies to all new employees. The duration of this depends on the number of employees and whether the employee is undertaking a traineeship or apprenticeship.

    • Less than 15 employees = 12 months
    • More than 15 employees = 6 months
    • Trainee/Apprentice = check training contract and ensure employment contract mirrors the training contract i.e. if traineeship/apprenticeship concludes (either as scheduled or through non completion) the employment contract will end with it. This give you the employer the choice to continue or discontinue the employment relationship outside of the traineeship or apprenticeship.

Throughout the probation period the employee should be kept informed of their progress and level of performance. This can be done using the Probation Meeting Template.

It is a commonly held belief that an employee can be terminated during this period for any reason. This is in fact not the case. There are a number of reasons that an employee cannot be terminated for, even during probation. These reasons fall under General Protections and can be viewed here.

Acknowledging End of Probation

When an employee has reached the end of their probation period there should be some acknowledgement that they have successfully met the workplace requirements. Most employees are very aware of when the probation period ends, no matter how well they are performing. When managing a business time can pass quickly and many an employer has forgotten to acknowledge the end of the probation. This can leave the employee unsure as to whether they have successfully completed probation. A good tip is to put the end of probation date into a calendar or diary to ensure you receive a reminder and can acknowledge the end of probation with the employee.

Ending the Employment Relationship During Probation

In situations where it is evident the new employee is not suited to the role it is important to advise them as soon as practical. It is not recommended to wait until the conclusion of the probation period to notify the employee that the relationship is not continuing. This is not helpful for your business or the employee.

The employee should be notified in person and in writing of the conclusion of the probation and as such their employment. Where possible it is good practice to advise the employee of any performance issues and provide them an opportunity to improve their performance before terminating employment.

Where the new employee does not respond to feedback in a positive or constructive way there is a valid reason to end probation in addition to the identified performance issues.