How long does it take to adapt to a new workplace? The main problems of adaptation in the workplace and the most effective ways to solve this issue
Your dream has come true - in a couple of hours you will go to your new job. But where to start communicating with new colleagues and boss? How to join an already established team as quickly and painlessly as possible?
What is the best way for a newcomer to build relationships in a new team in the first weeks of work, when he does not yet know his colleagues and superiors?
The first thing to do is get to know everyone. There are certain rituals for this - a newcomer is introduced to the team on his first working day, and introduced to every employee of the company. As a rule, joining a new team is strongly influenced by corporate culture. Some organizations have special provisions that stipulate all the nuances, including assigning mentors to newcomers. If such provisions are not spelled out, it’s okay - new employee can take the initiative himself. For the first time, it is enough to introduce yourself and agree on the possibility of further contacts. It is important to show your interest and openness. It has long been proven that charming and easy-to-communicate people find mutual language with a new team.
Second, immediately familiarize yourself with the internal rules labor regulations company: time of arrival and departure, smoke breaks, lunch; you need to study the provisions of the corporate culture. And, of course, observe the employees themselves - how they fulfill all the provisions, what really works, and what is written only on paper. You can find out even the most mundane things - where the kitchen is located, the printer, where it is customary to have lunch, etc. The main thing is not to be shy to ask questions. It is better to ask first than to correct a mistake later.
Third, no less important, it is recommended for a newcomer to figure out on his first working day who his immediate supervisor is, and who else will evaluate the results of his work and by what criteria. Of course, the first few days of a new employee are not very loaded, but this is not a reason to relax. In fact, all this time the manager is evaluating the newcomer and forming his impression. This will serve as the basis for approving or not approving the employee in the position after the probationary period.
And the last recommendation is to adhere to the main principle of adaptation - communication. If possible, use not only telephone, ICQ or email to resolve work and other issues, but more often establish personal contacts, meet with your colleagues and talk “live.” However, it is necessary to ensure that the desire to “become one of our own” does not cross the line of familiarity - try to be friends, but keep your distance so as not to have the opposite effect.
What mistakes can newbies make when trying to adapt faster, and how to avoid them?
The main mistake that employees make in a new workplace is “dragging” old experience from the previous company to the new one. They try to use those interaction or problem-solving tools that were effective in their previous place of work. As a result, they encounter misunderstandings or open confrontation.
Another mistake is the fear of asking questions, the desire to do everything yourself, even if there is no exact understanding of how it should be done. This also applies to functionality: even if at first glance it is identical to the duties at the old place of work, there will still be differences (sometimes in details, sometimes in more important things). Every company operates differently.
No need to wait for someone to come and tell you how to solve this question- you need to take the initiative. After all, the rest of the employees have their own work, their own worries, and sometimes they simply don’t have time to mentor. Most often, they don’t even know what kind of situation is causing difficulties for the newcomer - and only if he voices his questions do they understand where he needs help.
There is another extreme - lack of flexibility. Some newcomers make a clear statement about themselves, demonstrating their laws and rules, from which they do not intend to deviate even if they are in an unfamiliar team. This rarely causes approval from colleagues, most often it results in confrontation at the relationship level. The team rallies and begins to “be friends against”, trying to “push out” the newcomer, like an organism is a foreign body. The outcome can be quite unpleasant. Such consequences must be taken into account when declaring yourself in a company.
And another common mistake is failure to perform work in the quality and quantity required from a new employee. This is a consequence of ignorance of one's own job responsibilities and criteria for assessing the tasks performed. If during the probationary period an employee has not proven his effectiveness, no matter how sad it may be, the manager will prefer to take another specialist in his place.
How long can the adaptation process take? What does this depend on?
The duration of the adaptation process depends on the position that the newcomer occupies, on the degree of complexity of the functionality assigned to him. It is difficult to say exactly how long it takes to integrate an employee into current processes. We can only note that, as a rule, the adaptation of managers takes one time, the adaptation of specialists - completely different.
