Elevate the induction process by implementing five key rules that ensure newcomers feel welcomed and supported. Discover strategies for tracking induction efforts and fostering a positive environment for new employees.
Companies have a lot of information and standards – some of it is public (company blog), some of it is private (company intranet). When there are thousands of documents, new employees should be given a guided process so they know what is important.
The first day of a new job can be daunting. For the new starter, the workplace is unfamiliar, their colleagues are strangers, and there’s so much to learn they think their heads might explode. All up, it’s a stressful time.
There are a few simple ways to help new hires feel more comfortable as they adjust to their new workspace:
Having a clear, concise method of tracking tasks and priorities is important.
If you have a very lightweight induction system (a day or less to complete) it makes sense to get it done first and then join a Scrum team to start doing your normal work.
If you have a more comprehensive induction system (that takes more than a day, and some take weeks or even months) then it can be isolating to be doing your induction alone and separated from the rest of the team you will be working with. In this scenario, it's recommended that you create an "Induction" PBI in the backlog to track your induction work. Then the new employees' induction activities will feel like part of the job.
For more information, read the 8 Steps to Scrum.
It can be sad when a co-worker is leaving the job, but you should always find a good reason to celebrate the day and make it special – especially if they worked for the company for a long time.
You should always provide as good of an experience for when your staff leave, as when they joined the organization.
Email templates are an important way to communicate standard emails that should be sent. Usually, these emails need to be sent to a specific person. It is easy to fall into the trap of addressing the templates to that person. This method leads to problems because when that person needs to change, there could be hundreds of locations to change and those locations may not be visible.
So, what are the solutions?
- Do you have an induction program?
- Starting - Do you know how to make newcomers feel welcome?
- Starting - Do you track your induction work in a Scrum team?
- Leaving - Do you prepare a special goodbye to a co-worker leaving the company?
- Email Templates - Do you use distribution groups instead of individuals?