Do you have an employee induction program that doesn’t seem to be working for your company? Are your employees leaving the induction process feeling like they didn’t get a fair chance to show what they can do? Or are you thinking of changing your current approach but not sure how to go about it?
The answers to these questions are probably yes, no, and maybe. But before you start fretting and worrying that your company’s current employee induction program may not be bringing in the right people, take a look at these five simple steps that can help make your employee induction program more effective than ever.
5 steps to creating an employee induction program that works for both your company and your employees:
Define your employee induction objectives first
Before you conduct an employee induction, it’s critical to clearly define the goals of your program.
What are you trying to accomplish?
What are the outcomes you want to see?
How will you measure success?
The answers to these questions will help you determine what types of activities you should be incorporating into your program.
For instance, if your program’s goals are to increase engagement and decrease turnover, you’ll want to focus on activities that help your employees feel connected and engaged with their company.
Don’t use the word “involuntary”
One of the most common problems new companies face when implementing an employee induction program is using the word “involuntary” to describe employees who choose not to participate in the program. Typically, this is due to a miscommunication on the department’s or company’s part.
It could be the result of a lack of training, unclear expectations, or a misunderstanding about how participation in the program works. To avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications, it’s essential to clearly state the program’s requirements and the consequences for violating them.
Specifically, make it clear that employees who choose not to participate in the program are not being asked to leave the company. They are free to choose not to participate. And if they choose not to, that’s that.
Make the program as easy as possible for new employees to join
When employees are aware that joining your company is actually easy, they’re more likely to choose to do so. That’s why it’s important to make joining easy and consistent with your company’s values.
If joining your company is as simple as clicking a button, they’re more likely to take that step. Even if joining your company is as easy as clicking a button, it doesn’t mean that you won’t do anything to make joining more difficult.
It just means that the joining process as a whole will be as accessible and straightforward as possible.
The Process of Employee Induction Program
Let employees fully participate in the program
To make an effective and accountable employee induction program, you need employees who are fully aware of the program and have the opportunity to take part in it.
This is true whether or not they are new to your company. The more involved an employee is in your company’s internal operations, the more beneficial it will be to have them participate in your employee induction program.
If you have employees who are mainly there to help with training, for instance, but don’t always contribute much during the actual event, you’re likely to lose them during the program.
That’s why it’s crucial to make sure that employees are fully aware of what they are supposed to be doing, and how they are supposed to be doing it.
Take a moment to praise and acknowledge employee achievements
It’s easy to forget about your employees when they’re under pressure to deliver results, but there are a few moments during the course of each day when you can provide some recognition for the work that your employees do.
Even a quick note acknowledging an employee’s job performance can go a long way toward making them feel valued. That said, you don’t have to go overboard. A simple “thanks for doing your job” is usually enough to brighten an employee’s day.
If you want to take it a step farther, you can also offer to pick up the cost of an employee meal if they didn’t get the chance to eat at their desks.
Or, if you have a company-wide meeting every now and then, offer to share the stage with your employees so they can receive the recognition they deserve.
Conclusion
The employee induction program is a crucial step in the hiring process. This is because it helps you create an atmosphere where employee motivation and engagement are high.
Although there are a number of ways to go about this, the most effective employee induction programs start with a few simple steps. To make an effective employee induction program, you need to first clearly define the goals of the program, and then you need to make it as easy as possible for new employees to join.
You should let employees fully participate in the program, and offer them the opportunity to pick up the reimbursement for their travel and hotel costs if they didn’t get the chance to eat at their desks.
Also Read: Employee On-boarding best practices for 2022: Advice for the Modern HR Prodigy
