How new employees are welcomed into the workplace can make all the difference in how they adapt to company culture and become competent members of the team – here are the key things effective leaders do.
The “New Job Jitters”
Almost all new employees suffer from “new job jitters,” a whopping 87%, according to one recent survey.
The term “jitters” is an understatement. In truth, starting a new job can be scary, stressful, highly anxiety-provoking and, not to mention, full of new challenges.
Think about all the things a new employee faces right from day one:
- You don’t know anyone.
- You share no history with anyone.
- You don’t know the company culture.
- You have no seniority – you’re starting at the bottom.
- The other employees know how to go about their jobs better than you.
- You don’t know the management style, pet peeves, or preferences of your supervisor(s).
Those factors and disadvantages alone are enough to put anyone on edge.
Effective leaders and veteran team members need to be able to have empathy for this situation and strive to provide new employees with significant support and help. The “new job jitters can be greatly reduced by showing new employees kindness and patience. Research has shown that doing so helps new employees on board significantly faster.
Effective Leaders Do These 5 Things to Welcome New Employees
The goal of effective leaders should be to make new employees feel like they are part of the team. The faster they can feel at home, the more the organization benefits.
In addition, new employees need to be made to feel competent professionally. They need assurance that their “newness” is an obstacle. Everyone starts somewhere. They’ll learn whatever it is they don’t currently know.
Here are 5 things effective leaders do to welcome new employees:
1. Remember Their Name
Effective leaders and company veterans make sure they remember the name of a new employee and say it with a smile. They also remember to remind new employees of their own name each time they interact within the first few days. They understand that new employees have to remember a lot of new names and faces.
2. Show Empathy
Effective leaders and company veterans put themselves in the shoes of new employees, remembering what it was like when they started somewhere and felt like an outsider. Effective leaders go out of their way to be kind, supportive, and patient with new employees, striving to make them feel welcome.
3. Include Them Socially
One of the most common things that happens with new employees during lunch is that they end up sitting alone during their first few days or weeks. Effective leaders and company veterans make a point of inviting new employees to sit with them during lunch or join them during breaks. Such actions help new employees feel they are part of the team and company culture.
4. Set Expectations of Learning Curve
The majority of people don’t jump into a new job role with both guns blazing and start knocking down targets right off the bat. Effective leaders and veterans realize this and use empathy to share their own experiences of taking time to find their footing, reach targets, and achieve competency. Effective leaders also notice improvements, offering praise and encouragement. Sometimes a smile or a thumbs up is all it takes.
5. Offer Human Support
Effective leaders and veterans take the time to check on new employees. And not necessarily from a “job” perspective — remember, you’re talking to another human being. Asking how someone is doing, how things are going, or offering support can go a long way. “Let me know if there’s anything I can help with,” is a perfect statement to send new employees a sign that others want them to become part of the family.