I have been talking in my last few posts about the crucial issue for today’s companies of employee retention. With 70% of knowledge workers estimated to be seeking alternative employment already, and 21% of all workers expected to begin their job hunt when the country’s economic situation returns to pre-recession levels, taking action now to retain your top talent could impact hugely on your company’s bottom line in the future.
So far, I have talked about the need for companies to address staff retention at that critical stage just six months after hiring, when new employees are at their most vulnerable, and about the role of managers and supervisors in the retention process. Today though, I want to look at something else which is considered critical to an individual’s desire to stay with his current employer, and that relates to his very first experiences upon entering the organization.
Irrespective of age, experience or the number of previous positions held, starting a new job is, for most people, a nerve-wracking event. Not only are there all the concerns about the job itself to take into account, but even finding our way around the building feels like a monumental challenge. One of the most worrisome issues though, often has to do with other people, and how, or even if they will accept us easily into their fold. A first day spent in a job where we are treated like an outsider, largely ignored or are viewed with suspicion can not only be a nightmare in itself, but can also leave a lasting negative impression which can ultimately affect our desire to stay with the company.
Although the way that we are welcomed into an organization might not seem to be particularly significant, and some might even think of it as being a childish consideration akin to a small child on his or her first day at school, the reactions of others when we are feeling especially vulnerable are, in fact, anything but trivial. In new situations, we all have an acute need to fit in and feel like ‘part of the family’, but if this doesn’t happen, the feelings of rejection can be crushing to the point that they are never really overcome.
For staff members who themselves feel insecure or unhappy, a newcomer tends to feel like a threat. Whether they mean to or not, these existing employees often show their feelings in subtle ways which ultimately leave the newcomer questioning their acceptance of him or, worse still, leave his lack of acceptance in no doubt whatsoever. Actively disengaged employees who cross the paths of new hires can have particularly damaging effects on their morale and can have them regretting their decision to join the company from day one.
Often people ‘do as they were done to’, as opposed to ‘doing as they would be done by’, so creating a culture in which every new hire is welcomed into the organization, and their arrival celebrated, is very important if you want your staff to perpetuate those same actions. If you received an e-mail welcoming you to the company on your arrival, for example, you are more likely to do the same for a subsequent newcomer, and it is these little touches which can make all the difference.
Never underestimate the fear and trepidation that new employees might be feeling and strive to make their first few days on the job memorable for all the right reasons. It will almost certainly pay off in the long run.
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