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16 Jul 2020

How to remotely induct employees and introduce them to their benefits

In our current working climate, HR teams face unique challenges onboarding employees virtually. Many organisations have continued to welcome new employees during this time, which has meant quickly adapting to providing remote induction and introduction to benefits.

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So, how exactly do you effectively onboard new employees, or introduce benefits, from the home office, spare room or kitchen table? We spoke to Andy O’Neill, talent acquisition specialist at Simplyhealth, to find out how the business’s people team has adapted to these challenges.

How the induction process has changed

We certainly had to think fast on our feet around how we could repurpose our company induction for a remote working environment. Pre-COVID-19, our company-wide induction was delivered as a full day in our Andover office.

We would cover a variety of topics such as our history, purpose, customers, community and HR updates on our reward platform. Starting with an introduction from a senior executive leader, with interactive sessions to break up the day, we’d be joined by five separate guest speakers who delivered bite-sized overviews of their respective areas.

As with many employers, technology now plays a huge part in our induction process. We use Microsoft Teams to deliver all sessions, and asked our guest speakers to pre-record their overviews so we can deliver consistent messaging. This also gives us versatility in delivering multiple inductions in a short period.

We are lucky enough to have a design studio and videographer who supported editing the guest speaker videos to allow for a mix of video, audio and slides to come together into a seamless production.

The challenges we’ve faced

Our main concerns were around the length of sessions, but also the effect a full day on video call would have on concentration levels. While this kind of technology has great benefits, we also need to be aware of the need for plenty of breaks, which can be overlooked when delivering virtually.

To combat this, we broke the induction down into three parts; an initial 90-minute session, pre-recorded videos from our guest speakers, and a follow-up session booked within a two-week period. This allowed us to deliver all the content we would typically cover in an easy to digest format.

How it’s been received by employees

We’ve received excellent feedback from our new starters. They’ve found the content insightful and enjoyed the mix of delivery styles. It’s been reassuring for them knowing that they aren’t alone in joining Simplyhealth, without physically meeting their colleagues or stepping foot into our offices. Here’s what they have to say:

“After joining Simplyhealth at a difficult time, with the ongoing pandemic, the support and help given has been outstanding. Andy made the training very interesting and kept the information short but relevant to ensure it was easy for us to remember. There was a good variety of slides with information and videos. I can’t wait to learn more!” Saffron Cavalier, Client Advisor

“The company induction was a good insight to Simplyhealth. There was good engagement and the induction was joined by (COO) Richard Gillies. Richard and Andy were very informative and provided a virtual, relaxed environment to ask questions. A mix of Microsoft Teams chat, video and audio enabled us to feel involved in the induction session.” Jeanette Mortlock, IT Project Manager

Introducing benefits remotely

All new starters receive a reward and benefits document alongside their contract so they can immediately see the fantastic package that we offer. On their first day they are given an overview of our reward platform by their line manager, and sent one of our guest speaker videos from a member of our reward team, which further enhances their understanding of their total reward package.

We have also created ‘how-to’ videos that employees can watch in their own time to help them select their benefits of choice.

Making lasting changes

We’ve taken a number of positive learnings from the changes we have made, which we can take into life after lockdown. The experience has shown us that an induction session can be delivered effectively remotely, and doesn’t necessarily require physical presence from all contributors.

Take a look at more on supporting employees through remote working, or download our REBA technical guide on how to effectively communicate about benefits.

This article is provided by Simplyhealth.

As Andy O’Neill alludes to in this article, the workplace will never be the same again. We at REBA believe that post-crisis an organisation’s ‘return-to-work’ wellbeing proposition will be their ultimate recruitment and retention tool.

Join us and Simplyhealth at the Employee Wellbeing Congress every Wednesday between 9 and 30 September 2020 for the chance to reimagine the potential and possibility of a new future, a world of work driven by collective purpose and wellbeing. Four days across four weeks to regroup, recover and reimagine.

In partnership with Simplyhealth

Our health plans make it easy for people to maintain their health&wellbeing.

Contact us today