Moreover, an employee’s performance can only be assessed over time. For example, in a training company, a trainer “grows” for at least two years - formally he has been on the staff for a long time, but his adaptation continues: he studies, gains experience, and masters the necessary skills. Therefore, it is more correct to say that the duration of adaptation depends both on the specifics of the company’s activities and on the degree of complexity of the work that the employee will have to do.
How to find an approach to subordinates of a new boss?
The entry into office of a new manager requires not only his adaptation to the team, but also vice versa - future subordinates, as a rule, are wary of the new management: what will change now? How much will these changes be worse or better than the previous state? what to expect from " new government"? The team often experiences even greater anxiety than the new manager himself: after all, many employees believe that they are in a more dependent position and the course of development chosen by the boss will directly affect their work.
In this situation, the new leader, first of all, should establish contact with the team. To do this, you need to first find out how things were before his arrival and what the situation is in the department now - who is responsible for what work, what tasks each employee performs. Based on this data, you need to clearly formulate your position: set priorities for the future, outline a strategy and direction of work, determine milestones and first steps in a new position. As soon as the manager himself understands the program further actions, it is necessary to gather a team and explain to subordinates what problems he himself will be solving, what the entire division or department will do, and what he expects from each of the employees.
It is important to immediately set work rules and establish criteria for assessing the effectiveness of activities. They must be objective and understandable to every member of the team.
A new job opens up great prospects for many. But at first, the employee has a fear of not living up to expectations, lack of self-confidence and fear of doing something wrong. And in attempts to quickly get used to new job, offensive mistakes are often made that worsen the situation.
How can you ease the adaptation period in a new workplace?
Psychologists divide adaptation into 3 stages:
- Addiction. The process of becoming familiar with the company's rules is underway.
- Self-expression. With the help of their professional qualities you occupy a certain place in the team.
- Integration You are already becoming a full member of the team. Your experience and professionalism appreciated by colleagues.
In practice, things are different. There are only two aspects here: skill to interact with management and . Everyone wants to be appreciated at work.
Have you coped with a difficult assignment from your superiors in a new place? If yes, then you can adapt easily and quickly. 
You just need to familiarize yourself with below advice, and you will know exactly how to behave in a new team:
- No flattery. In the first few days, the new employee will be under close attention. Even if you liked your colleague's new shoes, you shouldn't immediately tell everyone about her good taste. Better get to know her better.
- Redundant self-confidence can only ruin relationships in the team.
- Learn to control your habits. If you like to think out loud, constantly open a window to ventilate the room, or often talk on the phone, you should first find out whether this is disturbing those sitting next to you.
- You should not compare your previous place of work with your new one in front of everyone.
- Refrain from
If you find a new job- only half the job is done. It's important to pass probation, adapt to a new team, become “one of our own” for colleagues.
An unadapted employee means really lost funds. If we're talking about about an ordinary performer, then optimal time to “reach the break-even point” is usually three to four months. If this is a manager, then this process will take at least six months, and effectiveness will be assessed no earlier than after a year of work. If the adaptation process was not successful at all and the newcomer left the company without “fitting in” with the team, then the costs of selecting the next candidate should be added here. Typically, recruitment agencies charge 15-18% of their annual income for recruiting mid-level personnel. That is, if the monthly salary of a new employee is 25 thousand rubles, the agency will charge 35–50 thousand for the selection. If the selected employee is fired due to his lack of integration into the work process, the agency performs all the selection work again.
Who's new?
However, the hardships of adapting a new employee are not equal. Of course, it’s more difficult for a beginner. After all, he must meet the employer’s expectations by successfully completing the probationary period, and at the same time fit into the team, which may not be at all inclined to accept a “stranger.”
This is especially true for new employees of large conservative companies, with established teams of colleagues who have become tired of each other. They have already gone through fire, water and copper pipes annual reports, they already know for sure that simply doing your job well is not enough, that to move forward you need to have a “strong back” or a “shaggy hand” and many other career subtleties.
