Inductions

Inductions are often the first impression given to a new starter. They set the scene for the culture of your team and company.

Many studies have shown the importance of inductions. This is even more important when you're inducting a young person who may have never been in a workplace before. Good quality inductions can offer structure, support and that vital confidence to new starters. Its important not to overlook the value of them. They should also show your commitment to the welfare, protection, and personal and professional development of all staff.

In a recent survey, at least 83% of our young people said an induction was a good way to help them integrate into the workplace.

Best practice

A good induction should show evidence of your commitment to:

• Staff welfare.
• Staff protection.
• Personal and professional development.

Sometimes, inductions can feel like a tick-box exercise. It’s important to remember that the induction is just the beginning. Your duty is to guide, advise and support new staff. To help them through your professional conduct and the policies and procedures that uphold personal and professional development.

An example of a poor induction

Anna met her new manager, Tom, at her interview. She had a good experience and was excited to start her new role and meet the rest of her team. However, in her first week, her manager was on annual leave and the rest of the team weren’t expecting her. They didn't have equipment or an available desk for her. She was left feeling like a spare part. Anna did some shadowing of a team member for the first few days until her equipment arrived. She was then given some tasks and told to work from home for the rest of the week.

In the weeks that followed, Anna felt isolated and anxious. She was not provided with a job description or any policies or procedures. She didn’t want to burden her busy colleagues with lots of questions. Eventually, Anna’s poor induction experience led to decreased engagement and poor productivity. She began looking for a new job elsewhere.

Tom was confused and disappointed at the failure of the appointment. Recruitment costs time and money and he did not understand what had gone wrong. He did not know what happened with Anna as he trusted his team to take care of the induction process. He did not check in with her as he’d seen how capable she was at interview. He thought she’d ask if she needed anything.

Now imagine that Anna is a young person (aged 18) and that this is her first job out of college. How might this experience impact on her self-esteem and outlook of work? How could this situation have been improved?

The responsibility of a manager

Inducting a new member of staff to the team ultimately lies with the manager. Of course, the manager is entitled to their annual leave. One improvement would be to induct the new member of staff at a better time when Tom was available.

If this wasn’t possible, then Tom could have prepared an induction pack. This could have been delivered on his behalf by selected team members. Preparation is key to ensure the induction goes smoothly.

Tom could have selected a ‘buddy’ (or rota of buddies) to work closely with Anna in those first few weeks. Someone who she knew she could ask questions and get support from.

Regular check-ins and informal 1:1s would have been a great way for Tom to track Anna’s progress and wellbeing. It’s important to remember that starting a new job can make even the most confident person feel nervous and apprehensive. And young people often have lower confidence and self-esteem.

Whilst we suggest you have a ready-made induction pack for all staff to use, it’s important to tailor your induction. This will ensure it is fit for purpose. There are particular areas you should think about when inducting a young person. It's likely that they'll not have much experience so a greater amount of structure and support is required.

Think ahead of their first day

• Do you have regular team, service or business unit meetings you could invite them to before their first day? If so, use this to help the young person feel more comfortable within the company.
• Is your team due an away-day? Team building exercises are an excellent way to introduce new members. They also have a positive impact on the rest of the team. Lots of ideas can be found online that could make for a fun day.
• Could you spare 15-20 minutes to meet with the new starter in advance of their first day? Perhaps for a quick coffee or to meet the team and see the building?
• Give any reading and forward on emails/corporate updates which may be important/of interest.
• Contact the new starter before their first day via phone to check if they have any questions. In our most recent survey, 96% of all young people said they found this useful.
  One said: "I had contact with two managers, via phone and email. This was really helpful as it gave me someone to familiarise myself with. I was then able to prepare myself for the first few days. Knowing what would be in my schedule was really useful to calm my nerves."
  Another said "I found this useful as I felt included in the team right from the start. I believe this helped my confidence coming into the role too. I never felt as though I didn't understand any duties I'd be carrying out or what my role would entail."
• Provide staff contact details (yours and their team/buddy’s) for any emergencies.
• Prep your existing team. Make sure they know when the new starter will be joining. Encourage them to introduce themselves. Make sure they understand their role in terms of induction processes/buddy rotas etc.

