Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation
INDUCTION PROGRAMME
MANAGER’S GUIDE
1.
GENERAL
(a) It is the Line Manager’s role to manage the induction and probationary period of a new member
of staff into their team at the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF).
The induction process includes the introduction of the new employee to the organisation, orientation
into their new role and the setting of initial objectives and performance standards.
The induction process falls within the 3 or 6 month probationary period.
The length of induction varies from person to person and depends on their role. Some people will
integrate into the role and the organisation very quickly, others will need more support. To be most
effective, induction should be planned and paced over several days or weeks rather than a one day
introduction
Induction planning starts before the new employee starts work.
The Manager should remember that a new employee will see the organisation with fresh eyes and
be able to provide useful feedback on how the WSFF operates. It is helpful to encourage and
capture those initial impressions so that the organisation can continually review, refine and where
necessary, improve operations.
(b) Induction applies to all new staff on permanent or non permanent contracts.
A modified version of the induction process could also be useful for staff who have been absent for
some time (ie staff who have been away on sabbatical, maternity or sickness absence etc) to bring
them up to date with developments.
It could also apply to anyone who joins WSFF including:
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Volunteers
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Interns
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Consultants & contractors (if expected to work on the premises for some time)
For the above, modifications are necessary to avoid any inference of an employment relationship
between the parties which could imply employment status.
2.
THE INDUCTION PROCESS
(a) There are THREE PHASES to the induction process which starts from the time the job offer is
made:
STAGE
TIMEFRAME
EMPLOYEE FOCUS
Anticipatory
Job offer to start date
Enthusiastic about new job
Receptive to learning
Encounter
Month One
High motivation to learn
Desire to demonstrate abilities
Adjustment
Months Two to Six
Keen to become accepted as an
“insider”
Desire to confirm good performance
Within each phase there are FOUR AREAS of information/learning that the Manager needs to
consider when planning information the new employee will need:
Role information:
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understanding the new role & responsibilities
–
targets & deadlines
Social information:
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understanding the working style of the team
–
understanding how the organisation works, its structure & environment
WSFF Manager’s Guide to Induction
March 2009
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Organisational information:
–
understanding WSFF’s history, its vision and mission, organisational goals, culture, who it
works with, partnerships etc.
Interpersonal information:
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meeting and getting to know colleagues inside & outside the immediate team
(b) Managers should remember that the aims of a good induction help new employee to:
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establish themselves with the people who matter in the organisation as soon as possible
help them to build good relationships
perform well and get up to speed as quickly as possible with their new job
(c) Managers should carefully plan the induction of new staff to their team, using the checklists
attached at the end of this policy. Planning should start as soon as the new employee is offered the
position. Induction is however more than a checklist of items - it is also about the explaining the
culture of the organisation – “how we do things at WSFF”.
(d) There is a legal requirement to ensure that new staff are instructed in Health and Safety issues
that will affect their employment.
(e) Managers need to check that staff have accessed the Staff Handbook and that they have
understood and accept its contents, otherwise there is no evidence that policies have been read or
understood. If a claim is made against WSFF (or if disciplinary action is contemplated due to an
alleged breach of a policy), the organisation would need to be able to demonstrate that staff have
been informed of a particular policy requirement or code of conduct or behaviour.
3.
SOME DOs and DON’Ts when planning induction
DO :
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Remember that starting a job can be stressful however confident someone may appear
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Adapt the programme to meet the needs and requirements of the individual. Remember that
everyone has a different learning style and adapts to change at a different pace. Don’t stick rigidly
to the programme. Ensure that your induction contains a variety of activities that suit different
learning styles (a balance of learning, practising and doing).

Ensure that there is an opportunity early on to start to get into the real job while avoiding the feeling
by the new employee of being “thrown in at the deep end”

Remember that induction is a part of the probationary review process.

Evaluate the programme after each new employee’s induction by asking the employee: “what went
well? What might need to be changed? Did it achieve its purpose?” The Manager should also self
evaluate the process, reviewing what went well and what might need to be changed. How much
support was the new employee given? Was it sufficient? What was learnt during the process?