For many of them, a new employee is a long-awaited drive, adrenaline, fresh blood, an opportunity to show off, be a mentor, and increase their own self-esteem. And with a silent exclamation: “Who’s new…” - the game begins.
The team’s rejection of a new colleague even got its own name - mobbing.
Mobbing
The concept of mobbing (otherwise - bullying of newcomers, a kind of " office hazing") has already taken root in the labor market. Tim Field, founder and director of the British company The Field Foundation, estimates that targeted harassment or unfair treatment of an employee by colleagues or management costs the British economy €30 billion annually. Sweden even passed a special law against mobbing. European experts, in the course of special studies, calculated that the consequences of mobbing are stress (appears in 76% of cases), insomnia (71%), paranoia (60%), headaches (55%), nightmares (49%), and a feeling of detachment ( 41%), doubts, shame and guilt (38%). According to German psychiatrists, mobbing is the cause of about 10% of suicides in the country.
In Russia, no one has yet calculated the exact figures of damage from mobbing, but, according to various estimates, from 5 to 20% of the working population become its victims. Mobbing by management, as a rule, manifests itself in the fact that they do not want to listen to employees’ suggestions, raise their voices, hide or provide incomplete information about the state of affairs in the company, make excessive demands, accuse them of incompetence, do not give the opportunity to attend advanced training courses and etc. Mobbing on the part of colleagues consists in the fact that a newcomer, for example, is not provided with the information he needs for work, his requests or orders are ignored (if he came to leadership position), they dump on him the most menial work or other people’s responsibilities in general, and “expose him” to the management.
There are several main reasons for mobbing. The main thing is fear. In teams, a wary attitude towards those who are emphatically “not like everyone else” is often manifested. Another reason for mobbing is the internal tension of the entire team, which is carefully hidden for the time being. It arises for a variety of reasons, hidden in the organizational structure and climate of the company. Mobbing most often means that the company does not have clear organizational goals and a strategy for its development. Top managers are not experienced enough in managing people, there are no channels feedback with the team, the boundaries of responsibility and job responsibilities of employees are vague, the decision-making mechanism is not formalized, and informing the team is poorly organized, as a result of which some employees view the possession of information as a special kind of power.
All negative phenomena in a team, this is the responsibility of the leader. There is no place for mobbing in a healthy team. Either an employee who does not fit into the team will be fired, or someone who is trying to organize causeless bullying of a colleague will be fired.
Moreover, very often mobbing is used in situations where it is simply necessary to reduce the number of staff and thereby reduce the cost of maintaining an office. Remember - if you are a professional, and the boss “suddenly” became dissatisfied with your work, then perhaps the problem is not you at all. It’s just not easy for some to admit that the company has not yet emerged from the financial crisis and is forced to use the so-called “Polish hiring method.” The employee is hired for a probationary period on a partial salary. At the end of his term, they shake his hand and look for a new simpleton. Therefore, if a candidate agrees to work in such a company, he should already be prepared for the fact that he may be fired at the end of the probationary period.
So, if you feel that you are falling short, that you lack knowledge and skills, change, but do not immediately strive to eradicate all the qualities that other people consider your shortcomings. It's just their opinion and they are entitled to it. 
What to do?
First of all, do not think that if mobbing is directed at you, then you yourself have nothing to do with it. Yes, the phenomenon itself is most often provoked by problems of the company’s management. But why was the crowd’s aggression directed specifically at you? Of course, there is no need to engage in self-criticism here, but it will be useful to conduct some analysis of the situation, the environment and one’s own personality. Because even if you are forced to change jobs, won’t it turn out that in your new place you will provoke the same aggression towards yourself?
Strive for professionalism in your field. Then at least they won’t be able to accuse you of professional lapses.