Housekeeping

• You need to prepare in advance for equipment, ID badges and any other things that a new starter requires. Check with your IT department to find out expected timescales for new equipment. Make sure they'll have everything they need to be able to do their job from day one.
• Typical housekeeping items should be sprinkled throughout the induction period. These could include email signature templates, information governance and other ‘ways we do things’. It’s important to think about the correct order. For example, an ID badge is a priority so that the new starter can move around any of the required workspaces.
• Planning your team’s schedules – think about how you can make sure someone is always available to offer support.

Performance, process, policies and procedures

• Provide a job description on or before the first day. Make sure you take the time to discuss how this relates to their real-life working day.
• Use the job description to structure discussions around daily/weekly/monthly and annual expectations. Also use it to show targets to be achieved by them and by the team.
• Talk through the Probation Policy – it’s important they understand how their performance will be assessed.
• Have a list of other policies and procedures ready that the new starter needs to learn about. It would be a good idea to address these policies in different ways. Being given them all to read through isn't going to be very exciting or productive. Instead, think about which policies you might be best having a discussion about. Which ones can be read later, and which ones you might want to create working examples of.
• Finally, your company should have an induction checklist which we recommend you work through together, ticking off at each stage. This helps both you, the new starter and any other team members know what else needs to be covered.

Culture, values and mission

• Send your new joiner useful information (such as e-newsletters, corporate videos, or a welcome pack). Some companies have a business-wide induction video that new starters can watch. This can introduce them to the mission and values of the company.
• Provide a team and company structure chart so that they can see who does what.
• Showcase your friendly and warm culture. Copy the new starter into a welcome email which is sent to the service area they’ll be working in. Also welcome them in-person during their first meeting team/service meeting.

Other advice

• Try to make sure your new starter’s first day or week, is packed with a variety of different tasks. Give them the chance to meet lots of people.
• Routinely check in and ask questions. Reiterate on a consistent basis that you are there to support the new starter with anything they need. Regular formal and informal check-ins are a must. Informal check-ins should be varied, such as phone calls, video calls, quick chats in the kitchen area and emails/i-messages. It’s important to remember that this may be the first time the young person has been in the workplace. They will have come from a school or college where they have been nurtured by staff. They likely had regular access to coaching and mentoring too. They may not yet have the skills or confidence to approach a manager on their own when they need something.
• Plan regular individual meetings to discuss KPIs and work objectives. This is a good time to let them know your thoughts and hear theirs too. Having something to work towards will also ensure they have a purpose in the team. It will encourage them to get 'stuck in' from the very beginning.

Remote working

If your team work remotely, it’s even more important to plan your contact time with the learner/employee. Some new employees, including young adults, might struggle with this new way of working and need extra support. The most important thing is mapping how you will communicate and coach your new team member virtually.

• Plan daily check-ins to start with. These can always occur less often as they build confidence and skills.
• Encourage your team to be involved. Get them to spend time checking in with each other whether that’s by phone call, mail or video.
• Set up a team chat where you can greet each other daily. Make it a space for people to ask questions and offer each other support.
• Schedule regular 1:1s. These could be over video call or over the phone. You could both use the time to go for a walk or grab a cuppa whilst catching up.
• Offer support regularly. Young people are often eager to please or not having much confidence. This can mean that they don’t reach out if they need something. Make sure you are consistently offering your time to them if they need anything.

Useful templates

• Example induction checklist
• Example work plan template

Further reading

• The induction process, and the purpose of induction for employer and employee
• Can young people thrive in a remote-work world?
• Young people and working from home (WFH) in the pandemic
• Top tips for onboarding new staff remotely – five clear steps
• How to Set Up a Remote Employee for Success on Day One

Coaching and mentoring

Coaching and mentoring are both methods of supporting people to develop and achieve their full potential.

Union Learn identify the following benefits of using coaching and mentoring in their guide to the role of mentoring in supporting apprenticeships.

• Embedding employer’s organisational culture and adopting positive behaviours
• Improved quality of service
• Supporting communication between the young person and the employer
• Improved retention and completion rates
• Improving skill and knowledge transfer
• Supporting mentors/managers to develop
• Improved productivity

Coaching and mentoring should be used in two ways. To provide support in a practical way to overcome any immediate issues, and to build independence and self-resilience over time. You may also find you address both personal and professional areas as part of your coaching programme.

Professional development

Areas of professional development which may be covered by coaching and mentoring are:

• Technical or practical aspects of the role that the young person needs to learn over time.
• Further training or qualification options that the young person may need or be interested in.
• Discussions around career progression and transitions.
• Professional relationships at work.

