Discover what you should cover on day one of your induction to welcome new starters to your workplace and make them feel a valued member of your team.
Creating a positive first impression - a new starter’s first day sets the tone for their experience with your organisation. A warm welcome helps people feel valued, supported and confident as they begin their new role.
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Use the day one induction checklist to make sure your induction plan covers the key activities and conversations recommended for a new starter’s first day.
Explore our guidance on the key areas to focus on:
Making your new starter feel welcome from day one is essential to helping them feel connected and supported. A positive first experience can have a lasting impact on engagement and retention.
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Use this form to ask your new starter to provide any information that will help you to recognise and respect their needs and support their individual preferences.
Putting it into practice
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Make time for key people to meet your new starter and help them feel part of the team. This could include senior leaders, managers, team leaders, peer supporters and human resources (HR) colleagues.
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Share what makes your workplace special, including your values, purpose, ambitions and the important contribution they will make.
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Introduce staff benefits and wellbeing support, including how they can access these.
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Discuss learning and development opportunities, including any digital support they may need to carry out their role confidently.
- Explain any flexible, blended or parent and carer working options available.
Use our resources for guidance on flexible working and how to support your staff with wellbeing.
Day one is an opportunity for your new starter to meet their supervisor or manager, understand their role and and learn what support they can expect throughout their induction and probation period.
Take time to explain how supervision and one-to-one meetings work within your organisation, including their purpose and frequency.
Putting it into practice
The first supervision conversation should cover:
- the first week schedule of activities
- what is expected during induction
- information about their team or department, including ways of working, structures and guidance documents
- opportunities to meet colleagues and build relationships, whether through introductions, in-person meetings, or virtual connections for remote teams
- expectations around conduct, behaviour and key policies and procedures
- completion of paperwork including ID cards, payroll, driving documents and signed contracts - use your pre-arrival checklist to ensure everything has been completed
- access to required systems, including passwords, permissions, equipment and digital tools
- any reasonable adjustments or preferred ways of working or general questions and concerns your new starter has.
Day one is the starting point for your new starter’s learning journey. Introduce the learning and development they will complete during induction, while recognising that too much information at once can feel overwhelming.
Focus on helping them understand:
Plan induction activities gradually, allowing time for your new starter to reflect, ask questions and build confidence before moving on to new topics.
Make sure any online learning requirements are clearly explained, including how to access platforms, login details and any required support.
Use the '' to support your new starter’s early understanding of social care and health from day one.
Assessing the digital confidence of your new starter will help you to identify what resources or training they'll need so they can access everything in their new role.