Setting up for success: How to do staff inductions well

With schools likely to see at least one new member of staff join the team this September, Andrew Blench offers some timely advice on updating your induction and onboarding processes

It’s that time of year when many schools start to think about their staffing for next September and how they will integrate any new recruits to the school. In a primary school this might not be a huge number of people but in a secondary or college setting this could be a significant number of people. Perhaps anywhere between 8 and 12 new employees to welcome.

It is recognised by the CIPD that giving new staff a good welcome and induction goes a long way towards helping them to settle in well, to be effective in their new roles and reduces staff turnover.

Understanding induction and onboarding

Induction and onboarding is an introduction to key people, policies and processes that the new member of staff will need in order to perform their role well. Its also about the physical (include online) environment. Where do I find this? Or in which electronic folder does this belong?

Induction days/half days

A lot of settings will bring new staff into school during the summer term prior to the September start for an induction event. This might be a day or half day event during which new members of staff will meet key leaders and contracts within school, be given talks about different aspects of school life such as safeguarding arrangements and marking policies.

These events do of course rely upon the goodwill of the school that the new member of staff is already working for. That they will graciously allow them out of school for a day or half day! I also wonder about how effective these events actually are? In my experience we throw lots of information at new recruits in a very short space of time and I wonder how much of it actually sticks!

A considered approach

Many organisations are now looking at a much more easily digestible approach. Seeing induction and onboarding as a process rather than a fixed event. To facilitate this, you need to ask – what does a new member of staff need to know and from when do they need to know it?

Thinking about what they need before the start date, what they will need to be introduced to in their first week and then think about the first term (typically 13 weeks). Set this out in a document with week 1 to 13, plus a before start date question.

So, some things will need to be done before the person starts (or at least on the first day). I would suggest a tour of the school site. Include all areas not just the department they are going to work in. Physical and logical keys issuing – a key to the classroom, codes for doors and/or fobs to open magnetic locks. Network sign in details. Whilst new staff can rely upon other staff to let them into areas until their details are sorted, it isn’t ideal and conveys a message that they were not expected. Other aspects can be covered later, such as how the performance management system works or how to join the staff welfare club.

There will be lots of policies that you will want the recruit to read and sign to say they have read. But don’t present them with a long list of policies to read without setting some expectation as to what order to tackle them in. Also think about when you are expecting these to be read. Can the new member of staff be given time off timetable to read them? If we don’t facilitate time for this, then we wind up with lip service being paid to some important policies.

In terms of chunking up which elements can be delivered virtually – can health and safety training be completed online? Are there members of staff who could record short videos in which they explain certain aspects of school life? Again, set an expectation with the recruit as to when each element needs completing and put this into your first 13-week document.

Don’t forget that some of your new recruits may have a disability and reasonable adjustments may need to be considered. This should have been picked up during the recruitment process, but in my experience this doesn’t always happen. Or if it is discussed, the interviewer assumes that the SBM has an endless supply of special chairs in the storeroom! As well as asking the question in the interview, why not give them a call and ask the question and have a general discussion before they start?

Finally, see this as a good opportunity to take in feedback and learning. Have you asked any members of staff who started with you in the last year, how their induction went?