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The quality of your staff induction plans says more about your managerial style and company culture than you think. At its simplest, employees work harder for companies that care for them, and hard working employees keep customers happy, bringing money into the company. You put loads of effort into attracting and retaining customers * can you say the same about your new employees?

Staff induction plans can range from pitiful, or downright boring, to effective ways to harness the enthusiasm and energy of your new employee.

Pitiful Induction Plans = Dis-heartened Employees

At the pitiful end of the spectrum, a new starter will be lucky to have a workspace waiting for them and maybe a couple of people say hello as they begin their new career. Why would this person bother to work hard when it's obvious the manager and company don*t care about them?

Mediocre Induction Plans = Bored Senseless Employees

Okay, so you*ve got the message you*ve got to put some effort into a staff induction plan. At this point resist the temptation to dust off company annual accounts, health and safety folders and other weighty, detailed information.

Information overload will dull the senses and de-energise quicker than you can say *the company had an outstanding 9.73% year on year growth in pre tax profit in 2004*. Yawn!

Effective Induction Plans = Engaged, Enthusiastic Employee

So what is an effective staff induction plan? If all you remember is that your new person is a human being, with all the associated wants and needs, you will do well. No matter how senior, a new person will have concerns about fitting in or their ability to do the job, worry about getting lost or looking stupid.

Help them relax and engage in their new surroundings by addressing these concerns BEFORE you start on the company indoctrination, oops, I mean induction :>)

7 Top Staff Induction Plan Tips

Here are some important tips or actions you may not see on regular induction plans;

- Show location of food, drink and bathrooms as a top priority.

- Have an expenses paid team lunch on first day.

-Tell existing employees about the new person, and encourage them to stop by and say hello.

- Provide an organisation chart and office seating plan, to help make sense of the blur of people, names and departments.

- Have all security and passes ready and waiting.

- Advance book next 6 months review, team and other regular meetings.

- Have a trusted team member explain the unwritten rules and subtleties of office politics.

Staff induction plans set the tone of the relationship between employee and employer. With thought and a small amount of prior organisation, you can get the relationship off to a flying start by using an effective staff induction plan.

Copyright 2006 Lyndsay Swinton