At first, when you come to a new job, communicate with the team as smoothly and formally as possible. Do not try to immediately impose your emotional disposition or get involved in internal squabbles or attract unnecessary attention by extravagant behavior, etc.
And most importantly, do not stop constantly observing what is happening at your work in general and around you in particular. If you wish, you can always see and hear a little more if you learn not so much to speak as to silently observe. And, of course, think about what you see and analyze the information received. That is, it turns out that a person with intelligence, and even one who knows how to use this intelligence, is practically not in danger of becoming a victim of mobbing.
Bad habits
According to statistics, the following habits irritate colleagues the most: smoking - 12%; gossip, empty talk - 10%; tactlessness, obsession - 5%; laziness - 4%; irresponsibility, loud speech, being late, personal conversations on the phone - 3% each; arrogance, food in work time, stupidity, lies, denunciations, carelessness, negligence, rudeness - 2% each. Draw conclusions. 
So, ten ways to turn a team against yourself can be described as follows:
Method 1. When starting a new job, stock up on a bag of seeds, a block of chewing gum, and a strong-smelling perfume. Young ladies will need a tube of bright manicure polish. Use strictly individually, without sharing with others, and exclusively during working hours.
Method 2. Props - mobile phone, preferably expensive and “sophisticated”. Be sure to have good speakers so that your favorite music reaches the farthest corners of the office. You are supposed to make and receive calls at least once an hour, again, exclusively during business hours. Leaving the office during calls is prohibited.
Method 3. Do not restrain yourself under any circumstances. If you don't like someone, let them know right away. Try to make it bright so that everyone notices. So that “it will be discouraging in future.”
Method 4. Aggression and rudeness, as well as sudden mood swings, are encouraged.
Method 5. If the previous technique is not suitable for some reason, you can replace it with whining and grumbling. Everyone and everything is supposed to be dissatisfied: clients, colleagues, bosses, authorities, tram drivers, store clerks, etc. and so on. The more angry and bitter the self-expression, the greater the effect.
Method 6. You must have your own opinion on absolutely all issues. It is necessary to express it at every slightest opportunity, being categorically confident in your exclusive rightness.
Method 7. If you have been entrusted with a secret, be sure to tell five more colleagues about it. Talkativeness and more talkativeness!
Method 8. If you “foolishly” started working, work tirelessly. Don’t be distracted by extraneous topics, stay late in the office. Let everyone else finally understand that they are slackers.
Method 9. Pens, erasers, rulers, other people’s lighters, office paper... Why leave it in vain. It won't hurt at home.
Method 10. Choose the warmest place for yourself and open the window more often. Let others freeze.
At first glance, each of the above points does not represent anything serious. But hostility is born precisely from little things. It does not appear “out of the blue.” However, you should not demand an answer from your colleagues: they may not even realize why they dislike this or that person. It makes sense to analyze your behavior, observe what actions others react negatively to, and remember what moments cause such a reaction.
“What do you need, new owner?”
The problem of adapting new managers stands apart. Either the team does not understand the advanced ideas of the new boss, or the boss turns out to be so incompetent that employees begin to claim some of the power.
This, again, more often occurs in the same stagnant team, which already has its own informal leaders. And if a new leader was appointed to such a team, but his subordinates did not like him, it would be difficult for the leader to envy him. Especially if he zealously gets down to business (even if from the most constructive motives!) and starts making some changes right away. active changes into the usual way. In the “psychological swamp” there are no incentives for social growth, there is no movement forward, but everyone has their own homes and salaries. Moreover, if its size does not depend on whether the employee is doing something or is simply at the workplace.
Any leader who tries to stir up this swamp too actively will first of all cause fear in his address - the same fear that provokes the desire to get rid of its source. And the subordinates, at a minimum, will begin a boycott: according to the principle: “And Vaska listens and eats...”. Therefore, if you do not want to provoke such latent, but powerful resistance, beware of announcing serious innovations until you have looked around, acquired allies and figured out what’s what. 
