Guidelines for Managers

These guidelines provide a University-wide and consistent approach to induction at the local level and have been produced to help managers design and implement induction programmes.

Planning a Local Induction

Any local induction has to provide all the relevant information that new staff need and are able to assimilate without being overwhelmed or being diverted from the essential process of integration into their team.

One size does not fit all – a standardised induction is unlikely to satisfy all needs. Each new member of staff should receive a planned programme of induction covering both local (job) and organisational information to make their transition from new member of staff to effective member of staff go as smoothly as possible. The length and nature of the induction process depends on the complexity of the role and the background of the new member of staff.

It is recommended that you nominate an induction co-ordinator (this may be you) who will be responsible for planning and arranging the induction programme and supporting the new employee during the first few weeks. You may also wish to consider introducing a buddy to the new member of the team.

Five Stages of Induction

Induction should be planned in five stages as illustrated in the sample Induction Co-ordinator Checklist.(Word doc: 54KB)

  1. Pre-arrival: before the new member of staff arrives there will be planning to do to ensure the induction runs smoothly.
  2. Day One: it is wise not to ‘bombard’ new staff with too much new information on the first day. However there will be essential points to cover such as Health and Safety, information for Human Resources and settling into their work area.
  3. The First Week: the induction co-ordinator needs to ensure that the induction programme is running smoothly. At the end of the first week he/she should meet the new starter and review their progress/identify any issues to be addressed.
  4. The First Month: by now the new starter should be settling into their new role with a clear understanding of how their team and academic unit/service unit function. They should have met the staff they will be regularly working with and identified their key priorities.
  5. After Three Months: the induction co-ordinator should meet the new member of staff to review the induction programme, sort out any outstanding items and evaluate its effectiveness using an evaluation form.(Word doc: 52KB)

Induction for Senior Appointments

Local Induction for Heads of Schools, Deans, Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellors and Directors of Research Intitutes are usually coordinated by the Head of Administration in each Faculty.