Interested readers know that I recently joined Zensations. As a newcomer, it's notoriously difficult, but not at Zensations. I feel comfortable and wanted to share my experiences and thoughts with you here.
To do this, I'd like to start with a comparison. New employees are like snowflakes, unique in their characteristics yet fundamentally human. Snow or ice can represent teams, while powder snow can be synonymous with societies. Ice represents well-established teams or groups that show strong cohesion because they have existed for longer and have, so to speak, 'welded together'. Let's pause punctually with this comparison; the different states of water are very suitable.
Job interviews often drag on, whether from the company's or the applicant's side. Indeed, it's not uncommon to see the same positions advertised again because the supposedly 'right snowflake' wasn't found. Finding the right employee and the right company, where the relationship instantly fits and top performance reaches the client, is a task that challenges both companies and employees alike.
A first tip for HR department(s): Decision makers should not only know and have an idea of the technical competencies a potential applicant must bring, but also which soft skills add value to the company & the team.
When a snowflake falls on a snow or ice cover, the time of adaptation to the existing environmental conditions begins – the accommodation phase.
Properly Integrating New Employees
Throughout my career, I've seen and experienced many possible reasons for little to no onboarding for new employees. These are as broad and multidimensional as the universe itself. However, in most cases, one can ascertain a lack of knowledge in the area, misjudgments, or even deeper underlying problems within the company or its HR structure. Team leaders / project leaders, for example, often fall into the fallacy that there isn't enough time, or they simply externalise their tasks to the new employee(s). After all, these individuals are expected to start working and contributing from the outset. We agree that very few would admit this; instead, excuses and spurious arguments are put forward, and, who would have thought, externalisation – the shifting of one's own incompetence outwards – is already in full swing. Unjustified blame and a poor working atmosphere immediately follow.
To stick with the snowflakes: blame is like a warm wind; too much of it, and a snowflake melts away.
This is not optimal for the continued existence of an employment relationship. Especially because time or resource arguments, as already mentioned, are often merely pretexts, and by doing so, the company or the team sabotages itself.
Qualified individuals know their worth and are aware of their opportunities, and they utilise them. Therefore, it is important to allow oneself time and space, especially for the onboarding period. If one is not aware of this, the existing team is left behind, suffering from the new employee's mistakes and having to fix them. Ultimately, this also nurtures the ground for, let's say, a difficult working atmosphere, which finally results in high employee turnover, wasted potential & resources. It shouldn't be like this, which is why we will subsequently explore what measures are necessary for good onboarding so that all sides benefit.
What does qualitative arrival in the company look like for me?
In the preceding section, we addressed the challenges and pitfalls that newcomers, managers, and the entire team in organisations should pay attention to.
My article makes no claim to completeness; we will stick to the points important to me that absolutely must be considered for new employees. It is intended to stimulate discussion and exchange. After all, our daily bread also depends on it.
Guidance & Goals The management board has the task of conveying goals and orientation. Especially at the beginning, leadership is particularly important for new employees – because structure provides security and only then frees up resources.
Responsibilities Contact persons must always be clearly defined and should not change, even with work sharing. The same applies to the transfer of tasks and responsibilities. These should be clear, especially during onboarding.
Separation of Private | Business To remain productive and capable of action, it is advisable to maintain a separation between work and private life. This not only protects one's own partnership but also the interaction with colleagues. Furthermore, if one is immediately too familiar, one also loses the opportunity to gradually enhance a relationship through relatively simple 'gestures' and to show touchpoints for appreciation etc.
Appointments Meetings without a specified time and location (video calls excepted 😉 are not appointments, at best happenings. This principle must be observed more than ever, especially with new employees. A good corporate culture is characterised by adherence to procedures, appointments, and meetings. Happenings belong in the tea room. Advance notice for meetings is not just good manners but always maintains fairness & quality.
Rituals Whether it's for a communal lunch or a round of table football. Rituals provide stability, security, are meaningful, and convey a sense of belonging. The best foundation for identification with the company.
Integration – Networking I find it important that the management board or specialist departments already work out joint measures in advance, which enable me as a newcomer to exchange and get to know people on a professional level. The credo is 'Arrive'. New employees need appreciation and spaces to contribute. Group dynamic processes or knowledge about them also facilitate entry for both employees and the team.
Resources – Process Optimisation The mere fact that someone new comes into the team from outside is not just not a burden, but rather an enrichment and a resource that can be utilised. Simply by asking questions about projects / implementations and the approach, processes are set in motion that ideally lead to an improvement or, if necessary, to a reflection on one's own actions.
Do you have any further additions or experiences to share that are important to you in this regard? Do not hesitate to write us a comment.
