The Influence of Employee Induction on Employee Performance in Public Referral Hospitals: Evidence from Uganda

Employee induction is a critical human resource management practice that facilitates organisational socialisation, role clarity, and workforce integration. However, empirical evidence on its influence on employee performance in public healthcare institutions within resource-constrained settings remains limited. This study examined the influence of employee induction on employee performance in Uganda’s public referral hospitals, using evidence from Mulago National Referral Hospital. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data were collected from 144 employees selected through stratified sampling using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, while Pearson correlation and regression analyses examined the relationship between employee induction and employee performance. This revealed that employee induction was positively perceived by employees (M = 3.79) and had a significant positive influence on employee performance (β = 0.291, p = 0.001). Correlation analysis further demonstrated a strong positive association between induction and employee performance (r = 0.582, p < 0.01), indicating that employees who experienced structured induction were more likely to demonstrate improved role clarity, job preparedness, and work effectiveness. The study concludes that employee induction is a significant determinant of employee performance in public referral hospitals, despite operational challenges such as staffing shortages and high patient volumes, which constrain comprehensive on-boarding. The study recommends institutionalising standardised induction programmes across public hospitals to strengthen workforce integration, improve service delivery, and enhance organisational performance. These findings contribute to the growing literature on strategic human resource management in healthcare and provide evidence to inform policy and practice in Uganda and other resource-constrained health systems.