When a new team member joins a practice, the temptation is to throw them straight in — there are patients to see and no time to spare. But how you onboard someone in their first days quietly shapes how well they'll perform for years: how they treat patients, how safely they work, how long they stay.
A good induction in a practice covers more than where the kettle is. It sets clear expectations, walks them through the systems and the standard you expect, covers the safety and compliance basics that matter in a health setting, and makes them feel genuinely welcomed into the team. People who are onboarded well become confident, capable contributors faster — and feel loyal sooner. People thrown in the deep end stay anxious, make avoidable mistakes, and are far more likely to leave.
Given how hard and expensive it is to find good people (as we've discussed), it makes no sense to undermine that effort with a chaotic first week. The few hours you invest in onboarding properly are repaid many times over.
Build a simple, repeatable induction so every new starter gets the same strong beginning — regardless of how busy the week is.
Setting up your team for success from day one is part of the [Practice Management course].
Explore the Practice Management course
Free first step: the practice team & roles checklist.
Annie
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