Induction courses. Do they work and how much information are new staff given? That’s exactly the question Barry Cole, managing director of the Riviera International Centre at Torquay asked when he addressed a recent staff training session.

Some induction courses work better than others so in order to see how effective they are in different departments and to share good practice between managers, Barry decided to be a guinea pig and put himself through every induction course available at the Centre.

Having completed the task, an exhausted Barry Cole is delighted with the service provided and the valuable knowledge he gained.

It was particularly fitting for Barry to experience the various courses for the Riviera International Centre was the first company in the South West to be accredited for the strength of its Leadership and Management.

Barry explained: “I ask my managers to remember how it was for them on their first day ever of work. Some employers don’t even tell staff where the toilets are let alone show them around the work place. I am making sure we make new starters feel welcome and at ease.”

He added: “Achieving an award, however prestigious it may be, does not guarantee we get it right all the time. We continue to push ourselves as managers to improve our competency so that our teams feel involved and part of the business. After all, they are at the sharp end and if we don’t support them from day one, they won’t reflect all that we aspire to as a successful company.”

Barry’s first visit to ‘test’ an induction was at the Waves Leisure Pool where pool supervisor Alex Good explained to him how to look after customers and take good care of them.