5 ways to help a new employee feel part of the team...

Being a recruitment consultancy, we are often privy to the success stories concerning the new hires of our clients. Here are some of the observations that can help you and your workforce turn your new employee into an integral member of the team:

Empathising with a new employee can be beneficial in multiple ways. It is always important to remember that no matter how confident they might seem on the surface, a new working environment can be daunting. Your new employee will feel both liked and valued if you take the time to listen to them. This will increase their productivity and office morale; this is guaranteed to be an investment you won’t regret!

2. Ensure they understand the office environment
This is more important than it might seem on the surface. It is too easy to forget that each office has their own way of doing things, their own ‘in-jokes’ and their own social systems. The importance of inclusion when socialising in the office must not be understated. A comprehensive understanding of the office environment could be exactly what your new employee needs to feel like one of the team!

3. Stagger their workload
Hiring a new employee is an exciting time for everyone in the company. This morale boosting opportunity may be missed however, if you do not take care when initially assigning your new hire’s workload. One approach to take is to stagger their workload at the very beginning of their placement, ensuring that they do not feel overwhelmed with work before they have the chance to get accustomed to their new workplace. This can be a useful method of guiding them towards achieving their full potential.

4. Assign them a buddy to work with
A new employee can really thrive on having a partner to work with in the initial induction period; a buddy system can be a great way to introduce them to their fellow employees and make them feel comfortable with taking on more complex tasks. It is important however to pick a buddy that will be a good influence on your newest addition. Someone that is both patient and efficient is an ideal candidate to consider. It is an added benefit that the employee you choose to act as the buddy will also feel more valued!
- Two birds with one stone, what’s not to love?

5. Always maintain approachable
This has got to be one of our most notable observations. Far more success stories come from placements that claim that they feel able to ask for help should they require it. Being upbeat and approachable not only acts as a way to encourage employees to ask for advice or training but also sets the tone and mood of everyone in your office. It may sound like a cliché but a happy office is a productive office, so make sure you lead by example!

A new employee can be a wonderful injection of energy for a company; it can become infectious amongst your team, increasing both morale and promoting a healthy competitiveness to achieve more.