Do you remember your first day in a new environment? Maybe it was the first day of high school or college. It could be when you first ventured into the working world. Alternatively, you might be dwelling on an entirely different memory. Either way, you can surely recall being a new face somewhere. Everyone does. It is just part of the human experience. But that does not make these first days any easier. Those first days are always the most unnerving. Be it the lack of knowledge surrounding the impending situation or simply a reaction to change in general, being dropped in a place with no familiarity is stressful in some way.
Your most recent hires are going through very similar feelings and experiences as they adjust to their new working environment. If you were to view their every working hour, this might appear as general indecision, holding back in a public setting, or even some level of confusion surrounding the daily flow of the office. Given how these things tend to go, these feelings will soon wear off and your new hire will likely acclimate themselves just fine. Though, it should be noted here that you can do more than you think to make this transition period far more digestible for them. Truthfully, this is in your company’s best interest too. Douglas Conant, the former president and CEO of Campbell Soup Company, said as much, “To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace.”
The good news here is that there are a bunch of practical steps you can take to help your new employees feel welcome at your company. You will find a handful of these below.
Give Them a Tour of the Space and People
The first few steps into a new office may be the most anxiety-inducing of any first-day moments outside of public speaking. Everyone in the room, except for the new hire, knows each other, the general aura of the work environment, and how the workday goes from start to finish. The new hire is very in tune with this fact and can sense it manifesting in their thought patterns and demeanor. You can counter these feelings by familiarizing them with the environment.
“Simple office tours which show off the necessities like the personal work space and public restroom are a given at this point,” said Alex Wang, CEO of Ember Fund. “But most people can find these things for themselves, so show them how it functions rather than how it looks and where things are.”
The other employees who make up your company are the largest aspect of how your office functions. The professional and interpersonal relationships and communication that takes place are the backbones of your company’s success. Once your new hire can form their own space within this reality, they will begin to feel like part of the team rather than a new person.
“When you’re giving an office tour to your most recent hire, make sure you have them meet everyone applicable to their role,” said Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce. “On top of this, it is so much better for every party if these introductions are more substantial than a ‘Hello’ and ‘See you later,'”
Tell Everything as It Is
In business culture, first impressions can be everything. In fact, in some cases, they make or break potential deals or relationships entirely. As a result of this, most professionals always attempt to put their best foot forward. This approach is appropriate in a variety of scenarios. However, in the case of welcoming employees into your company, it can introduce more questions than answers. To avoid this outcome, painting an accurate picture of your workplace is advisable.
“A new job is a steep learning curve no matter what the position is. If you’re responsible for these people as they get acclimated, it might be natural to exaggerate the office in some manner,” said Justin Olson, Chief Marketing Officer from Fast Pace Health. “But down the road, this just means additional learning for them and less productivity for your office.”
To go about this, the old adage “Honesty is the best policy” should be your guiding light. There is no office in existence that can claim perfection. Every one of them has more than one notable flaw, including yours. At some point, your latest hires will stumble across this. Instead of letting your flaw surprise them, choose to be transparent about it. You will find that the new employees will respond well to this.
“Sugar-coating how your company handles daily business is only going to confuse the people you’re showing this to,” said Nick Allen, Founder of SportsLingo.com. “Just tell everything as it is whenever you’re hiring new people.”
Make Yourself Available and Easily Accessible
The introduction to a new work environment brings with it many questions. Participating in a corporate onboarding event in any capacity will likely have demonstrated this to you. People come from all types of backgrounds. Because of this, they have unique trains of thought, which lead to unique lines of questioning. Do not let these new employees linger in their uncertainty. Give them ample opportunities to find you and query to their heart’s desire.
“The number one thing you can do for your new employees is to make yourself available on a regular basis for their questions,” said Neel Shah, Founder of EZ Newswire. “To you, they will probably feel like the simplest questions about your workplace, but your new employees are making a mountain out of these molehills.”
There are more than a couple of constructive ways to take care of this. For starters, you can go the traditional route of the open-door policy. This way, hopefully, your employees will have their answers at the drop of a hat. Alternatively, giving them a mentor who is familiar with the ins and outs of the workplace can be extremely beneficial. Either way, be certain to do something your employees are aware of.
“When you bring in new people to your company, it can really throw them for a loop even if they’ve been a professional for a while,” said Justin Soleimani, Co-Founder of Tumble. “Just letting them know they can come to you with basic questions can make all the difference.”
Keep Their First Few Days Manageable and Immersive
Overwhelming is a common feeling for people who step into a new professional setting. This is nothing more than a normal human reaction to change. However, it is important to both be aware of and accommodate this in your hires. Why is this so? Well, being overwhelmed can lead to disengaging, which can lead to leaving the company entirely. Obviously, this is the last thing you want to happen after spending resources to employ this person in the first place. So let them adjust without additional pressure.
“A lighter workload is one of the more effective methods I’ve found to make a transition period easier for the office newbies,” said Susan K. Shaffer, President of Pneuma Nitric Oxide. “Realistically, their new environment is holding their attention just as much as their work is. So, too much work will just end in mistakes.”
This is not to say your latest hires should be given a staycation in the office while they memorize the specific details of the physical space. Hardly. The first few weeks should be a steady process of adding more and more to the new hire’s proverbial plate. This way, they can become familiar with both the physical space and, more importantly, their responsibilities. Think of it as a slow wade into their new role rather than letting them become the victim of a riptide.
“New employees who don’t feel welcome right off the bat usually let that bad taste linger longer than necessary,” said Asker A Ahmed, Director of iProcess Global Research. “But it’s up to you to make this happen, so make them comfortable before asking them to roll up their sleeves.”
Use a Little Showmanship
At the end of the day, the idea behind this writing is that simple – personal comfort in a new workspace comes before pretty much anything else. If an employee is constantly looking over their shoulder or doubting their role, these feelings will be reflected in their work, which is hardly what you want if you’re striving for success. As seen above, there is more than one way to combat this general uncertainty. But going the extra mile here might jumpstart your new hire’s personal comfort.
“This might seem like you’re trying to buy your new employee’s affection but this often works very well,” said Jeff Goodwin, Sr. Director of Performance Marketing & E-Commerce for Orgain. “Give them some kind of branded gift on their first days, like a water bottle or shirt; this goes a long way in growing the relationship.”
While this example is a little specific as it assumes you have branded merchandise to be giving away, there is another way to catch your new hire’s eye and put them at ease – a free meal. An office with a crowd of people can be unnerving, especially on the first day. Allowing your employee out to a space where they can be more themselves because of the relaxed atmosphere can do wonders. And the free food is a nice touch.
“Everyone loves a free meal, and when their boss is the one paying, it’s an even better deal,” said Dan Potter, Head of Digital at CRAFTD London. “But this seemingly basic act helps the recipient feel like a member of the team rather than a name on a payroll.”
Everything here points to one truth – your new employee might think their new responsibilities are more than they can handle. You might be thinking that welcoming these new faces is more than you can handle. Author Sybil F. Stershic provided evidence of why you should make a consistent effort to do so by saying, “The way your employees feel is the way your customers will feel. And if your employees don’t feel valued, neither will your customers.”