The first steps are the most important
They say that during the first days of work, a person usually subconsciously understands how long he will work in a new place - simply based on internal feelings. Let’s say your feelings didn’t let you down, you like this place of work, and you want to continue. At the same time, another question arises - how to build relationships with new colleagues, how to show yourself? And here the best assistant will be the same feelings - do you like the whole team as a whole? What don't you like about the new team? Which colleagues do you like and trust, and which ones don’t? The answers to these questions will allow you to more clearly decide what to do and how to act in your new place of work.
It may be necessary to identify “doubting” colleagues in the team who may either have antipathy to conflicts in general, or to the leader of your bullying in particular, or have sympathy for you directly. You can try to create your own group.
It is advisable for newcomers to maintain a “golden mean” between caution and openness when getting to know colleagues. Caution will help you see possible pitfalls in a new place, and moderate openness will eliminate unnecessary questions. The main “gossip” of the team will be one of the first to approach you to chat. Others will also be looking at you. It's good to start by telling something neutral about yourself, your family and your past work. This way you will remove the uncertainty that arises in relation to any newcomer from the old-timers. When you come to a new place, take a closer look at which relationships and topics of conversation are accepted in the new place and which are not. This will help you decide how to properly build your strategy for joining the team. There are very “closed” teams where people are not ready to immediately accept a newcomer, and only over time can they let him in intimate area close contact. In such teams, you shouldn’t expect quick acceptance into the company, but when you are accepted, the relationship will be very strong and lasting.”
Under no circumstances should you stoop to scandals and shouting. Open conflict is an emotional feast for a negative person. Don't let the mobbers satisfy their hunger.
Nevertheless, experts still believe that openness and contact are the more preferable style of behavior for a beginner. If you identify the instigator, you can try to talk to him. It's difficult, but sometimes a simple request for help can pull the rug out from under a mobber's feet. Usually they like to “condescend” to the victim.
Every beginner can be advised two simple rules: ask questions and communicate. Go to dinners together, take part in corporate events, in general, position yourself as an open, friendly person.”
Another important factor is your appearance. For obvious reasons, this is especially true for women. And here it is best to turn to the old, proven classics: a medium-length skirt, medium-high heels, a well-fitting blouse and jacket, especially since the choice of unbuttoning or not a few extra buttons on the blouse is always yours...
Lapping
Conflict in the workplace is normal. You can’t always give in, because they’ll just “sit on the neck” of an unresponsive donkey. But openly shaking your purse, eyes flashing angrily, also makes no sense. Mistakes are inevitable, so there is no need to be upset. It’s better to save your failure by wrapping it in a joke, or laugh at yourself - this will be more appreciated.
Feel free to ask for help if you need it on your case, ask questions if something is unclear, don’t be afraid to distract others from their work. But you shouldn’t abuse other people’s attention either; after all, each employee minds his own business and will not fulfill other people’s duties.
Once you find yourself in a new work environment, you should not be afraid of mistakes or dismissal. He who does nothing makes no mistakes. In other words, it is simply impossible to learn anything without trial and error. Convince yourself that they wish you only good things and expect good things from others. This is felt and favors the person. 
10 ways to set up a team in your favor (summary)
1. Smile. The American rule of always smiling is perfect for beginners. Everything is OK with you, you are confident in yourself and your abilities, you are cheerful and ready for a new and interesting job.
2. Stick to the “golden mean”. Be friendly, moderately sociable, but keep your distance. Remember, everyone has their own “comfort zone”: one is ready to grab you by the button after an hour of acquaintance, the other keeps his distance like a Japanese.
3. Get to know... the work. First of all, become thoroughly familiar with your responsibilities. You must know exactly what is expected of you. Specify the criteria for evaluating your work. In one company, the main thing is the result, in another - the absence of five-minute delays.
4. Ask questions. Feel free to ask any questions of your employer, immediate supervisor, or the employee to whom you are “assigned.” Remember: a fool is embarrassed to ask, a smart person is embarrassed to not know.
