If It Is Ineffective, It Is Going To Cost You!

By Author: markpakshie
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When a contractor comes on site it is up to you, the company, to make sure they leave safely and in one piece. Your contractor induction program is often the one guardian standing between you and a contractor incident. So you would better make sure your induction program is doing its job.

So how do you create an "effective" contractor induction? There are two primary considerations to keep in mind as you build it; course content and course delivery.

1. Course Content

Keep it simple: While information regarding safety needs to be comprehensive, it also needs to be concise if you want it to be retained by the contractor.

Make it memorable: Images or short videos can help inductees retain information. Use basic, everyday language to get the message across, avoid using OHS or HR language.

Design it: You do not have to be a graphic artist, but give thought to the layout of your information. Is it easy to read? Do the images correspond to the text? Should you spread the information over two pages (or screens) rather than cramming it into one?

Logical progression: When information is presented ...
... in a logical way that makes sense, it becomes both easier to understand and easier to remember.

2. Course Delivery

Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency: A smooth, well implemented induction program immediately communicates your company commitment to safety. It lets contractors know that you value their safety.

Keep the contractor in mind: Providing contractors with the ability to complete their induction before they arrive on site enables them to get straight to work, saving both them and your company time and money. Online inductions are the best solution to this.

Fail safe questioning: Simply having a contractor sign something that says they have read or viewed the material is not enough. You need to provide them with questions throughout the course that test their knowledge as they go. Again, this can be achieved with online inductions.

Simply having a contractor induction program is not enough. It is important to determine what you need it to achieve and then to take practical steps towards creating a program that meets those contractor induction goals.

A simple Google search, using the keywords, online induction or induction software is probably the best way to start your search for advice and ideas on where to find effective delivery systems for contractor inductions.
Markpakshie is a freelance writer who has produced this article for Employee induction, Employee inductions, Contractor induction, Contractor inductions, Safety induction, Induction training. Go to our website for more examples of Markpakshie's work.