5 Tips For Maximising Inductions

The High Impact Moment Every Leader Can Leverage

One of the biggest enquiries I have had in 2020 has been around momentum. How to get it, how to feel it, and how to promote it. The quick word on this is that momentum is at it's lowest towards the beginning of anything. The morning, Monday's, The first five minutes of a meeting, and of course, our first day in a new job. It is for this reason that inductions are critical. According to the Australian Public Services Commission, "new recruits leave their employers within the first three to six months if the organisation does not deliver on promises made or implied during recruitment, or provides poor induction processes". It's a great incentive to get inductions right.

Here are my top five tips for maximising their impact:

1.Know the goal of the induction

What is the outcome we want when conducting an induction? Sadly, many see it as a tick box exercise with the goal being to simply 'get it done!' Or, the goal may be to show the newbie around, make introductions, and tell them whom to call for what. I think we can do better than this... For me, the goal of induction is refined down to one thing - how the inductee feels. The goal is for the inductee to feel...

• CLEAR - as little ambiguity as possible. Reduce the blank spots and the possibility of nasty surprises - down to zero wherever possible.

• CONFIDENT - take that 'new kid at school' timidness and awkwardness away and help the person feel ten feet tall as quickly as we can.

• SAFE - psychological safety has never been more important, relevant, and valuable for all staff. Any and every opportunity to signal that the person is going to be cared for and that they have a future with us will be paid back with massive interest over the coming years.

• INCLUDED - let's leave the 80's 'earn your stripes' stuff back there. In the here and now, modern professionals need to jump through hoops to win a role. They are there on merit. They have fresh eyes and a lot of value to offer. Get their insights, ask them lots of questions, and allow them the platform to be heard and included in as many discussions as is appropriate. 

• BELONG - use as many communication and interactive opportunities as possible to make them feel 'a part of the gang'. This relates closely to making the person feel 'included' (above) but is more to do with making them feel like one of the gang. I am not a fan of tribes in modern workplaces, but if there is an analogy to use here, then it is to make them one of your tribe - language, codes, colours, uniforms, preferences... let them into these things as much as you can from the beginning.

2. Set the expectations

When I saw the wonderful Gabrielle Dolan speak at a conference she introduced me to the idea of non-negotiables - the things in my working day I promise to myself without fail. I have a list of daily, weekly, and quarterly practices I stick to religiously. Any exceptions are rare and intentional. This applies to a manager's expectations of their staff and is a great topic to talk through in an induction. What are your non-negotiables with your staff? Be clean and consistent with this from the beginning.

3. Current vs Desired

Currently, things may not be getting done to the standard a manager wants. They may desire for practice or procedure to be done differently, better, or totally different then it currently is being done. A poor way to try and obtain the desired standard of anything is to ask it of the new person, hoping that this will embed and filter throughout the team. If you've tried this you know it is futile. If you see this as an option, allow me to save you disappointment. Instead, be clear on how things are being done currently. The desired practices is a separate and wider discussion to have with the whole group. If this confrontation is scary or difficult, then check out training options for having confrontation conversations. 

Make the inductee a part of the gang from the start. Whatever way you can do this which suits your team or company's identity - it goes a long way!

4. Transparency wins

Brene Brown would call this 'vulnerability', but the more I coach and train leaders the more I see it as simply being transparent. Admitting that certain things are not working well, or that particular challenges are proving tough to you/the team/the business is not a sign of weakness. It is a signal to the inductee that there is work to be done, and that they are a valuable asset to overcome these said challenges. Also, being transparent about yourself goes a long way. This feeds safety, belonging, and inclusiveness too as the inductee sees you as a human being, and they can have an opportunity to be empathetic with your own plight. Sharing a little about your history, your background, and home life is also a good way to start the relationship stronger. It's all relevant! 

5. There is no end date

Often an induction plan is set for one week, a month, three months, or six months. Then a review is done and probation forms are signed. It's a little stagnant for me. Obviously the HR requirements need to be ticked off, but I would suggest that inductions continue with regular follow-ups, regular updates, and regular re-alignments. I would also argue that it is never too late to do an induction as the person that has been with the company for two years may have missed out on the 'new' way inductions are done. Form a plan for them and work through it. Assumed knowledge can be one of the most dangerous factors in our teams for performance and team culture.

The question now is to see where the opportunities are in your induction process to push your team forward. In a year's time from now, taking action on this could make the next three years much more enjoyable and profitable than you thought possible. Especially, if you are able to create a replicable template you can perform effortlessly and efficiently in the future.

The second question is...

What have I missed? I purposefully left out another five tips I have seen and used consistently in high-performing cultures. What do you think they are? 

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