A Strategic Approach to Induction

Overview

Course duration: 1 day.

Get key insights into the dynamics surrounding ‘on-boarding’ and connect the dots in your organisation to develop a scheme that is strategic – and examine how its impact can be monitored and evaluated.

Getting induction right is business critical. UK organisations are losing up to £2 billion a year in employee productivity due to inefficient induction processes and recent figures indicate 90% of staff decide whether to leave a firm within the first six months, often citing a poor induction process as a major contributing factor. With the considerable investment of time and resources into identifying and recruiting key talent, organisations really cannot afford to fall down with a sub-standard induction programme and risk an adverse effect on engagement, productivity and performance levels of a new starter’s first few months in a job.

‘On-boarding’ of new employees doesn’t at first seem a particularly strategic task. Yet making your ‘on-boarding’ and induction programme strategic requires careful planning and integration at all levels of the business. A strategic approach to induction will kick start an employee’s engagement from day one through cultural alignment, the establishment of key relationships, unlocking of potential and discretionary effort and a sense of immediate ‘belonging’. All of which result in measurably enhanced engagement, productivity and performance levels.

Induction has moved from an administrative HR process to strategic, integrated talent management – and HR is at the heart of implementing this evolvement. By understanding the needs and ensuring the strategic linkages HR can champion and facilitate the design of a scheme that cascades throughout all levels of the organisation. This interactive seminar provides key insights into the dynamics surrounding ‘on-boarding’ and will help HR and L&D professionals connect the dots in their organisations to develop a scheme that is strategic - and examine how its impact can be monitored and evaluated.

Is it right for me?

Designed for senior HR professionals, Learning & Development specialists, line managers, anyone responsible for the design and integration of an induction programme.

What will I learn?

By the end of this seminar you will be able to:

• Understand the critical role of induction on an individual’s level of engagement and performance, impacting their intention to stay, capability and motivation to perform
• Examine the role of the line manager, and appointing team/department in the induction process and activity
• Learn how to maximise individuals’ engagement from day one
• Understand the role of branding, pre-induction activity, organisational values and culture
• Connect induction to the beginning of the performance management and talent management processes
• Assess induction needs for different groups and areas
• Learn approaches and metrics to assess the impact of your induction programme
• Hear a case study from Yell Group: how to prove the value of your induction programme

What will it cover?

Induction integration: Creating integrated and sustained performance in line with organisational needs, values and priorities

• Why does induction have such strategic impact?
• What must a strategic induction process entail?
• Integrated induction: linking attraction and retention to talent and performance management

The link to engagement and performance

• What is engagement and why does induction play such a critical role?
• How do you engage new starters through an effective induction process?
• Accelerating to full performance: the role of induction in optimising the route to full performance
• Employer branding, socialisation and cultural integration
• Optimising retention through those critical first months

Practical, interactive activity

• Self assessment and analysis: exploring the effectiveness of your current induction processes and determining your priority needs

Poor induction: determining the causes and overcoming the challenges

• Exploring the hidden costs of poor induction
• Examples of mismanaged induction: where does it usually go wrong
• Determining the danger zones in your organisation and finding your quick wins

Case Study: A Strategic Approach to Induction at Yell Group

Nikki Hood, Head of HR Sales and Learning and Development, Yell Group

• Proving the value of Yell's Induction programme
• Implementing a new onboard system to help line managers manage a new starters progress
• Extending the induction over 12 weeks to improve retention of new starters
• Removing the need for regional induction trainers and reducing the cost per head of induction
• Demonstrating the link to bottom line results from a more effective induction programme and improving learning of new employees

A strategic induction programme: key components and considerations

• One size does not fit all: determining staff groupings and needs
• Balancing the formal with the informal, the tailored with the generic
• Face to face, technological, written and practical: exploring a total programme
• Adding creativity and spice: how to reach out and engage
• The critical first day and week
• The central role of line manager in induction
• Special considerations for senior executives

Impact assessment: what to consider

• Approaches to evaluation and monitoring: key measures, indicators and metrics
• Case studies: reviewing some examples from other organisations

Designing a scheme that will work in your organisation

• The role of HR: what role should you take to ensure strategic recognition and impact
• Getting the process of design right: involving your organisation to ensure ownership and buy in
• Pragmatism and best fit approach: pulling it all together - what will work in your organisation?

Action planning

• Key actions and priorities to implement when back in your workplace