5. Introduce yourself to new colleagues. Briefly and kindly tell us about yourself. Ask for help to adapt to the team. Remember: most people are ready to provide all possible help, especially if they have been sincerely asked for it. They are flattered to be mentors - use this to your advantage.
6. Say hello first. This is an elementary rule of politeness: the first to greet those gathered is the one who came last.
7. Don’t become a “proofreader.” Never say “but in our company it was customary to do it this way...”. Try not to once again refer to the experience of your previous work.
8. Dress modestly. The saying “You meet someone by their clothes...” has also not yet been canceled. Looking like a gray mouse at a new job, as well as “showing off” is a dubious way of adapting
9. Reach out. Take advantage of the occasion and somehow invite new colleagues to celebrate one of your holidays (birthday, name day, anniversary, etc.) in a cafe or in the office (depending on the traditions accepted in the team). A great first step towards each other. Just don't go too far.
10. Show character. If you feel that you are being mobbled or being tested for “weakness,” do not give in. You can't win respect by ingratiating yourself. Firmly and calmly state that you are ready to help your colleagues, but “this (office cleaning, constant overtime duty, etc.) is not part of your responsibilities.” Invite your colleagues to share them fairly.
Mikhail Pritula
Head of HR Preply. Previously worked at Wargaming, STB, Alfa-Bank. More than 12 years in HR.
The topic of employee adaptation, or, as it is called in the West, onboarding, has been the subject of many studies, articles, recommendations, and even books in the style of “Your first 90 days at a new job.” I won’t overload you with book mentions, statistics, links, etc., but I’ll get straight to the point and give some advice from my 12 years of experience in HR.
Adaptation does not happen on its own
No matter how cool the professional is. There is a widespread belief that if we hire a super cool professional, he will certainly figure out what to do and how to adapt. Like, this is almost a sign of a professional. If you haven’t adapted, it means you’re not a pro. Next!
Actually in best case scenario adaptation will take a long time and the employee will reach full capacity in 3–6 months (depending on the level of the position and the complexity of the position). With high-quality adaptation, this period is halved.
How much are you paying your new marketing director? $5,000 a month? And do you think your efforts are worth the $15,000 you'll save the company? It’s a pity for agencies to pay you three salaries for searching for candidates, but you easily lose them during onboarding?
The first day is critical
So, you understand that adaptation is an extremely useful thing. What to do, where to run? Do you urgently need to hire an HR manager who will handle the adaptation of your employees? No, calm down first. 90% of the success of adaptation lies in the first working day, and the manager can do it efficiently himself. But you have to prepare.
Documentation
Make sure that the documents are signed by this time (employees do not like it when signing documents with the company takes several days). It's better to do this in advance if possible.
At STB, for example, we sent out a candidate questionnaire, which the person filled out at home and sent to us. In 1C we had templates for all contracts, where we uploaded the candidate’s application form and printed all the documents in 5 minutes. The employee will not have to wait for your HR officer to type his information by hand.
At Preply, we generally sign all contracts in DocuSign; we don’t even have the concept of going to the HR department. The person sends a scan of their passport, we add it to the contract, upload it to DocuSign and send it to the CEO and employee for signature. The signature is digital, you can even sign it from your phone.
Workplace and necessary accesses
All accounts must be created: mail, Slack, etc. We do this immediately after signing the contract.
Check that the computer is ready, the table and chair are waiting for the owner. The icing on the cake is a beginner's package: pen and notepad with company logo, T-shirt, sticker set, badge ribbon, company badge (budget: $10-$15).
Getting to know the office and employees
Employees must be informed. If the company employs less than 100 people, we write in Slack who has joined us, and leave a link to the profile on LinkedIn (in Russia - on Facebook). If the company has more than 100 people, we do the same, but only within the department (which also has up to 100 people).
