Staff Induction Policy

1. Purpose

   1. Heulwen Trust (the Trust) is committed to providing induction for new Trust staff.

2. Policy Scope

   1. A proper induction will give both the employees and the organisation the following benefits:
   2. It improves the motivation of new employees by helping them quickly assimilate the workplace culture, as well as improving their knowledge of the products/services provided by the organization, and the systems in place.
   3. This in turn boosts confidence and improves work quality and productivity, as well as helping to reduce incidences of early leaving, which can be extremely costly to the organisation. As induction involves other staff other than the inductee, the process can also be useful in developing the skills of existing staff.
   4. As well as these benefits, induction can ensure that health and safety rules are properly disseminated to all staff.

3. General principles

   1. The employee’s line manager has the primary responsibility to identify the needs of the inductee and assess their learning styles as well as ensuring that the programme is followed through.
   2. The trustee responsible for training will advise line managers, ensure training is provided, manage group events and oversee delivery of the programme.
   3. Trustees should be available to set out the vision of the organisation to new employees. Their involvement can help to motivate inductees by demonstrating the organisation’s concern that new employees feel they are an important part of the organisation. It will also help inductees see the ‘big picture’ in which their work takes place.

4. Stages of induction

   1. The job advert shall be realistic, with a design and copy that reflects the culture of the organisation. The emphasis for the advert will be on the aspects of the work that current employees find satisfying and it must be accurate about pay, conditions and any special conditions that apply.
   2. The application pack will provide literature about the organisation (questions and answers, who we are, what we have achieved, what it is like to work here, where we are, local facilities), a suitable job description and a brief outline of the terms and conditions. Where there are conditions that are not part of the contract, ie a no-smoking policy, then these should be properly marked.
   3. The introductory letter to the successful candidate will set out the arrangements for the first day-
      • The time and place the employee should arrive
      • Parking/transport arrangements at site
      • The name of the person who will meet them/whom they should ask for
      • What type of clothing should be worn (dress code, safety clothing etc)
      • Any specific security arrangements they should be aware of
      • The catering facilities that are on site/nearby
      • A list of the documents they will need to bring on the first day
      • An outline of the work of the first day.
   4. The pre-employment letter should enable the employee to predict exactly what will happen on their first day, which in turn will do a great deal to reassure and overcome apprehension.
   5. A primary induction will address both the inductee’s and the employer’s immediate needs and priorities, including:
      • Health and safety
      • Personal details
      • P45
      • Birth certificate
      • Passport
      • First aid certificate (if applicable)
      • Details of the next of kin, General Practitioner, etc
      • Important documents the employee needs to receive from the organisation
        1. Employee handbook including all relevant policies, returns etc
        2. Safety rules
        3. Keys
   6. By the end of day the inductee should know:
      • The location of work site, toilets and facilities,
      • Time-recording procedure,
      • Rest/meal break times,
      • Health and safety rules,
      • Location of their personal work station,
      • Rules about PC/phone use,
      • Key points of conduct
      • Have been introduced to immediate supervisors and colleagues.
      • And will have received copies of all key policies for them to sign and to indicate that they have read and understood them
   7. Secondary induction will involve:
      • The work environment—Health and safety issues, employee welfare, work hazards and preventative measures.
      • The organisation—A structured view of the organisation should be given through providing mission statements and business plans, and explaining communication and involvement systems that show:
        1. How employees fit in the organisation through organisational charts, accountability charts and meeting people
        2. The roles and culture within the organisation through explaining policies and meeting people
      • Job instructions will be explained by the line manager through the job description, setting targets and performance measurements and explaining the value and importance of the work, as well as ensuring the inductee receives the relevant training to actually carry out the work.

5. Follow up

   1. Induction will be regarded as part of a continuing process and in particular at the end of the first month consideration will be given to the following issues:
      • What additional things does the employee need to have known?
      • What policies/procedures need to have been in place to affect job performance?
      • What impressions or models do we want to have been reinforced in this month?
      • What task can we assign the employee that allows for growth over this month?
      • What can our organisation do to broaden delegation to include the employee?
      • What training objectives do we want the employee and the organisation to meet?