I went to a different school every year from kindergarten to third grade. As the oldest child, I was the first one to start school. I don't have memories of my first day of kindergarten, though there is an adorable picture in the family photo album marking the occasion. Starting first and second grades was also unmemorable.
Third Grade, on the other hand, was rough. I was transferring from a school that had been closed. Two other girls were also transferring from that school into my new class. They had been friends before I met them, so not only was I a new girl, but I was the odd one out. One of the girls made a name for herself on day 1 by bullying me. Much of the class fell in with her from the start. It was a small school, and the class roster was largely unchanged from third grade until we aged out after 8th grade.
That first day of third grade set the tone for school room dynamics until I went off to High School. I was target of various flavors of bullying from classmates throughout my time there.
Starting a new job is much like starting at a new school. You're walking into an unknown environment where everyone already knows each other. You're excited about the new opportunity and nervous about how you'll fit into the new environment. On those days, I have to remind my inner-eight-year-old that I've gained tools, perspective and wisdom that I didn't have available to me on that fateful first day of third grade.
As leaders, it's our responsibility to set a welcoming stage for new folks joining our team, be they new hires or people coming from another part of the organization. How we operate impacts whether these folks feel welcomed with open arms or whether they are starting out on their back foot. Day one impressions and interactions can have unforeseen ripple effects for years to come and you have the ability to ensure those effects are positive.
Inform the Team/Stakeholders - Before your new team member arrives, let the team and stakeholders know about the impending arrival. Share their name, their role and a little bit of their background. The last thing you want is your new team member be greeted with, "Who are you and why are you here." It happens.
- Designate a New Hire Buddy - I was well into my career before I was introduced to the concept of a new hire buddy. This person is part of the welcome committee. Usually it's the team lead, someone else on the team or the person sitting at the next desk over. The buddy's job is to show the new person around, help them get set up and answer questions like, "Where's the restroom?", "How do I find [insert item/file/resource]?" and "Where's a good place nearby to grab lunch?". Based on my own experience and feedback from team members, having a buddy makes the person feel more welcome from the get-go.
- Make Introductions - Be sure that you as the leader, the buddy or other members of the team introduce the new person around to stakeholders, folks sitting nearby and anyone with whom they might interact. Not only does this create a more welcoming environment for the new person, it reduces the amount of time they spend trying to figure out who to go to for what and gets them ramped up faster.
- Explain Acronyms and Jargon - Every workplace has special vocabulary or in my case an alphabet soup of acronyms. When new team members arrive it's important to remember that they may not know all of the special terminology or perhaps their previous organization had different meanings for acronyms your team uses. Don't leave the burden on the new person to be constantly asking to explain what things mean.
- Check in Periodically - Make time to check in with your new team member periodically. Once you've been in an organization or a particular role for a while, it's easy to forget what its like to be new. While I do my best to anticipate the questions the new person may have, inevitably I something comes up that slipped my mind. Having occasional check ins provides people with an opportunity to get answers to questions they might not otherwise ask.
First impressions tend to be lasting impressions. Creating a welcoming environment and fostering a culture of openness on day one is an often-overlooked tool for setting your folks up for long term success.
What does your team do to welcome new team members? What could you or your team be doing differently to be even more welcoming?
I'd love to hear from you. Please comment below or send me a note via the Connect section of the home page.
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