How are online site inductions beneficial to workers?

Site inductions are an essential part of onboarding new workers to busy and potentially dangerous construction sites, to ensure safety protocols are followed at all times to limit the risk of accident and injury.

While they may be traditionally carried out in person on a new starter’s first day, online site instructions completed prior to the new starters’ arrival offer companies the chance to save time and boost productivity. They remove the need for lengthy on-site inductions in which site staff must temporarily leave their important tasks to onboard new arrivals.

At face value, both in-person and online inductions may be seen as more of a “safety net” for companies to ensure their staff are clued up on important safety standards, in the event of blowback in the face of an accident. But these inductions are actually greatly beneficial to new starters in many ways as well.

If you’ve been considering utilising online inductions for your site staff, here are just a few ways they’ll benefit.

What are the positives of online site inductions for workers?

Less pressure

Starting a new job can be difficult for anyone in any profession. But in construction work, where there are so many rules and regulations to remember and follow, the process can be a little intimidating – especially for those working on their very first job.

A lengthy, in-person induction may prove troubling for some, and if they are too busy worrying about whether or not they’ll be able to accurately remember all the information they’re being presented with, none of it may actually stick.

But with online inductions, the pressure is far less. Because they can be completed from the privacy of a new worker’s own home, in a comfortable and familiar environment, they can spend less time worrying about absorbing everything in the short time they’ve been given and focus on getting everything right, for their own sake and the sake of their fellow staff.

The element of being observed by another member of staff – which can be particularly anxiety-inducing for some, is also removed, allowing the new starter to keep a clear head and work through everything at their own pace.

More time to learn

Many site inductions feel like a last-minute necessity that’s thrown onto a new starter’s lap just before they begin work. Because of this timing, in-person inductions can feel rushed, which serves the company or the individual no benefits at all, considering the safety ramifications of not taking an induction seriously.

This isn’t the case with online inductions, though. Rather than staff members presenting new starters with a mountain of information in person – information the staff may or may not be thrilled to present in the first place – a new starter can onboard all the information digitally and take their time. With plenty of time to soak up all the information effectively, some workers may stand a greater chance of recalling said information when the time calls for it, reducing the risk of an on-site accident.

Time-saving

It might not be the wisest frame of mind, but it’s true – nobody enjoys sitting through an induction for any reason. Especially if you feel you’re already well familiar with the source material.

Depending on the company, the site, the job and a host of other factors, on-site inductions can become very lengthy and take up considerable amounts of time – for both the new worker and those giving the induction. Unfortunately, these inductions are a legal requirement and must be given, as a priority, before any work can begin for a new team member.

However, with online inductions, this lengthy process can either be broken up or consolidated into a much more refined presentation, depending on the new worker’s previous experience and personal time restraints. If they’re an experienced worker, they can complete the induction in-depth away from the site, relatively quickly, without taking up any time that could have been better put towards actually working.

But even if they’re inexperienced, they can still save the company time by completing the induction at home, on their own time.

Choose online site inductions to give your staff (and yourself) the time and productivity you need

By opting for online inductions rather than in-person ones, construction companies everywhere can benefit from higher productivity levels, time-saving and fully traceable digital documents to prove a worker’s identity and skills – all before they ever even step on site.