On the first day, give us a tour of the office: here we have a kitchen, here is a toilet, here is a meeting room (which we book like this), we smoke here, here is the accounting department, and here is our director’s favorite pony.
Introduce the newcomer to those sitting next to you: “Colleagues, just a moment, you have joined us (...), please love and favor.”
How to behave if you...
Supervisor
Congratulations, you have the honor of onboarding a new employee. No one will do this for you, but they will definitely be able to help. So, what is required of you:
- Meet the employee in the morning. Mark it immediately on your calendar or ask HR to always mark the new employee's start dates.
- Show him around the office. Show workplace, check that the employee is logged in everywhere.
- Spend an hour talking with the newbie. Talk about your company, division, and main tasks (general and personal). Tell what the employee needs to learn in the first week, what is expected of him in the first three months.
- Smile. This is extremely important. Even if half your face is paralyzed, smile with the rest of your face. I'm serious, don't be a jerk, employees come to the company and leave the manager.
- Set tasks and record them in writing, at least send them in the form of a letter by mail (this is after the meeting, when the tasks were discussed orally).
- Give it all Required documents and accesses.
- Select an experienced and outgoing person on your team and assign him or her as a mentor for the employee. A newcomer can contact him with all questions.
New employee
- Think about what information you are missing and where you will get it. Feel free to ask questions.
- Understand your goals for the first week, month, three months. If the manager does not voice it, ask yourself.
- Write down the names of everyone you meet. In general, at first I recommend writing everything down: the amount of information is large and will definitely be forgotten.
- Tell us very briefly about yourself every time you meet, for example: In a startup environment, this is called “pitching” or elevator speech. Prepare in advance. For new employees, you are nobody until you tell them about yourself. Don't miss the chance to produce good impression straightaway.
- If the position involves introducing changes in the company, it is easiest to make them in the first 60 days, then it will be harder. Especially if you need to make unpopular or simply difficult decisions: hiring, firing employees, transferring to another position, moving to a new one software, new form reporting, process restructuring, investment in something new.
- Plan small victories, they will help build trust in you. For example, choose small tasks that you can accomplish in the first 60 days and focus on them. Set aside tasks that require more than 60 days of your work for now. Here I would give an analogy with the Agile approach to programming, when we do not try to do very large and very complex product, but we divide it into parts and develop it step by step.
- Set up 30-minute meetings with everyone you'll work with. Prepare a list of questions in advance and write down the answers.
- Ask what works well, what works poorly, and what needs to be changed. You will collect a lot of information and build trusting relationships.
- Conduct an audit and present the results if you are a manager or an expert.
- Arrange for regular one-on-one meetings with your manager to share results and receive feedback.
- Smile at your colleagues. Nobody wants to work with surly employees, even if you're currently stressed.
HR
I could write a whole book, but I’ll give you some of the most important tips:
- Make it a newbie day: gather them in front of old employees and ask them to briefly introduce themselves (5 minutes). We do this at Preply, and it works really well.
- Use special software to set up notifications for the employee and everyone involved so that they don’t forget what needs to be done when the employee leaves. We use BambooHR, which has an Onboarding section that allows you to set up notifications for any employees with any tasks and deadlines. For example, three days before an employee leaves, the admin receives a notification about the creation account, and on the day of release - the manager about the need to set tasks.
- Communicate with newcomers regularly. If you don't have an HR business partner, have your recruiters talk to new hires once a week.
Colleague
Of course, as a colleague you don't have any responsibility for onboarding newcomers, but you can definitely benefit from it. People remember well who helped them in difficult moments(although they don’t always say this publicly), so you have every chance to build a good relationship with a newcomer and then count on his help. Here are some tips:
- Meet first. Come up and say: “Hi, my name is Misha, I’m Head of HR here. I see you’re new, let’s get acquainted.”
- Tell him to contact you with any questions.
- Tell us what you consider important and necessary.
- Invite them to lunch.
