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Q We’re thinking of putting some of our induction material online? Is
this a good idea and can you suggest what type of material works well online?
A Yes. A common complaint from inductees is that they have so much
information thrown at them during their first few days that very little sinks
in. The benefit of creating an interactive, online induction course is that you
can check the retention of information every few screens with short quizzes. It
can also be accessed prior to the employee starting with the company.
An online induction can be as brief or as comprehensive as you feel your
organisation needs. You can include information on international offices,
sports and social activities offered and a map of the building with key
locations indicated.
Other material could revolve around IT and e-mail policies so new starters
are up-to-date with these prior to joining. Progress with reading this material
could be tracked and this could be added to staff records, which might be
particularly valuable if there were compliance issues involved.
Not all induction material should be put online because it might alienate
new starters who like to feel a personal connection with the firm they are
joining. However, there are key pieces of information which many employees like
to go through a few times. By providing this online, it frees up HR personnel
to concentrate on those essential areas that require personal interaction, such
as a personal welcome, introduction to team members and reviewing the staff
handbook.
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It may well be that you look to an external supplier to provide a bespoke
solution. If this is the case, make sure you are able to edit, update and add
to content yourself, as within any company, there can be frequent changes as
people join, leave or change their jobs. If internal resources are limited,
commissioning bespoke work is one option. Either way, an updateable solution
ensures that your induction programme can grow with your needs.
Response provided by Gail Nugent, e-learning consultant and project manager
at IQdos Ltd – www.iqdos.com
