A bit of background
They wanted a technology platform to support online induction to replace a face‑to‑face process. They created an induction pathway for new starters. It included what needed to be covered in the first 20 days of employment in a structured, uniform way that provided the same experience for all new starters.
The pathway experiential learning activities help their employees learn about the organisation and build networks fast. Every one of their new starters has been completing the customised induction process created on the People Alchemy platform since 2014 – as of the end of 2021 about 6000 and counting.
According to feedback from 141 new starters between June and August 2021, 97.2% would recommend the pathway to a colleague.
The best bit about the pathway is…?
“It’s the most comprehensive induction package I have seen in all my years working in the civil service.”
“Honestly best induction I have ever had within the Civil Service.”
“I think it was a brilliant mix and couldn’t actually improve it.”
“The clear overview. Great way to get a better feel for the department.”
“Very comprehensive and holistically in terms of its content and breadth, which can help set up new starters like me with a good foundation for settling into the organisation and role.”
“The wealth of information accessible through the pathway is incredible. It helped me absorb information around codes of conduct, numerous policies, working practices, learning and development opportunities, various networks, and many more.”
“All the detail is straight forward and not too word heavy.”
“Overall, a very helpful tool that more organisations should use.”
“The detailed approach to each aspect of working in the civil service.”
“Overall, I rate it as excellent. Information overload can be a bit overwhelming, but the pathway mitigates by stressing it is a continuous process.”
“Making me aware of all the admin things (like pay, benefits, leave, learning) and where to find these. This knowledge will help me shortcut my learning – help me adjust quicker.”
Feedback on the user experience
“Broken down into bitesize areas to work through, it’s user friendly, logical, and easy to navigate.”
“The modules are easy to pick up where you left off and can be completed at the users own pace.”
“I like having a clear structured process to go through and the activities tab means I am prompted to actually do something.”
“The Pathway is engaging and informative with activities that help develop practise on the operational side of things.”
Feedback from a new starter and their manager
A new starter and their manager both appreciated the structured framework, stating that it had benefits for time management, flexibility, contact with colleagues and formed a good reference document for refreshing knowledge in the future.
“The pathway helps to build on knowledge in a structured and easy to digest way. Alongside running through specific duties, it introduces you to important websites and tools, as well as giving you the opportunity to consider different scenarios you might come across in your work. This combination
really helps to connect the dots between specific duties of the role, providing vital context for the work we do therefore helping to create an idea of the bigger picture. Although I have been in my current role for 3 months, the pilot had signposted me towards some really useful sources of information and filled some gaps in my knowledge – I believe it will be extremely beneficial for new starters.”
“Accessing the system is straight forward and the dashboard makes it easy to track learning. The system guides both the learner and the mentor through the process. It’s pretty similar to how we have done training before, prompting
learners to undertake background reading and discussion, followed by observing a visit, then being observed doing a visit. The system also emailed me when Declan had stared a module or reached a stage that required my input.”
Summary
Due to the success of the platform and the ease of creating new pathways, around 50 more specialised pathways have been added over the years.
Your next steps
Get in touch and we can show you how you can deliver effective induction programmes in the workflow to take advantage of the power of informal learning and better learning transfer that changes behaviour and improves performance.
Contact us to find out more or to arrange a demo.
