Do Digital Site Inductions Take Away the Personal Touch?

When it comes to inductions on construction sites, there’s often a lingering myth:

“If we move inductions online, we’ll lose the personal touch that’s vital for safety and culture.”

This concern is understandable. Inductions aren’t just about compliance, they’re the first impression workers get of your site, your standards, and your culture. We sat down with Richard Ball, Head of Health, Safety, Environment and Quality at Kori Construction, who has overseen the shift from traditional paper-based inductions to digital ones. Richard explains why the opposite is true when digital inductions are used effectively and shares his tips on how to get the most value from them.

In fact, digital inductions can free up more time for meaningful face-to-face engagement on site.

From Paperwork to People Time.

Traditionally, site inductions were heavy on the paperwork: Site managers would spend valuable time photocopying CSCS cards, filing RAMS and printing site rules, often walking through stacks of documents. For workers, the process could be equally superficial, skimming through risk assessments in just a few minutes before signing them off and ticking the box. The result was an induction process that was heavy on admin but light on genuine engagement. 

By shifting site inductions online at Kori through using the innDex platform, all paperwork is completed before workers even arrive on site. Competencies, RAMS, and site rules are verified before a worker arrives, meaning that when they do step onto site, managers aren’t tied up chasing signatures or double-checking admin, they can focus on people rather than paperwork.

Far from removing the human element, digital inductions free up time for meaningful face-to-face engagement, giving more personal time, rather than process and paperwork time.

The Mindset Shift: Digital + Human, Not Digital Instead of Human.

The fear of losing the personal touch often comes from a misunderstanding, it’s not about choosing digital OR human, it’s about combining the two.
At Kori, once workers arrive on site, managers already know:

• Competencies have been verified. 
• RAMS have been read and signed off. 
• Site rules and policies have been agreed to. 

That foundation means managers can focus induction time on site-specific briefings, task allocations, and real conversations. Instead of being trapped in admin, they’re guiding teams, answering questions, and setting the right culture from day one.

Removing Delays and Frustrations

Another overlooked benefit is efficiency. Before going digital, it wasn’t unusual for workers to arrive without the right documentation or with expired cards, wasting time for both them and the site team. With digital site inductions implemented at Kori, those issues are identified and resolved before anyone sets foot on site.

You’re not wasting time; everyone arrives ready to go.
This not only keeps projects moving smoothly but also reduces risk for the principal contractor. With evidence of competencies and signoffs captured digitally, the liability remains where it belongs - with the employer.

Holding the Line: No Grey Areas

A key tip is understanding the importance of consistency. From the outset, Kori made it clear to subcontractors that inductions must be completed online before arrival.
If you start uploading RAMS on their behalf or making exceptions, that’s when it falls apart. As soon as there’s a grey area, people stop seeing it as their responsibility. We had to be quite firm about it, but it’s worked.

By holding the line, Kori has ensured the system runs smoothly, with contractors taking ownership of their compliance before stepping on site.

By being clear from the start, everyone knows what’s expected, and site teams can focus on higher-value activities instead of admin firefighting.

The Real Benefit: Better First Impressions

At its heart, an induction isn’t about paperwork, it’s about people. Digital inductions don’t replace human interaction; they enhance it by removing the noise. The biggest change for Kori has been how teams can use their time, Inductions are no longer about racing through a checklist, they’re about creating the right first impression and building trust with workers from the moment they arrive.

Workers arrive ready, informed, and compliant. Managers can spend their time on meaningful engagement, not admin.

Myth Busted

So, does going digital take away the personal touch? Not at all. If anything, it enables it. By handling the admin in advance, digital inductions free up managers to have real conversations, set expectations, and build a stronger culture on site.

The myth that digital removes the human element is just that, a myth. Used well, it makes the personal element stronger than ever.

It’s not one or the other. It’s about using the extra time to manage the people, not just the process.