Do you expect the new recruits in your legal practice to perform and be productive without adequate induction?

In the extreme scenario, a new recruit turns up on their first day and is left waiting in reception because no one remembered that they were coming or the practice manager forgot to assign them a desk and they had to work out of the tea room for a few days.

More commonly you would have shown the new recruits their desk, the coffee machine, introduced them to the person who can help them with any queries and handed them their first clients' files.

The expectation of the LAW 9000 standard is that a structured induction and training program will be provided to all new recruits. It is the responsibility of the principal/management to ensure that all staff are properly trained and qualified for the duties they were employed to perform.

The induction process is a good opportunity to engage and motivate your recruits from the start so they can help your business succeed. So why not make a memorable first impression?

Induction shouldn't be confused with career long training and development. Induction is introducing new recruits to your legal practice and the way you do things. The process doesn't apply only for recent law graduates but to professional and support staff with any number of years of experience. Making assumptions of the new recruit's knowledge and skills in the following areas is probably taking the wrong approach to induction:

• your quality management system policies and procedures
• your computer and accounting systems
• your precedents library
• your business culture and strategic objectives
• client and matter management
• your organisation structure
• your human resources policies and procedures
• your OHS/WHS manual 
• your quality management system and the meaning of quality service
• your appraisal process
• your way of managing risk
• your key performance indicators
• corrective action requirements
• communication, presentation and delegation skills.

The principal/management should use induction time to identify the training needs of the new recruits and tailor an individual development program. In contrast to a week-long induction a career long training and development program, as the name suggests, is a program for every stage of the career of your recruit.

Don't let your new recruits to "work it out". Show them you are a legal practice that properly supports new employees from the beginning by:

• allocating the required resources for the induction process
• setting out the key performance objectives from the start
• communicating the recruit's accountabilities, relationships and objectives of the role
• tailoring a mentoring program according to their needs
• seeking their feedback during induction and improving the process.

A structured induction program and subsequent training program is likely to:

• be highly valued by your new recruits
• result in the new recruits performing their role more effectively
• increase your return on recruitment investment.

The following 1 minute presentation is an example of an induction program for legal recruits.

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