Online Inductions – great reasons to induct your staff
Online Inductions are always going to be the most critical part of onboarding a new employee. While the basic ingredients may generally stay the same, what does evolve is the way in which it is done. In fact these days, an increasing number of companies are choosing to do their induction either wholly – or partly – online. Here are some crucial reasons you should do the same.
- Digital
We live in a digital age where technology is part and parcel of everyday life, from the emails through which we contact clients to the dropboxes we use to share marketing collateral with agencies interstate or overseas. It’s as much a part of our working life as breathing, or grabbing a coffee from the kitchen, so it makes sense that it should also be an essential part of bringing someone on to the team. If nothing else, it sets a precedent for the use of online elements in their department.
- Expectations
As a general rule, staff join companies with a view to learning new skills, expanding their horizons and enhancing their skill set in crucial areas such as the online or digital environment. So, while it may seem a small point, it’s fair to say that if you use this online technology well in creating a first impression, by making it the focus of your induction process, it offers newcomers no small measure of reassurance they’ve come to the right place.
- Showcase
Most companies draw on online resources to present their products and services to their customers. But it’s just as important to sell yourself well to new members of your team, as they are the ones who will help you prosper and grow. So use online inductions to show not only what you sell, but also what you can do, from videos and innovative social media to fantastic multimedia design. It gets them interested and also gets them curious and proud, which is a great attitude to encourage early on.
- Value add
There’s only so much you can do with a written or printed induction kit. And there’s also only so much you would want to do, as nothing sinks a new employee’s heart faster than a stack of paperwork. With online content, however, you can call on all sorts of tools to make things more interesting and more informative. For example, a printed sheet with a table outlining your biggest global customers could be transformed online into a table where you can click through to access further information on each country, including a drill down into what its most popular products are.
- Geography
These days, many companies are set up with virtual environments that allow them to hire staff from interstate or even overseas. It’s a great opportunity to tap into global talent. But in order to do so, you need to have an avenue to ensure that everyone, regardless of distance and geography, is on the same page. And the best way to do this is with online inductions, which ensures the spread of a consistent brand, message and process.
- Flexibility
Even if all your staff do work from the office, online inductions still create the opportunity to be flexible both in process and in timing. For example, if you have a series of videos that are handy to watch, but not compulsory, you could give people the link and ask them to watch – if they want – at a time that is most convenient. This saves you bogging down the induction process with a forced viewing session and also ensures that when they do watch it, as many people will, they will be in a position and mindframe to actually pay attention.
- Portals
Many good businesses these days have online training portals that start at the basics and work up. So, rather than take up another employee’s time in training a new colleague, you can instead use online inductions to skill them up. This could include training videos, lectures, case studies, tests and even practice scenarios. Best of all, if you allow them to self-pace the training – and to be hands-on rather than watching over a shoulder – you can be sure they’ll take it on board in a way that will make them a productive employee faster.
- Record keeping
Many safety inductions require certain policies, guidelines, rules and forms to be both understood, and signed off on. But as many a new staffer will tell you, endless sheets of paper easily go astray. But, by reading and signing these induction pieces online, in a way that gives no doubt they’ve been done, you can rest assured everyone has followed the right processes.
- Access
The general manager and other company VIPs aren’t going to have time to personally welcome every fresh employee to the firm. But nothing helps a newcomer feel more welcome than knowing people and relationships are important to management. This is where online inductions are perfect. You simply need to video the big bosses introducing themselves, telling a little of the company, and what they expect from, and offer to, employees and you’ll have a powerful tool in your arsenal that people can view online as they sign on. It’s something that gives your newbie a great sense of the role they will play and also the calibre of the company they have joined. And what could be more important than that?
Happy inducting!
