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Throughout the office recruitment process, there is usually a lot of uncertainty swirling around the office.
Let’s be honest here, nobody likes change. When a new employee is about to enter the space, everyone worries about how it’s going to change the dynamic within the office and whether people are all going to get along.
We spend a huge amount of time sitting at our office desks, so we all want to feel comfortable during our working days and get along with our colleagues as well as we can. When someone new is due to arrive, you don’t know who they are, what they’re like, and whether they’re going to completely change the dynamic for the better or worse.
That is why taking time with the recruitment process is so important. Managers need to really make sure that they’re choosing the right person, not only for their ability to get the job done, but also in terms of their personality and how well they’re going to fit into the office.
Employee morale is so important in terms of productivity and general office life. You’re not going to hang on to your existing employees if they’re feeling demoralised and they don’t feel like they enjoy their days in the office. For that reason, you need to understand why recruitment can sometimes affect morale in order to put strategies into place to avoid the negative effects.
Recruitment can affect morale because:
- Nobody likes change - We are all creatures of habit and no matter how much we tell ourselves that we’re good at adapting to new situations, we much prefer to keep things as they are.
- It may cause uncertainty and anxiety - Some employees may be prone to overthinking the situation and worrying about how the new person is going to affect the office and their own job. This can cause stress and anxiety, which isn’t a great recipe for morale.
- Competitive streaks may kick in - If someone feels like their position is threatened (whether that’s a real situation or a fear) they may start to become overly competitive. While a little competition is healthy, it can go too far and may start to affect team spirit and morale.
- Jealousy may come into the situation - If you talk about how wonderful the new starter is, your existing employees may start to become jealous of them before their start date has even arrived. In that case, when they do start, the situation is going to feel very negative.
- People may feel threatened - On top of jealousy, you may have people starting to feel threatened in their job roles and worried that the new person may overtake their role.
As a manager, it’s important to keep the lines of communication open and to avoid ‘talking up’ your new starter too much before they arrive. Yes, explain why they’re the best person for the job but don’t make them sound like the most amazing employee ever. If you do that, everyone is simply going to feel threatened and worried.