Six Things People Forget to Do During Employee Induction

You've done the hard part! You've found the right person, they've said yes, and their first day is in the diary.

At this point it is easy to relax, but the first few weeks are when a new employee decides whether they've made the right choice, and small gaps in paperwork can turn into bigger problems later.

After more than 20 years in HR, including many years in the care sector, I see the same few things missed again and again. It's rarely carelessness. Busy business owners are juggling a hundred things, and induction gets squeezed.

Here are the six I see most often, and how to get them right. Look out for some 'HR Hacks' where I include my real life lived experience in HR.

1. Having the paperwork ready before day one

Many employers plan to "sort the contract out in a few weeks". But your new starter is entitled to a written statement of their main terms, which is usually their contract, on or before their first day.

Check these before they start:

·      Right to work checks, completed and recorded before they begin work

·      References and any other checks like DBS completed in advance

·      Contract or written statement ready to sign

·      Bank details, emergency contacts and a P45 (or starter checklist) for payroll

·      Their pension eligibility assessed, so you know whether auto-enrolment applies

Doing this upfront protects you both, and it shows your new starter that you’re organised from the start.

2. Making sure their desk, and their colleagues are ready for them

There is nothing worse than starting a new job and finding out that you have no desk, or no laptop, or no one to train you. These are easy things to forget to arrange as a busy manager, but speak to your IT and HR departments (if you have them) to organise:

·      Laptop and phone

·      Email account and logins for all relevant software

·      A desk (which is clean and tidy – don’t leave the last persons stuff in the drawers or on the desk!)

·      A Training Plan – let people know when they will complete training, who it will be with and where it will happen, also tell them what to do if they find themselves with nothing to do for a bit – this could be looking at the intranet or researching around the role.

·      Let their colleagues know they are coming and assign a buddy if possible

HR HACKS: When you hire your first person write a list of all the systems/logins/keys/fobs you needed to organise so you can work from that list next time. List what items you gave to what employee so that you can get them back when they leave.

3. Explain your policies, don't just email them

Emailing a staff handbook and saying "have a read when you get a chance" isn't an induction. Most people won't open it until something goes wrong:

·      Spend 20 minutes going through the policies they'll actually use:

·      How to report sickness, who to call, and by what time

·      How to request holiday

·      What to do if they have a concern or a problem at work

·      Your expectations on things like phones, social media and dress

If you don't have clear, up-to-date policies yet, this is the moment you'll notice. It's much easier to put them in place now than to write one in a hurry halfway through a disagreement.

4. Covering health and safety on day one

Health and safety often gets left out of the first day because everyone assumes it's "obvious". It isn't to someone who's just walked through the door.

As a minimum, cover:

·      Fire exits, alarms and assembly points

·      Who the first aiders are and where the first aid kit is

·      How to report an accident or near miss

·      Any role-specific risks or training they need before starting certain tasks

In sectors like care, this links directly to mandatory training, so plan when it will happen rather than hoping it gets fitted in.

5. Setting clear expectations for probation

A probation period only works if your new starter knows what "good" looks like and when you'll be reviewing it.

HR HACK: I once supported a business where a manager noticed a new employee arriving 15 minutes late every day. He said nothing for three months, then tried to fail her probation. It turned out she relied on the bus, and she'd been staying late every evening to make up the time. Once we actually had a conversation with her, her hours were adjusted and she stayed with the business for years.

It was a problem that could have been solved in five minutes on day one.

Agree review dates up front, typically at one, three and six months. Explain what you'll be looking at, and make it clear that questions are welcome.

6. Checking in on the person, not just the process

This one gets forgotten more than any other. After the paperwork and the fire drill, it's easy for the new starter to be left to get on with it. Feeling welcome makes a huge difference to whether someone stays. A few simple things help:

·      Introduce them properly to the team, and tell the team they're coming

·      Give them a buddy they can ask the "silly" questions

·      Book a relaxed check-in at the end of their first week

·      Ask how they're finding it, and listen to the answer

·      Introduce them to people from other departments too, so they know how they fit into the business as a whole.

HR HACK: I once introduced a ‘meet the manager’ schedule into a new employees probation periods, so they would meet all the managers from different departments during their first few weeks – the new employees really valued it and we protected managers time by booking in several new starters with them at a time. This also means that further down the line if this new person has any issues they have several people who they can contact.

People who feel supported early on are more confident and more settled, and they're far more likely to stay.

A good induction doesn't have to be complicated. It just needs to be planned, so nothing gets missed when things get busy.

Here are three ways I can help:

📋 Start with the free Employee Hiring Checklist (UK)

A simple step-by-step checklist covering everything from the job offer to day one, so nothing slips through the net.

👉 Download it free here

📁 Get the policies in place with an HR Policy Pack

Whether you're hiring your first employee or growing a team, our fixed-price packs give you ready-to-use policies written for UK small businesses:

Seedling – for start-ups and first hires

Steady Grower – for growing teams

The Full Works – for established businesses

Here is a link to the Policy Packs page for more information

📞 Book a 1-hour HR check call

Already have your paperwork but not sure it's all correct? In a one-hour call, I'll go through your contracts, policies and induction process with you, check everything is in order, and give you clear, practical next steps. No jargon and no judgement.

👉 Book your call here

Get the start right, and you're building a team that wants to stay.