The invention relates to a method for the induction surface hardening of a ring surface of a workpiece, the ring surface and a hardening device having an induction coil being moved relative to one another in a treatment direction in a feed mode. A sprinkler is located downstream of the induction coil when seen in the direction of treatment and serves to heat the ring surface, starting from an initial zone to a final zone, by means of the induction coil and then to harden it by cooling the ring surface by means of the sprinkler, an unhardened soft zone being provided between the initial zone and the end zone. According to the invention, the supplementary induction coil, the induction coil and the sprinkler are activated and deactivated separately from one another at the start of the hardening process and at the end of the hardening process, respectively, the speed between the hardening device and the workpiece and/or the power supplied to the supplementary induction coil and the induction coil being varied at the same time.