- Ask the newcomer about past experiences, plans and goals. Provide information useful to achieve them.
Conclusion
Adaptation in many companies is either not carried out or is carried out extremely poorly, as a result of which both the business and the employee suffer. The reason is a lack of understanding of the process on both sides. Simple tips, described above, will help to significantly improve the onboarding process in the company, even if you do not have HR employees.
Long lasting and difficult stage job search is left behind. Then everything is simple - you need to get used to the new place. However, for many, such a simple task turns out to be an impossible task. Often, newly hired employees do not even manage to complete the probationary period. We hope our tips will help you get through this period with dignity and, most importantly, with the least stress.
A stranger among his own
Hundreds of tips have been written for those who want to join a new team as quickly as possible. The most common of them come down to the rules good manners: say hello when meeting, smile, be friendly and attentive, communicate with colleagues in an informal setting. Experts advise observing the behavior style of your new colleagues and trying to adapt to the accepted corporate style. Of course, you shouldn’t exactly copy your manner of speaking or dressing, but “match” in in this case almost always means “to be on an equal footing.”
Unobtrusive observation of colleagues will help determine the basic rules of the work routine: when and where employees have lunch, whether it is possible to drink tea at the workplace, where and how often it is customary to smoke, whether there is a dress code in the company. “It would not be amiss to look at the problem of joining the team from the other side - after all, the new employee himself is also a kind of “dark horse” for the established team. Therefore, do not force things, and give people the opportunity to take a closer look at you.
Do your research
When starting a new job, try to learn as much as possible about the company you are joining and its staff. Study the corporate website, take a closer look at the office environment and employees, think through the questions that should be asked at the stage of entering the position.
From the site you will receive information about the top officials of the company, learn about its values, and position in the market. But you still know little about people. The first step here is talking to opinion leaders. You will be lucky if you immediately manage to meet someone in the office kitchen. the right people. In this case, you will have an idea, albeit not a very objective one, about those with whom you will work.
It is better to immediately divide all the information received into subjective and objective. Next, highlight the facts that will definitely be useful. For example, the daily routine, going out to lunch together, the habit of calling or writing, the peculiarities of holding meetings and the schedule of employees (some people can only be caught in the mail in the late afternoon, while others are better off calling only in the morning, before going “to the fields”) . All these are elementary things, but, as a rule, they are the ones that give the most unpleasant effect if you don’t know about them.
Promote yourself
Think: who from the team will interact with you the most? Whose help do you need most? Who can support you at first and then join your team in the future? Based on the information received, we form a pool of events. Going to a cozy cafe? To a cool restaurant? Burrito making class? Or billiards and bowling? This is the beginning on the path to building audience loyalty :).
Show off your abilities
Don't immediately try to convince the employer that he made the right decision in hiring you. Outline a simple task or small improvement that, when completed in the next few weeks, will be a relatively easy win and will bring success. This will allow your colleagues to be convinced of your abilities, and you will gain confidence in yourself.
Soon we begin to build a personal brand: without drawing attention to ourselves for too long, we provide facts about our usefulness. How can you be useful to these people? Why would they be interested in working with you? What problems can you solve?
Never speak badly about employees
Establish trust
The most difficult stage is establishing trusting relationships. Show what you came to new company with an open soul and without stones in your bosom. When people trust, they are more likely to be trusted in return.
Do you want to become a leader in your company?
Keep quiet for the first month. Many people do not understand that when they come to a new territory, they must, first of all, “inspect” it and get used to it. Excessive talkativeness and desire to improve friendly relations will inevitably lead to you being marked by management and perhaps not by yourself the best side. Such employees become gossips and intriguers. No need for gossip. After all, washing bones is an undignified activity, and for a new employee it is simply unacceptable.
Do not talk about personal topics on your mobile phone, much less on your office phone. As a last resort, leave the work area, especially if you work in a company with open-space. Try never to be late, remember, accuracy is the courtesy of kings.
