A proper induction can produce many benefits

• The young employee is more confident and enthusiastic, because they feel included and welcome and first job nerves are settled quickly
• Entry into the workplace from school is easier and the employee adapts faster
• Loss of staff in early months may be reduced as the employee learns and begins to succeed and like the job
• Productivity is achieved more quickly as the young employee becomes skilled in the job
• A reduction in the possibility of accidents
  
  Asking questions or encouraging interaction in a friendly manner ensures a more successful result. Inexperienced workers, keen to make a good impression, may say they understand when they don't.

Statistics show that young males are up to 3 times more likely to have an accident in the workplace, so it's vitally important to ensure a thorough safety induction to reduce the risk of accident. New employees also, may be a higher risk for accidents as they are new to the environment and the job. Occupational Health & Safety laws now make a safety induction compulsory and you may find that a good induction can be very profitable as it reduces accidents and establishes the rules, practices and expectations at the very beginning.

As many young people have never worked before or are employed on a casual basis only, they may not have gained enough experience in the possible hazardous aspects of the job. Ensure they are clear on what to do, how to do it and why safety issues are so important.

It's a good idea to conduct a safety tour. This 'walk and talk' should stop at any point of safety concern while it's explained fully.

Allow plenty of time for the Induction. It’s worth spending more time with them in the early stages to avert problems later on. Encourage questions as young workers may not yet be comfortable to ask 'the boss' questions.

You may even wish to consider spreading the Induction process over a number of days and using other staff to help with particular topics. The ‘buddy system’ works well as the new employee has someone who takes an interest in them from day one and can help to answer any questions they may have over the coming weeks.

At the induction you should give the new employee lots information to read about your business, products or services and go through their job in greater detail. Remember to provide expanded, relevant information to avoid assuming common knowledge or familiarity of the position.

Things to cover include:

• The role of the job and how it fits into the overall business
  
• Introducing other staff members, explaining their roles & how your job interacts with theirs
  
• Job performance expectations
  
• Safety requirements

Take the time to fully explain the employment conditions, which should include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The award or agreement under which their position is paid. Also ensure the employee is provided with a copy of, or knows where to access the Award.
• Employment status (Eg. Full-time, part-time or casual etc) and hours of work
  
• Award classification and rate of pay
  
• Payment arrangements (Eg. Direct deposit; pay day etc)
• Details of the probationary period
  
• Superannuation details
  
• Occupational Health & Safety requirements
• Income Tax - have the employee complete the required income tax form and make sure to explain any questions which they do not understand.
• Probationary period and conditions

It's recommended that you have the employee sign a file copy of their Letter of Offer prior to commencement, to indicate they are in agreeance regarding their employment status and conditions.

A new entry level employee may not be as familiar with business practices as other employees. More time and greater detail may have to be invested with a young worker, particularly in relation to explaining superannuation and tax deductions. Don’t take it for granted that the young person understands these things.

Young and new employees may take some time to establish workplace friends. Make the effort to introduce the staff, set up a buddy for the new person. Making them feel comfortable is an important part of the Induction.

Remember to also include them in the social activities of the business. Things such as staff lunches and after work socials can help the young person make friends and settle in faster.

Consider offering to the young worker the opportunity of having their parents present during the initial induction if they wish to do so. The idea in doing this is to gain family reinforcement of the new world of work.

Following are common mistakes:

• Ignoring a low cost young worker to deal with bigger issues can leave the young person with an impression of not being important.
• If the employee is left idle for long periods they can develop a 'stand around' mind set.
• Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) induction is law. Statistically young males have up to three times higher injury rates than other workers. The induction helps you get off to a safe start.
• Older Managers typically describe OH&S as 'commonsense'; often forgetting that it's in fact years of experience that underpins this view.
• It might seem easier to delegate the induction to another worker but it's important to ensure the employee providing the induction is trained in basic supervision and coaching.
• The induction may fail due to inaccurate or insufficient information being provided, or through not clarifying the new employee understands.
• Inductions need to be a two way communication process - not a lecture.

Sample Checklist from Workcover, for Day One Induction