Leading by example

You should share your own learning and successes with young employees in your team. You could also invite other senior leaders from different department to engage in the process. This gives young people the chance to develop their networking and communication skills. It could also encourage managers to form links with newer entrants to the profession and highlight the potential for mentoring.

Offering support

Once in role, a young person may show an interest in furthering their career. At this point, you should offer support with any job applications or interviews. The aim is to actively encourage career progression.

Mentoring employees at the end of their time with you

You may suggest a mentoring programme. This is where the young person is supported throughout the transitional stage and into their new employment. Establishing links with recruitment agencies and professional careers advisors will enable the young people to identify a clear career path. It will also help them to understand what roles are available. Allowing time for discussion and reflection will empower young people to take an active role in their own career development. You should work with the young people to identify any barriers to progress. Focus on strategies or support mechanisms to overcome or alleviate any potential barriers. From these discussions, you could signpost any support services currently available through the Council or in the wider community.

Using a checklist wheel for professional development

You could ask your employee to complete this professional checklist wheel template. They can fill in how much they agree with the statements. This will give you both a picture of where they feel they are at in their development. It can also help them to identify where they may need more coaching.

See an example of how to use the template.

Personal development

Areas of personal development which may be covered by coaching and mentoring are:

• Financial wellbeing, including understanding your payslip and budgeting.
• Personal appearance, hygiene and presentation.
• Personal health.
• Personal relationships.

For more information on how to support with these specific areas, browse our supporting PDBW section.

Using a checklist wheel for personal development

You could ask your employee to complete this personal checklist wheel template. They can fill in how much they agree with the statements. This will give you both a picture of where they feel they are at in their development. It can also help them to identify where they may need more coaching.

See an example of how to use the template.

Further reading

• CIPD guide to coaching and mentoring

Further learning

We recommend you access the following training sessions:

• Coaching skills
• Mentoring for mentors

If you're not a Barnsley Council employee you'll need to request access to POD to be able to view these eLearning courses. To get access, email POD@barnsley.gov.uk and they will be able to set you up.

1:1s and PDRs

Research shows young people who are new to work benefit from more regular 1:1s and check-in sessions. Regular contact with managers and other members of their team enables them to build confidence. It can also help  them to feel more comfortable asking questions and voicing any concerns. It also allows them to settle in more quickly.

1:1s can take place in different forms:

• You could speak on the phone, in person or over video chat.
• You could have some sessions which are more formal, and then have more regular, informal check-ins on a daily basis.
• You could have a higher number of planned 1:1s initially, which then decrease over time. Especially as the employee becomes more familiar with their role.

It can be really hard to find the time to plan 1:1s in as a manager. This is often the case if you have a heavy workload or large team. It's vital you are aware of the benefits it can have on your employee though. In time it will have a beneficial effect on you and your team too.

Top tips

• Plan your 1:1s in advance as much as possible.
• Try your best to not reschedule or cancel 1:1s at the last minute. Your employee may have been saving some specific questions to ask you. If the meeting is cancelled they may worry about when they’ll next be able to ask.
• If you’re feeling the pressure of your workload, offer 5 minutes at the beginning and end of the day as check-ins. It might not feel like much, but this bit of time could give your employee the chance to offload.
• Why not grab a cuppa? As long as you are having a discussion and giving the employee an opportunity to be heard you can multi-task!
• Record your 1:1s. Whether you use a notepad, OneNote or a template, make sure you record what is discussed.

Planning a difficult conversation

Sometimes during 1:1s and PDRs we might need to address areas of concern. It’s not always easy to do this. The best way to feel more confident, and for the discussion to be effective, is to plan the conversation in advance.

Plan your areas of conversation into sections:

• What message do you need to convey and how can you do that clearly and respectfully?
• Do you need to discuss evidence or examples of areas of concern?
• What results do you want to see from this conversation?
• How will you monitor and evaluate the results?
• What follow up questions might you or they ask and how will you answer them?

Further learning

• Managing difficult conversations

If you're not a Barnsley Council employee you'll need to request access to POD to be able to view this eLearning course. To get access, email POD@barnsley.gov.uk and they will be able to set you up.

Further reading

• CultureAmp: The importance of 1:1 meetings
• Leapsome: The purpose of 1:1 (one-on-one) meetings — with example questions

Offboarding

Is your young person on their way to successfully completing their placement? Are they starting to think about next steps for when they move on? If so, you can take several positive steps to support the young person in furthering their employment opportunities.

