Onboard several new employees without losing individual support

Group the information every starter needs, then separate role-specific instruction, individual paperwork and observed practice. Check supervisor capacity before choosing a shared start date. Track each person’s learning independently: attending the same session does not mean everyone understood it or is ready for the same work.

Use this when a small business brings in several employees for growth or a busy season. Start with the first-day agenda, then test whether the people delivering it can support more than one starter.

Decide what can be shared

A welcome, introduction to the business and tour of common areas may work as a group. Personal employment details, individual access and role-specific instruction need separate attention. Do not ask employees to share sensitive information in front of the group to save time.

Business.gov.au recommends an induction to help new staff understand the business and their role. Business.gov.au: onboard new employees. The group format is simply one way to organise parts of that work.

Put supervisor time into the timetable

Block	Shared activity	Individual activity	Capacity check
Welcome	Owner introduces the business and common contacts.	Private questions can be raised separately.	Owner is free from customer appointments.
Orientation	Appropriate person covers common workplace arrangements.	Each role gets any additional relevant instruction.	No one is sent to practise an unapproved task.
Practice A	Starters review a fictional example where appropriate.	Priya supports Alex; Sam supports Jo.	Lee’s supported slot is scheduled next, not assumed simultaneous.
Practice B	No new group content.	Priya supports Lee; Alex and Jo complete approved follow-up work.	Trainer remains available for the assigned learning.
Close and catch-up	Explain the next shared session.	Record each person’s questions and missed activities.	Owner books individual follow-up and backup cover.

Original ASBG example. Names and situations are fictional; the table is also the accessible text version.

This is an ordering example, not a compliant roster or supervision ratio. Set times and breaks under the applicable arrangements. Employee training undertaken as part of the job is paid time. Fair Work: employees doing training.

Track readiness per person and per task

Use simple states such as “not introduced”, “demonstrated”, “practised with help” and “observed result recorded”. Add the date and trainer. Avoid a single green tick for the whole group.

For a fictional order-entry task, Alex may have practised successfully, Jo may need another example and Lee may still be waiting for access. The next action is different for each person even though all three attended the introduction.

Task-specific training and supervision need to fit the worker and the risk. Safe Work Australia makes that distinction clear. Safe Work Australia: training and supporting workers. A group attendance record cannot settle every person’s ability or permission to perform the work.

Keep a catch-up slot in reserve

If a starter begins a day later or misses a session, identify what they missed and who will cover it. Do not tell them to copy another employee’s ticks. Some material may be suitable to read independently; other learning needs demonstration and observation.

Avoid putting the full catch-up burden on an already busy buddy. Agree time and responsibility before allocating it.

Review the load before the next intake

Count the individual practice sessions that happened, those moved and those still waiting for a trainer. If the bottleneck is supervisor availability, stagger the next starts or arrange more cover. Make time for the individual practice before adding another group session.

Give each person their own 30-day learning plan and a private check-in. The hiring and onboarding hub provides the rest of the sequence.

Key takeaways

• Share suitable orientation without combining personal checks.
• Book individual practice and trainer capacity.
• Record each starter’s learning and missed sessions separately.

Where to get help

• Business.gov.au: onboard new employees
• Fair Work: employees doing training
• Safe Work Australia: training and supporting workers