Last reviewed: 22 June 2022
- Their new manager should be prepared to welcome the new starter at an introductory meeting to introduce them to their team and the organisation and set their goals for their probationary period.
- Managers should have regular conversations about adjustments with new starters throughout the onboarding process.
- Make sure new starters are welcomed on their first day and shown where to go and what to do. Ask if they have any access needs or need any adjustments to help them get around and feel welcomed.
- New starters should have inductions so they can know how best to work with their colleagues. Disabled new starters can use inductions to talk about any adjustments they have and how they work best.
On their first day
Welcoming new starters
- Make sure staff are prepared for the new starter. If they need security passes to enter the building, make sure these are prepared and ready for them to collect at reception when they arrive.
- Plan for someone to welcome them when they arrive. They could be waiting for them at reception or somewhere else, depending on where you have told the new starter to arrive. They can help guide the new starter to where they need to go and support them if they have any access needs (such as avoiding stairs or heavy doors).
Their work
- Plan work activities for the new starter on their first day. This may simply be familiarising themselves with their team, their area of work, or the computer systems they will be using. Make sure that their first day has some structure so that the new starter does not get overwhelmed with too much work or become bored with nothing to do.
- Make sure they know where to go for support with their work. Should they contact their manager with questions, or should they rely on another colleague or team for advice?
Introduction and first check-in with their manager
On their first day a new starter must be introduced to their manager. Managers are essential to making sure a disabled employee gets their support and encouragement they need in their role. They should have an initial check-in meeting with their manager on their first day.
At this meeting, they should discuss:
- Let them know what their first day, week and month will involve. For example, will there be introductions or orientation? Will they be given tasks to complete? If so, provide details of what will be involved and how long you expect it to take. Are they expected to take lunch and breaks at specific times and places? If so, where and when?
- Set goals for their probationary period. These should be realistic and take into account any workplace adjustments they have – for example, if they are still working out if their adjustments are effective, or if they haven’t been put in place yet. See our resource ‘Probationary periods and disability’ for more advice.
- Give them an induction structure. This should tell them what they will learn – such as relevant policies and procedures.
- Check with the new starter that any adjustments you agreed are in place and working well. Have the adjustments removed or reduced all the barriers they face in the workplace? Ask if they need any more adjustments.
For more detailed advice about how managers can support new starters, see the resources in the ‘Managing new starters’ section of our People Manager Toolkit or contact our Advice Service.
Induction meetings
New starters need to know who they will be working with, how to work with them, and how to work as part of the organisation. This is especially important for disabled new starters and disabled employees, for whom this can be an opportunity to explain their working arrangements and preferences.
Part of their onboarding process should include inductions with:
- HR – New starters need to understand company policies and procedures, such as the sickness absence policy. Disabled new starters may have questions and may need to ask for adjustments to policies and procedures.
- Health and safety – It is crucial for all new starters to understand how to work safely, including what to do in emergencies such as when the fire alarm goes. Disabled new starters may need to ask for adjustments to how things are done to ensure their health and safety – for example, if they need a
- Relevant colleagues – Who will the new starter be working with? They need to know who they are and how they should work together. If the new starter or the existing employee is disabled, they may need to explain how they work best so that each can be considerate of any adjustments or preferences that the other has. When arranging these inductions, make sure to maintain confidentiality so that nobody reveals a person’s disability without their permission.
Ongoing support
- Managers should have regular (weekly or fortnightly) check-in meetings with the new starter to see how they are getting on in their first weeks and months.
- Managers should also use these as opportunities to ask if the new starter needs any adjustments. If they already work with adjustments, managers should check how these are working, if they need to be altered and if they need new adjustments. For advice about what language to use when asking about adjustments, see our resource ‘Asking about adjustments – Language’.
- Plan their work for their first weeks and months. You could consider planning for them to start with smaller or simpler projects to ease them into their work. If they have workplace adjustments, consider being flexible with timelines while you are working out what adjustments work best for them.
- Their work should tie in with their goals for their probationary period. Make sure they are not over- or under-challenged by their work.
The probationary period
A new starter’s probationary period is crucial for setting them up for success, and is an opportunity to ensure disabled new starters are supported, suitably challenged and settle into their new role.
For more about the probationary period, see the resource ‘Probationary periods and disability’ in this Toolkit.
Remote new starters
Much of the above will also apply to remote and hybrid new starters. This section covers extra steps you can take to support new starters who are working remotely.
On their first day
- Their manager should meet with them to welcome them to their new team.
- At this meeting, their manager should outline how the team works and what they will be expected to do during their first week/month.
- They should also ask how they are finding the remote working setup – can they access everything they need to? Are they comfortable in their remote working location? Do they need any adjustments or changes? They probably won’t have noticed every potential issue on their first day, so managers should emphasise that they encourage the new starter to get in touch if they would like to discuss any changes.
During their first week/month
- New starters should have a HR induction to explain all the relevant policies and procedures. For example, what should they do if they need to call in sick? Is reporting sickness absence different when it is disability-related?
- They should also have inductions with other relevant colleagues. Who will they be working closely with? Remote workers may struggle to understand who does what if they can’t put faces to names.
- Their manager should check in with the new starter to see how they are settling in and if they need any adjustments / if the adjustments they have are working for them.
Onboarding and adjustments
Where possible, any adjustments agreed before their first day should be put in place before a new starter’s first day. See our resource ‘Preparing for new starters’ for more advice about this.
Managers should have regular conversations about adjustments with new starters throughout the onboarding process, whether or not they have agreed adjustments. Our resource ‘Asking about adjustments – Language’ has advice about how to ask new starters questions about adjustments.
Monitor the effectiveness and practicality of adjustments throughout the onboarding process. It may be that, in practice, an adjustment isn’t as effective as had been hoped when it was agreed. In such situations, work with the new starter to see what other changes need to be made to remove barriers for them.
Even if adjustments haven’t been requested before their first day, managers should consider whether they are needed as the new starter begins working. It can happen that candidates don’t mention a disability, or believe they can work without adjustments, but when they start work it becomes clear that they could benefit from some changes to the way they work.
Further information
For tailored guidance, contact our Advice Service.
Read next
- Preparing for new starters
- Training new starters
- Adjustments and onboarding new starters
- Asking about adjustments – Language
- Probationary periods and disability
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