Showing employees that they have your full support, and that of the wider organisation, is a good way to promote talent. it will also encourage young people to develop their skills. You can support them further by helping them to prepare for future application and job interviews.

Career development advice

Working closely with your employee to understand what their career goals are will help you to support them. You can then help them to set realistic career goals and identify next step options. This could be higher education, further training or apprenticeships, and gap year opportunities.

Promote education and further self-improvement, through the signposting of courses or recruitment events. This is a good way of leading the young person towards their career goals.

You could offer a funding package to support the young person on their career path. This could mean a bursary, leading to qualifications and learning experiences that will enhance the young person’s skills and employability. You should look at building in time for the employee to attend courses. You could also allow study breaks for them to complete educational development. Highlight podcasts, forums or research papers that provide advice and guidance on career progression and self-development. This will allow the young person to become immersed in their own self-development.

Mentoring employees

You may suggest a mentoring programme. This is where the young person is supported throughout the transitional stage and into their new employment. Establish links with recruitment agencies and professional careers advisors if possible. This will enable the young people to identify a clear career path and increase their awareness of current jobs. Allowing time for discussion and reflection will empower young people to take an active role in their own career development. You should work with them to identify any barriers to progress. This is  particularly important for those from disadvantaged/vulnerable backgrounds and those with disabilities. You should focus on strategies or support mechanisms to overcome or alleviate any potential barriers. From these discussions, you could signpost any support services currently available through the Council or in the wider community.

Lead by example

You should share your own learning experiences and successes with young employees in your team. Invite other senior leaders from different department to engage in the process. This will provide a great opportunity for young people to develop their networking and communication skills. It could also encourage managers to form links with newer entrants to the profession and highlight potential mentoring opportunities.

Applications

As employees look to move on, you could offer practical help with the process of writing CVs and applying for jobs. It can be helpful to spend time coaching employees on best practice, particularly for applying for roles within your company.

• Talk to your employee about how recruitment works in your company. Show them your vacancy website and discuss tips for writing a good application.
• Offer to review their CV/applications before they submit them.
• Where possible, keep your ear to the ground and inform them of any relevant vacancies you know are coming up.
• Support the writing of applications through 1:1 discussion around employability skills [link to employability skills section]
• LinkedIn is becoming a popular way for companies to headhunt and advertise for vacancies. Encourage your employee to create a LinkedIn profile and search relevant vacancies.

There are a wide range of services in Barnsley which look to support young people looking for work. You can signpost your employee to:

• Chilypep HOME
• Skills and employability for young people

If you work at Barnsley Council, you can also direct your young person to our Lead Pastoral Mentor.

Job sites

• Barnsley Council jobs
• Save The Student - How to use LinkedIn to get a job
• Indeed - jobs in Barnsley
• Reed - jobs in Barnsley

Interview techniques

As employees move towards their next appointment, you could offer practical help with the interview process. Time could be set aside for pre-interview discussions around technique and candidate presentation. Mock interviews, together with time for reflection, will allow the young person to develop their interview skills.

• Focus on the specific criteria of the new post and how the candidate fulfils the criteria.
• Ensure the young person references the information detailed in their application form.
• Highlight the key values of the company and introduce these into replies.
• Use the STAR method to underpin responses.
• Research potential questions - many companies list these on their websites.
• Coach the young person in presentation skills: well-presented appearance, clear delivery of answers, make eye contact and listen carefully.
• Check that the candidate is fully aware of the resources required on the day. This is often proof of ID.
• Review the time and location of the interview. Make sure the candidate is fully aware of where and when they need to attend.
• Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, can be of benefit to candidates who become anxious prior to an interview.
• A clothing allowance and assistance with any travel costs may be required to overcome any financial barriers.

Further reading

Youth Employment UK interview tips can be shared with your young person.

Barnsley Council interview tips are useful whether the young person is applying to the council or not. We also have more specific application help for those applying for jobs at the council.

Reed have 15 foolproof interviewing techniques.

NHS employers have a guide to recruiting and retaining young people.

Derbyshire Council also has a guide for managers on how to interview effectively.

Further learning

You can direct your young person to our preparing for interview eLearning

If you're not a Barnsley Council employee you'll need to request access to POD to be able to view this eLearning course. To get access, email POD@barnsley.gov.uk and they will be able to set you up.

We have a mock interview pack which young people can complete in order to prepare for interviews - please request this resource from inclusiveoffer@barnsley.gov.uk.