Start with the basics, but don't cram everything in. People become productive sooner if they understand the fundamentals of their jobs first. Focus on the why, when, where, and how before you hand over any assignments or projects.
There are some definite things to avoid in week 1. Check out the table below to see some tips on what to avoid and what to do instead.
Things to do and avoid
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Giving a new starter too much new information, paperwork, and people to meet.
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Work out what is essential for Day 1 and spread the rest out across the induction.
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Leaving a new starter to have a break or extended periods of time with nothing to do.
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Ensure colleagues are available at breaks and plan any downtime (i.e., when you are in a meeting) to be productive for the new starter (i.e., exploring relevant webpages such as Staff (lse.ac.uk), doing e-learning).
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Asking the new starter to begin the job straight away without the confidence and understanding an induction will give them.
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Gradually introduce the job, making time for the new starter to try tasks in a supportive environment.
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Delaying the induction, even for a few days. New starters may pick up misinformation if they are not given an induction from day one.
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See if any of your less time-sensitive tasks can be moved around. Or see if Day 1’s start and finish times can be adjusted to ensure your availability.
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Skipping any type of induction altogether.
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Whilst it is important to begin the induction promptly, it can then be split into manageable portions.
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Seeing induction as time consuming and not necessary.
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Use positive language when describing their induction and give value to the time required to settle in and engage with the training.
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Learning
There are certain things that everyone who joins LSE needs to know. There is a wealth of information available online which we recommend that your new starter look at, but the induction e-learning modules are strongly advised for all new starters. The e-learning will take about 3-4 hours to complete, but your new starter can do this in bite sized pieces. Remember to build in enough time in their induction plan for them to do this.
In the first week make sure you set them up to complete their eLearning and book themselves on the relevant induction day and the campus tour. If they are a manager, make sure they are signed up for the LSE Manager programme for all new managers. Details of all of these are below.
All staff should complete the following e-modules within their first three months at LSE:
√ Ethics training module
√ EDI training module
√ Health and Safety workstation training and risk assessments
√ Cyber Security Awareness
√ Introduction to Sustainability module
Your new starter should also:
√ Complete their personal data and declare their interests on MyView
√ Collect their Staff ID Card from the Estates Badging Office (First Floor, Old Building).
√ Remember to book their Flying Start Induction and their Campus Tour. Both of these events and lots of other learning events can be found and booked on the Training and Development System
You may also want to signpost them to some of the important web pages for week one listed below.
Welcome for New Staff (lse.ac.uk)
Staff (lse.ac.uk),
How to be part of LSE
Work through your week one checklist and then start thinking about the next part of this toolkit: Month one
The review period
Within the first few days of a new member of staff arriving, the line manager should hold an initial meeting with him/her to:
- explain about the review period;
- give any necessary feedback from the interview and advise on any necessary training;
- set the standards required for the successful completion of the review period;
- agree on a process for giving future feedback;
- explain that they will be advised in writing if the review period has been successfully completed or if it is to be extended or the appointment terminated.
Formal monthly reviews should be held subsequently to monitor progress, give feedback and offer any necessary support – more frequently if problems arise. Progress during the review period should be monitored against the criteria included in the job description and person specification to ensure that each area has been successfully demonstrated prior to completion of the review period.
Managers are encouraged to keep notes of the formal monthly meetings held during the review period so that there is a record of areas discussed and support and training provided.
More information on reviews can be found here.
Personal information
As part of the onboarding process, you may be made aware of personal information about your new starter such as them having a protected characteristic. The new starter may share this with you or, if it was declared during onbaording, it may be shared with you by HR.
In the case of this happening, you should have a discussion with your new starter, establishing if there are specifc support needs or reasonable adjustments that you will need to make. In the case of a declaration of disability you should also signpost the person to Disability-specific resources such as the Disability Policy and Reasonable Adjustments Pocket Guide. You should discuss support options open to your with your HR partner.
If your new starter is a manager
If your new starter is a staff manager, you will also need to cover the points in the New Staff Manager Checklist.
Wellbeing
Remember to focus on and support the wellbeing of your new starter from the beginning. You can find out more about how to do this on the Staff Wellbeing webpages and get practical resources from the Wellness Toolkit. You will also want to signpost your new starter to these pages and make sure that wellbeing is a regular part of your one-to-ones moving forward.