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A Fear-Free New Job – Help Student Workers!
Starting a new job is a significant milestone in anyone's life, especially on the very first day. Feelings of fear, nervousness, and anxiety are partially justified because that's how people react to any new situation. However, they are also unnecessary since every team aims to ease the new hire's first day at work.
But when you consider that for a freshly employed student worker, this might be their first experience in the job market, it becomes much more understandable why the new, young employee is filled with fears. In today's blog post, we will discuss these thoughts, fears, and misconceptions, and how you can help as a leader to facilitate workplace integration.
The New Job is Always Stressful
Being new somewhere always involves a lot of uncertainties. A new colleague doesn’t know where the coffee machine, the locker room, or the necessary tools are, nor do they know who is who. Recall what you experienced or missed when you found yourself in a similar situation! How did you feel on your first day? Did someone help you integrate? Did someone explain where to find everything? Was there anyone you could confidently turn to with any questions?
Make the student worker's first day at the new job easier with a few simple steps!
Welcome the New Team Member!
Take the following 5 steps to help the student worker feel at ease and not think about leaving after their first week at work:
1. Take Them for a Coffee Break!
Platforms, work tools, passwords, new names, formalities, administration, rules, unknown buildings, and faces – this is what comes with a new job. On the first day, let the new colleague get overwhelmed a bit, then take the time to sit with them in a comfy chair at a coffee shop and give them a comprehensive introduction and overview of the company. During this time, introduce the company values and discuss their role within the team.
2. Organize a Casual Event for the Team!
Make it possible for them to smoothly integrate into the team! Organize a team-building event, a dinner, or a get-to-know-you board game evening at the end of a workday, and let the existing employees get to know the new colleague better.
3. Send an Introductory Email and Introduce Them in Person!
Ensure that everyone knows about the new colleague and can put a face to the name! It means a lot to a new hire if they are introduced to the main figures of the company right from the start, not just with a brief handshake.
4. Give Them a Tour of the Office!
If you skip this, by the end of the first week, the newbie will only move within the desk-bathroom-cafeteria triangle. Surprisingly, a detailed tour of the building and office is often missed by many companies because managers assume that the person will learn where everything is during their daily routines.
5. Clarify the Basics and Provide the Most Important Information!
Immediately clarify the aspects that define work life, such as working hours, lunch breaks, and the entry and exit control system. Additionally, it’s beneficial for them to have an idea about all clients, not just those they will work with directly.
What Do You Gain by Helping Workplace Integration?
It often happens that older employees look at the new person strangely and make their life difficult from the start. Just as the new hire, the old colleagues also fear the unknown, but think about it: ideally, the new hire means additional workforce… and who knows, perhaps a new friend who will make the workday pass more easily. Also, don't forget that the student worker can carry the company’s good reputation and might become a long-term permanent employee.
We believe it's worth it!
