Ongoing support
How to to look after your chosen person until they become a colleague
You’ve put a lot of time and effort into securing the right applicant for the job.....but it doesn’t end there. It’s vital for a successful transition from appointee to a member of staff that you continue to support them and their family into the job and the area where they will now be working.
Onboarding is the term given to the action or process of integrating a new employee into an organisation.
- Your objective is to confirm to the candidate that you want them and that you are with them through the transition.
- By the time they arrive for their induction the non-Practice issues should have been addressed so you can focus on Practice issues.
- At this stage it's about providing access to detailed information about specific subjects and, within reason, problem solving.
- Make sure they have at least one contact in the Practice. It might be wise to have a clinical and Practice management contact.
- Encourage them to keep in contact but you should actively contact them. Keeping in contact provides opportunity to provide information and answer queries but also become aware of and deal with frustrations they have.
- Set expectation levels appropriately for things such as pre-employment checks and necessary compliance checking which can take time.
- Expect that an appointee from outside the UK will need additional support.
Supporting candidate and family into post
Expect to be asked for information. By this stage in the recruitment process it's likely you will know what issues they have so ideally offer focused information. A good application pack will have provided some of this information but now it is the details that matter.
- Accommodation (estate agents, rental agencies, and Health Board accommodation)
- Employment opportunities for partners
- Child care
- Schools
- Leisure facilities
- Local places of interest
- Community groups
- Transport facilities
It is perhaps even more important that someone is readily available to answer questions and provide friendly ongoing support.
Coming from outside the UK
Someone from outside the UK may need extra help and more time to process UK Home Office visa applications, professional registration etc. See international recruitment flow chart for GPs
An induction programme is an important process for bringing staff into an organisation. It provides an introduction to the working environment and the set-up of the employee within the organisation. Getting the induction process right can help you get new employees up to speed and productive as quickly as possible
Every organisation, large or small, should have a well-considered induction programme that provides a new employee with a positive experience of the organisation. It should provide all the information that new employees need, without overwhelming or diverting them from the essential process of integrating into their team.
The length and nature of the induction process depends on the type of job role, the background of the new employee, and the size and nature of the organisation. One size does not fit all and a standardised induction course is unlikely to achieve its aims.
Useful links
Suggested induction check list for Fellows
Induction Checklist
All candidates will have queries about their remuneration. Questions are likely to be about how much will they be paid regularly, when and how. What about allowances and claiming expenses?
The information needed will be influenced by whether they will be a salaried Health Board GP or working for a contracted GMS Practice.
There will be additional information needed by someone coming from outside the UK. RCGP guide for overseas doctors and their families
They will need links to their pay system (eg SSTS), a payroll number, and direction on how to submit their P45 or what to do if they haven’t got one or come from abroad. They will need information on their pension arrangements, how to claim expenses and Golden Hello’s. If the candidate is a GP for a GMS practice, partnership financial and legal arrangements will need to be concluded and the practice accountant involved. GP Guidance at;
NI/Taxation – particularly for colleagues who come from mainland Europe or further
The new employee has to apply for a National Insurance number but not a tax code. The employer will allocate a tax code; this will be dependent on the information new employee may provide. On receipt of Information reporting from employer, HMRC will confirm tax code (copy to employee) or make an adjustment.