What You Should Cover In Your Online Induction Training Course
Hiring a new starter can be nerve-wracking, both for them and for the company. You can’t control how well a worker will succeed within your organization, but you can put in place the best possible start by putting together a great online induction training program.
The first impression you give your new starters can say a lot about their future experiences within your organization, so it’s important to cover the right topics during these beginning stages to really get them excited about joining the company. Take a look at our pointers below to ensure you’re supporting your new starters in the best possible way.
Before Day One
Your online induction training shouldn’t begin on day one, you should already be preparing your new starters from the moment they accept their new role.
It’s understandable to feel nervous before starting a new job, so your induction should help tackle this apprehension and make your new starters feel like they’re prepared for their first day. Using digital resources, you should address questions that many new hires would want to know before their first day, with pre-boarding materials, such as:
- A brief overview of the company (your story and values)
- How to get to the offices and where to sign in
- Documentation to bring on the first day
- What to expect over the first day/ week
- Company dress codes
- Where to get lunch in the area/office
- What it is like to work in the company
Culture
It’s easy to overlook company culture during your online induction training because companies become so focused on performance and training. Failing to share your culture with new starters could be a vital mistake because what’s second nature to your organization and the way things run is unknown to a new hire and could lead to them feeling alienated or not fully understanding your core values and way of working.
Every organization has their own rules and expectations, so it’s important to expose your new starters to this as early as possible.
Understanding your company’s culture is not going to happen overnight. It has to be a well-thought-out process, that’s personalized for your new starters to show where they will fit into the company.
Focus on educating new hires on everything that is important to your business. Whether that’s if you adopt a more formal or casual approach, how teams work together, lunch, or team meeting traditions, the more unique things they know about your culture, the more confidence they will have in feeling like they have a place within your organization and can grow with the company.
Policies And Procedures
Every organization has a list of policies, normally too many to remember all at once. Focus on making your new starters aware of the key policies at first, and then direct them to where they can find other policies at their points of need.
You should focus on topics such as leave, sick time and pay, and holiday policies. It’s also good to mention expenses, reimbursement policies and recognition awards, and benefits at this early stage.
It’s important not to overload your new starters with policies and procedures all in one go, so just focus on their initial questions over their first few weeks within the company, and then tackle the rest over the upcoming months.
Compliance
Offering information about compliance is important to avoid any serious issues further down the line. Your online induction training should cover your individual regulations and any security or legal issues. It’s important to update these as and when are necessary, which can be easily managed when using digital resources.
Focus your compliance topics on documenting the company’s zero-tolerance policies and commitment to having a safe working environment, such as:
- Anti-harassment and discrimination
- Customer service standards
- Workplace violence
- Workplace safety
- Diversity
- Conflicts of interest
- Fair disclosure
- Bribery
- Reporting violations
It’s also important to go over Health and Safety training to minimize any risks and ensure your new starters are starting their new roles safely and informed.
Points covered here could include:
- Employer contact information
- Employer and employee rights and responsibilities
- Sickness policies
- Evacuation processes
- First aid and reporting accidents
- Workplace hazards
Keep your resources engaging and personal to your new starters. Focus on keeping the materials job-specific and relevant, and stress the importance of how serious your company takes their safety.
Connecting Workers
It’s also worth taking time away from focusing your efforts on just online training and also introducing your new starters to others in the company. This gives you the chance to really inspire your new hires to see the potential they have within the business and to also feel included and welcomed.
So much valuable information and expertise is locked inside the minds of existing workers, therefore it’s extremely valuable to expose your new starters to this.
Whether it’s ‘new hire lunches’ or sitting with other teams, give your new starters the chance to connect with as many people as possible to really get them excited about being a part of the company.
You can showcase your ‘experts’ using digital resources too by getting them to share their stories and experiences within the company. These can be packed into short videos that new starters can access even before day one to understand more about other teams and how to succeed within your organization.
Your online induction training should go beyond just covering formalities and regulations. Incorporate your new starters into the company culture, and help them to understand the bigger picture and where they will fit in.
Your induction is unique to your company, so you should be using your training to showcase what makes your company so great and the impact your new hires will have. Your online learning platform helps you to easily manage your induction training by providing an easily accessible training space, that can be updated and delivered as and when your new hires require.
It’s a proven fact that happy employees are more engaged and productive, so use these topics above to get started with your induction training, and focus your efforts on giving your new starters the best possible start with the company.
