This post is especially relevant for my readers who are entrpreneurs.
Providing sufficient support to your newly hired employees is needed to boost their productivity. Here are some ways to help them fit right in!
Successful companies do a good job onboarding their new hires. Those who are getting into a job for the very first time, it can be rather overwhelming. People who change jobs are also subjected to these difficulties; they are being introduced to a new team, and they might not know how exactly they can fit in with their new co-workers. The inability to adapt to their work can be stressful and can cause their productivity to drop drastically.
Joining a new organization or changing jobs is stressful, and unfortunately, a lot of people are subjected to it. A good company, however, can take appropriate measures to help their new hires to mesh perfectly with their teams.
As an employer or business owner, how can you help your newcomers fit in and have a good working experience? Keep reading to find out more.
Implement a Buddy Program
This option is fairly self-explanatory; basically, you would assign an existing employee to guide the newcomer. The assigned employees are usually called onboarding buddies. They will usually acquaint new employees with everything they need to know before getting started; this includes briefing them about the official rules, workplace culture, and other things that you wouldn’t find in any sort of work manual.
Whenever you are appointing an onboarding buddy, make sure to find someone who knows how to communicate well. The buddy program is meant to make the newbies’ lives a lot easier. You wouldn’t want someone who is vague, authoritative, or condescending toward junior workers.
Benefits of Buddy Programs
Firstly, buddy programs have substantial effects on the efficiency of new hires. This is because the program involves a lot of one-on-one advising sessions. As opposed to a general orientation meeting meant for multiple new employees at once, this is more personalized and allows space for more queries should they encounter any difficulties.
Secondly, buddy programs help newer employees understand their roles better. When someone has good knowledge of what they need to do to contribute to their department or team, they can step up to the job whenever it’s needed, thus allowing the team to run smoothly and effectively.
An onboarding buddy will discuss things that you normally wouldn’t find in any employee manuals. Rules are meant to maintain the framework of an organization, but these rules aren’t the only things that keep it together. Workplace culture is what motivates employees and helps build relationships within the office. To work as a team, it’s important to get accustomed to the norms so that you can better understand your co-workers. And what better way to learn more about it than from a colleague?
Welcome Them Properly
Every new employee deserves a proper welcome. This makes for a great first impression and also gives them an optimistic overview of their new job; this means that they will look forward to working and making progress.
If a new employee isn’t received properly, they might feel discouraged or even intimidated to get started. You will notice them feeling hesitant to ask questions or do anything of their own accord.
To avoid these risks, have someone receive them on their first day. Doing this yourself is also a great thing to do. After they are received, you can introduce them to their onboarding buddy, who will in turn introduce them to the rest of the team. It’s a good idea to make sure the newcomer knows everyone they will be working with, as it will make it easier for them to function as a team.
Familiarize Them With the Tech
One of the biggest issues new employees face is getting used to the technology around the office. An onboarding buddy or someone from tech support should be asked to explain everything before getting started with anything. Companies will often have a personalized interface that is used by their employees. This should also be mentioned to anyone new so that they don’t have trouble using the software.
Navigating around the software can sometimes be overwhelming and difficult, so be sure to dedicate at least a day to help them understand the ins and outs of it so that they don’t feel lost when they try it out themselves.
Give Them Constant Feedback
A common mistake that is made within workplaces is not giving enough feedback. Lack of proper and adequate feedback can stop your team from making any progress. Feedback doesn’t necessarily need to be restricted to business projects or company goals. In the case of a newly hired employee, you need to not only give them feedback about their work, but you also have to receive feedback from them so that you can make changes where it is needed.
For example, give them a task to perform. After they have done it, inspect their work and if needed, explain what they could have done differently. Similarly, expect feedback from them about your workspace. If they suggest any new methods or changes, you should consider them.
A constant exchange of feedback allows the company to grow and improve and lets new employees flourish.
Encourage Them to Take It Slow
It is certainly no secret that work environments can be very competitive. Everyone is constantly trying to prove something to stand out from the others. While it’s a good thing to strive for excellence, it can become quite pressuring, especially for newer members of the team.
They might feel pressured to take on a lot of challenges and make drastic changes to remain relevant in the workspace. This could be due to their co-workers being threatening toward them. While this sort of environment is inevitable, it certainly isn’t impossible to control. Let your new employees know that they can take it at their own pace.
Some of them may try to completely transform the usual way that things are done in the office. Because they are new, you should find a way to calmly approach the matter and let them know why those things are done the way they are. Again, proper communication is crucial. If you think their co-workers are making them behave this way, you could simply sit them down and speak to them regarding the issue. Assure them that you will look into it and tell them that there’s no need to rush things.
Reinforce Your Company Mission
Whenever a new employee joins the team, they should be told about the mission and goals that they want to accomplish as an organization.
It is important to mention what the company strives to achieve in the long run so that new hires get an idea of how and where to get started. If they know what the end goal is, they will always try to maintain themselves and their actions in a way that best allows the company to make progress as a whole. It’ll also help build an image of the kind of company you are in general; this might not seem too crucial at first, but it draws more people to join your team.
Offer Them Guidance When Needed
Pretty much everyone has the same perception of bosses as scary and unapproachable. Modern workplaces have been trying to change this preexisting narrative; you too should work toward this.
Allow your employees, both new and old, the opportunity to communicate with you freely—of course, only after establishing proper boundaries. At times, co-workers won’t have all the answers. When they come to you with queries, invite them in and provide them with the answers and guidance that they need. Also, be sure to ask them about how they are settling into the office and if there’s anything they need. Be the boss everyone loves!
Last but Not Least
One of the most important aspects of driving a company toward a successful future is to put in a lot of team effort. Proper team effort can only be achieved if each member knows their job, works hard and has a mutual understanding between them.
When a new member joins, you and all other existing members of the team should make sure that you get them into the same team spirit as yourselves. Establish rules, give feedback where needed, and create a space where employees can communicate freely and clearly.
Keeping up this sort of work environment isn’t just beneficial for your existing teams; it builds the overall reputation of your company. Normally, people looking for employment will want to find jobs in places that allow them to mesh effortlessly into their teams and therefore build their careers.
Good luck!
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