Someone new starting work in the office can be a time of upheaval for existing employees. While it’s always a positive thing to have an extra pair of hands to help out, any type of change can cause anxiety and stress until things settle down.
It’s important to try and manage the situation and keep morale high during the time before the new starter arrives, and after their start date. Office recruitment is a time consuming and costly process, so it’s important to make sure that you focus on it correctly, including all aspects.
When you spend a large amount of time sitting at your office desk, anything that changes within your working environment can be difficult to handle. Often, thinking about a situation too much causes more stress than reality - for the most part, when a new employee starts, everyone wonders what they were worrying about because they quickly realise that everything is great!
Managing employee morale is important, so here are three ways you can prepare your existing employees for a new starter’s arrival.
Keep The Lines of Communication Open
Make sure that you keep your employees informed about the recruitment process and when you’ve found someone who fits the bill. Let them know the person’s name, a little about their background, and keep them updated with news, i.e. the start date.
Keep The Vibe Positive at All Times
Whenever you speak about the new starter’s arrival, make sure you do so in positive terms. Don’t focus too much on ‘oh this person is amazing’ because that could cause undue jealousy. Instead, focus on what this person is going to be able to do for the team, i.e. keep workflow even and fair across the board.
Ask For Suggestions And Input
You’re going to need to set up an itinerary for your new starter’s first few days, to make sure they settle in well and have all the training they need. Ask your employees for their input on this, as they’ve been in this situation before and will be able to tell you how they felt on their first day. This also helps them to feel included in the process, which increases morale.
These three tactics may seem easy to follow, but you’ll be surprised at how much of an impact they have on your existing employees in terms of keeping their spirits up and morale high.