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• Manager guidance
  • Induction
    • A learner centred induction
    • Who is involved in induction?
    • What should the manager do?
    • Other elements of induction
    • Staff new to a role but not the University
    • Inducting international staff

 

A Learner Centred Induction

'Learner centred' means putting the learner at the centre of his or her induction in two ways:

• placing responsibility for successful development through the induction with the inductee and
• acknowledging that each inductee will have individual needs, based on their background, experience and ability

Giving responsibility to the learner

There is a shared responsibility for staff development between individuals, line managers and training and development providers. New members of staff should be proactive and take ownership of their induction and not assume that induction is 'something done to them'. Induction should not be viewed just as a process where information is passed to a new starter.

Rather, the new starter should be encouraged where practical to take ownership for himself or herself. Such ownership is likely to increase the commitment of the new starter to the induction process. One key consideration is how can the activities on the induction checklist [pdf] be best completed with the active involvement of the new starter.

Individual needs

The second element of this learner centred approach involves the consideration of the individual’s needs. The actual pace of progress may necessitate a review of any plans originally agreed.

There is the danger we stereotype or make assumptions about the induction requirements of particular groups of new starters. Although we should avoid such stereotyping, the individual’s background, experience and ability will also help to determine the nature of support an individual will require. Some examples of this:

• A school leaver with no experience of paid employment is likely to need greater support in terms of understanding the University’s general rules and regulations as well as the nature of the job and where it fits into things
• A graduate with a number of year’s work experience is unlikely to need the same degree of support. (S)he may be more used to self-directed learning and also have a degree of relevant experience which can be utilised
• Those new to the HE sector are likely to need more support and time to acclimatise to the sector and, more specifically, to the culture of the University
• A new starter who has moved to York may need additional information and support to that provided through the activities on the Induction Checklist. This is likely to be particularly true of international staff.
• You will also find information on this web site of considerations relating specifically to international staff or disabled staff. The University also subscribes to a website dedicated to helping international staff coming to HEIs in the UK, with information on a wide range of topics.

For staff that are not new to the University but are new to a particular role, the individual will have already acquired a broader understanding of the University. However this may have been developed in a different department and therefore in a different context.

« Introduction

Who is involved in induction? »

 

Last Updated: April 28, 2011 | Rachel Bullen (rjb9@york.ac.uk)

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