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The Welcoming Committee - how do your staff react to a new employee?

July 20th, 2011 by Sharn Rayner
Just as it is important to have an on-boarding or induction programme for new employees, it is equally as important for existing staff to feel at ease with somebody new joining the team. Who are they? What about the position they will fill?
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Most companies will have an on-boarding or induction programme for new employees in some form; however, while we want to make new employees feel welcome and at ease when they start with a new business, it is just as important for existing staff to feel equally at ease with somebody new joining the team and be part of the welcoming committee. 

Most people experience some degree of uncertainty when faced with change and this is as true for existing staff welcoming someone new to the team as it is for other organisational changes.  Ensuring there is clear, timely communication of business developments and variations to the norm goes a long a way to ensuring changes in the business achieve the desired outcomes and that they are positively received.

While some new employees join a business to fulfil an existing role, employers often take the opportunity to make tweaks to the role (e.g. changing the level of the role, introducing new job functions etc).  Existing staff may not be aware of these changes which may cause uncertainty and a level of anxiety. Often, communicating the background and skills of the new employee to the team will help both parties feel more at ease:

Who are they – qualifications and/or background, why were they selected for the role?

Where did they come from – a similar business, an industry competitor, out of town/country?

What about the position they will fill - is the job the same or different from that of the previous incumbent, if it is different why have changes been made, what impact will this have on existing staff and will it require them to do anything differently?

Location – where will they be located, what area will they cover, who will they be working with and report to?

How do you answer these questions?

The following are ideas that are easily implemented:

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About the author

Sharn Rayner's picture
Sharn Rayner
Pod Consulting Limited
http://www.podconsulting.net.nz

I began my career in sports development, leisure management, training and coaching. Since then I have developed my skills to focus on working with businesses in the areas of facilitation, organisational development and human resources.

I work with the team to develop and implement the best and most appropriate human resource and organisational development practices – ensuring that businesses we work with improve employee performance, productivity and ultimately through enhanced processes and planning, profitability.

I am a member of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand (HRINZ). I have a BA Honours in English Literature, a Post Graduate Diploma in Sports Development and training in all aspects of employee selection (including psychometric interpretation, structured interviews, assessment and development centre exercises, assessment design and facilitation, increasing productivity through 360-degree surveys, team-building, career guidance, leadership training, culture and climate surveying, job analysis, competency modelling and human resource metrics). I am currently undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management.

Auckland