Making the most of new starter inductions
As hybrid working has become more stable, new staff inductions – whether in person or online – have never been more crucial for recruiting new members to our union.
If the employer has fallen out of the habit of inviting the union to induction, now is the best time to remind them that new staff need to get to know us. Is there a space for union stall? Do you have an up-to-date leaflet that can be given out? Could you record a short video that someone can watch whilst they are working from home?
We know from our new joiner surveys that the primary reason someone joins Prospect is because they were asked face to face. And when we survey why people haven’t joined before, they tell us is because no one ever asked them!
A good way to start thinking about how you will present your branch (and Prospect more generally) to potential joiners is to frame the conversation around three statements:
- What we’ve done so far
- Where we are now
- What we want to do next
You want to demonstrate to the new joiner that the union has changed the workplace for the better, but that we can only continue to do so with them coming on board and joining Prospect. Ultimately, you want to emphasise how meaningful change cannot be achieved without them joining today.
The most important part of the induction is the follow-up. New starters will probably be spinning slightly from all the new information they’ve had to digest in their first few weeks in their new job.
Make sure to set a date to follow up with them in person or by email. Remind them how they can join and also let them know who the reps are in their team or site.
Use our checklist when you’re planning your induction so you don’t forget to include anything.
Union Week is a perfect opportunity to invite new staff to become members of Prospect. Between 18-24 November, all new joiners will get three months’ free membership.
I recently hosted a webinar for Prospect reps on how to make the most of induction opportunities, you can watch the recording on Zoom.