What is induction and on-boarding and why should an employer subject its employees to this?

Induction is an event or series of events where you introduce the new employee to the job and to the organisation.

It can be formal, or informal or a combination thereof and assists new employees to integrate into the new environment. The process includes physically showing the employees around the workplace and taking them through various workplace procedures and requirements.

This includes-

• Entry and exit to the workplace;
• Working times;
• Meal times and breaks;
• Rules, procedures and regulations;
• Company policies and benefits;
• An introduction to work colleagues;
• How and when payment takes place; and
• Roles, responsibilities and expectations

On-boarding is a longer process through which the new employee learns the attitudes, skills, knowledge and behaviours required to function effectively. It assists in building relationships, and ensures that expectations on both sides are realistic.

Attachment or buddy allocation – it is a good idea to allocate a co-worker / buddy in a similar function to the new employee who will show him/her how the workplace functions and introduce him/her to the applicable managers and co-workers. The buddy will support the new employee for the first few days and orientate him/her into the new environment and to what performance outputs are required with the new job. This will also provide the new employee with an opportunity to understand the business systems and processes and work flow.