Review the employee’s progress regularly – set up and hold one to one meetings
DON’T
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Overload the new employee with too much information, too much listening or too much of the same
thing at any one time

Make assumptions about the new employee’s skills and learning

Forget about the new employee’s learning and development needs.
support they need in the early part of their employment
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Review and decide what
WSFF INDUCTION PROGRAMME CHECKLIST
PLANNING THE INDUCTION PROGRAMME
ANTICIPATORY (PRE-EMPLOYMENT) PHASE : Job offer to start date
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ACTIVITIES
PLAN WEEK BEFORE START DATE :
Check contractual issues :
– Has contract been issued?
– If so, has the signed contract been returned as the acceptance?
– Have (satisfactory) references been received ?
– Have any security checks (if necessary) been sorted out?
Send joining letter – amend as necessary
Send copies of any relevant reading materials including details about what is coming up that might
be relevant?
Consider inviting new employee to social activities happening before starting date.
Send an e-mail is issued to all staff advising them of the new person starting, when they are
starting, their job (or role) & background
Book a room to spend some time with the new employee on first day and for other appointments
during the first week
Organise a security/key pass to be ready for the first day
Ensure desk, phone, pc, email account etc are set up
Check who is in the office on the 1st day the new employee starts and remind them that they will
be invited
(a) to have a coffee with the new employee with the others from the team
(b) to go out to lunch with the rest of the team
Confirm arrangements
Book time into your diary to spend with the new employee – one meeting on day one + other
meetings during the first week
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DAY ONE +
ENCOUNTER STAGE
WHO
ACTIVITY/AREAS COVERED
Office
administrator
DAY ONE
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Meets in reception and shows new employee
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Workspace
Toilets
Cloakroom or where to put coat, belongings etc.
Kitchen & house rules
What people do for lunch
Photocopiers + other equipment – location
General explanation of office layout
Fire exits / staircase + entry and exit methods
Tour of the office
Introduces to others in the office
Any queries over contract or terms & conditions
Checking documents confirming right to work in
Handbook – policies and procedures
Holiday booking and recording
How to report sickness absence or lateness
Dress code
No smoking policy
Stationery & office supplies
Visitors and security procedures
Security pass
Queries or questions – now or in future re office management
ICT queries, internet security, who to contact if queries
Line Manager
Confirm/makes arrangements for lunch – unless new employee has alternative
plans.
Even so, try and make some plan for a social occasion with the team at some point
during first week
Office
administrator
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Pay – how, when paid…and P45, bank details etc.
Next of kin and/or person to contact in event of an emergency + details
Pension scheme and other Benefits
Office
Administrator
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First aiders – who are they, how to contact
Location of first aid kits
Fire drills and emergency evacuation procedures (& assembly points)
Reporting hazards, concerns and accidents
Risk assessment
Line Manager
Possible list of activities for manager to cover during 1st week
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Go through organisation chart…. Indicate people the new employee will
need to liaise with or work with or to whom they might ask questions
Confirm how induction programme will proceed – a mixture of own direction
& support – at end of first day, first week and first month
Discuss role, responsibilities, accountabilities and early targets
Discuss what is coming up – key meetings, events, social activities etc.
Answer initial questions about WSFF and the role ensuring that make it
clear how it operates, its overall goals and some information on its history,
its projects, its partners
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WHO
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Line Manager
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ACTIVITY/AREAS COVERED
How the team works – what others do - meet with Heads of Department
How s/he will be managed – 1-2-1, individual workplan, team action plan
and annual reviews etc
Strategic goals, how the team contributes to these, what are the key
targets and objectives of the team; explain any key principles or special
terms.
Start to consider what learning & development/training needs the employee
may have to make the best start in the role
Expenses – policy in Handbook
Explanation about Sport England and funding
Confirm when will meet again (recommend checking at end of first day +
one or more meetings during first week) – make more appointments to
check how things are going, answer further questions, explain role and
responsibilities, targets etc…..
Start work commitments – with supervision/support from team, others ……….
GOING FORWARD 2nd WEEK and BEYOND
GOING INTO ADJUSTMENT PHASE
ACTIVITIES THAT CAN TAKE PLACE OVER 2nd WEEK & BEYOND WHICH WILL INCLUDE ITEMS
UNDER MANAGER’S RESPONSIBILITIES DETAILED ABOVE
Line Manager
Appointments with key people as previously arranged outside the team
Some areas to cover will include :
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What team/department does
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How teams work together
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How the new employee’s role impacts on other team
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Information might be needed + people to work with
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Deadlines, responsibilities, tasks that are relevant
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Other information that new employee might need from other team/dept
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The Board of Trustees
Line Manager
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Continue with regular meetings – formal and informal
Check that new employee is reading Handbook, looking at the info on the
WIKI, getting what they need from meetings with others …. Etc.
Check that the employee is getting to grips with the role
And getting on OK with colleagues, understanding where they fit into the
organisation
Answer any questions or queries or direct as necessary
Evaluating and reviewing learning and development needs….
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Start to evaluate probationary period…
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Line Manager
Support as getting into the job role…..
EVALUATE THE PROGRAMME after each new person joins !
WSFF Manager’s Guide to Induction
March 2009
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