According to a report from MIT Sloan Management Review, 25 percent of the entire working population changes careers each year. On average, 50 percent of all outside senior hires fail within their first 18 months on the job, while new employees as a whole get around nine months to prove themselves.
[quotes]Why are these statistics so high?[/quotes] It’s not as if either employers or employees can afford new senior hires to fail, so how does it happen? Surprisingly, new employees can be undermined, often without anyone realizing it.
A Reasonable Assumption or an Unreasonable Prejudgment?
When a new team member starts it’s considered a reasonable assumption that it will take them time to get up to speed, but this frequently plays out in the form of prejudgment. Here are three ways new staff can find themselves undermined, and how you can prevent this from happening in your business:
1. Questioning Their Knowledge and Experience
There’s nothing wrong with healthy skepticism, but when it’s directed at new employees who may already be feeling the need to prove themselves, it can have devastating consequences.
Often, new employees are brought on board specifically because they have knowledge, expertise, or experience in an area.[quotes] Do their suggestions sound new and different from everything that has been done previously?[/quotes] It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t know how things work.
You and your team should take care not to reject what could be a cutting-edge perspective by assuming the new person lacks knowledge. [quotesright]This can be especially risky if it holds back any innovation opportunities that could benefit the company. [/quotesright]
How to avoid this:
A new employee is already under pressure to:
- Learn coworkers’ names,
- Find their way around, and
- Fit into the company culture.
Putting them in a position where they need to “re-prove” their knowledge and ability increases their stress significantly. Most new additions to a team won’t push themselves forward or make suggestions unless they are sure of their facts, so keep a close eye on the reaction of other staff (and yourself!) to any recommendations the new guy or girl makes.
Welcome the ideas, put them to work, and, if they fail, keep that on the down-low until they have had the time to adjust, learn and become accepted.
2. Allowing Them to Feel Left Out
Every business has its own company-speak, not to mention technical jargon. New employees may be familiar with the general patois of an industry but could be uncomfortable using it until they know for certain it’s acceptable practice in their new organization.
When a group of workers uses language unfamiliar to new hires, it’s an effective (albeit unjust) method of either excluding them from the conversation or forcing them to show their “outsider status” by asking questions.
Even if someone on hand can explain term meanings and reassure them that the use of industry terminology is acceptable, waiting until this happens can inhibit newbies’ ability to work, and prevent them from feeling like a valued contributor to the team.
How to avoid this:
[quotesright]Employee integration and retention should start with the hiring process and intensify once they start work. [/quotesright] Effective onboarding strategies can go a long way toward making an employee feel comfortable, but a tour of the building and introductions to coworkers isn’t going to be enough. Some additional steps you can take are:
- Get other staff to help you brainstorm a checklist of common questions, and compile a printed version that’s easy to refer to without having to ask. Some issues to cover are where the restrooms are located, options for break times, and general meeting practices.
- Appoint a welcoming committee of at least two coworkers, who can be introduced to the new employee for any help or questions. Ensure that these people arrange to spend break times with the new member each day for the first week, so they aren’t left sitting alone at lunch while other staff huddle in groups.
- Plan the first day or week’s work activities to ensure the new employee isn’t left sitting around wondering what to do next. Schedule training, shadowing, or meetings each day, allowing a small amount of time in between to catch their breath.
- Make a point during discussions to include the new staff member, ask for their opinion or what their experience is of the issue at hand. Tell them in advance that you might do this, so you don’t put them on the spot without warning.
3. Build Them Up, Even When They Are Wrong
A new employee’s lack of company knowledge makes them an easy scapegoat, and you’ll often find members of your team blaming something that went wrong on the new person. Whether this is accurate or not, it doesn’t promote confidence and boldness in a newbie to have everyone know they made a mistake.
How to avoid this:
Whatever the reason, if the new employee makes an error don’t broadcast it or show any indication that you have doubts about his or her ability. Support their attempt to do the right thing, even if it didn’t work out, pointing out that all of us make mistakes. Let your teams know the only sin is not learning from our mistakes.
Never criticize and belittle their actions publicly, and if necessary help them understand what didn’t work and why privately so they know for the next time.
Avoid allowing them to feel their expertise or ability to make decisions is in question, because this will make them hesitant to take a stand again.
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Continually Improve
We are betting you are an open-minded person and want to run your business better for greater profit and less stress. So. why not discuss the opportunities, there is no obligation? Let’s talk. USA: 877.433.6225 feedback@focalpointcoaching.com
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Develop Your Leaders
Use these tips to help you develop valuable workers and leaders who think and act faster and better than others.
Being a successful employee requires more than experience and technical knowledge. It takes thought and investment in building bench strength. That’s why we should talk. When you engage us, we’ll give you the tools, insights, and manager training so you hire the best employee for each job and maximize that person’s likelihood of success.
[quotes]Hiring the wrong person costs you with lost momentum and lost productivity and finding and getting a new person up to speed. [/quotes] Failing to manage your teams costs you as much as 50 percent of your productivity. We can help you develop employee hiring, management and staff training programs so your teams deliver their very best work at all times.
Resources:
- http://www.canadianbusiness.com/innovation/three-ways-companies-undermine-new-employees-and-how-they-can-stop/
- https://www.hcamag.com/opinion/best-practices-for-new-employee-onboarding-176865.aspx
- https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/getting-new-hires-up-to-speed-quickly/
- https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-welcome-a-new-employee-1918829