How to Help New Employees Who Still Failed to Adjust After a Few Months

It’s understandable that some employees couldn’t adjust right away after being hired. It might take a few days or weeks to get used to the new work environment. The existing employees might also have a culture at work that the new ones aren’t used to. As the boss, you should be of help. You don’t want the new employee to be behind since it might affect productivity. It’s even worse if this employee has been in the company for months and you see the failure to adjust.

Have a private conversation

Be honest about how you feel with this employee. Setup a private conversation and go through potential issues. It doesn’t matter what problems affect these employees. You have to be there to listen and adjust when necessary. Make yourself a trustworthy leader. These employees might be hesitant to speak out in fear of getting fired. However, if you have made it clear that you have good intentions and there’s no possibility of getting fired after the conversation, it will be productive.

Setup a buddy system

You can’t expect a new employee to blend well with everyone else at work. However, being friends with one or two existing employees is a good step. It also makes this person feel comfortable with the environment, or at least excited to go to work. The buddy system also builds trust among the employees. Of course, this new employee will pay it forward once you have hired someone new to be a part of the team.

Allow this person to join the meetings

Perhaps, you have made meetings exclusive only to the senior members of your team. They are deemed essential while the rest don’t feel that way. It’s even worse for people who are still starting in your company. They won’t see their relevance and decide not to adjust. The key is to let them be a part of the meetings. Tell them to speak up during these meetings and let their ideas be heard. It only takes a little push for them to be comfortable with the work environment.

Talk to the other employees

The problem might be the bond that exists among the employees. They have been together for years and it has been a while since you have included a new family member. They should understand the awkwardness of being in a new environment and try their best to make the new employee feel welcomed. There’s a significant adjustment on the part of this new employee, and it must extend to everyone else.

With these steps, your new employee will eventually like being in your company. You won’t see them being left out of the group. When there are activities outside work, they will decide to join. Give these employees time to adjust and they will eventually get there.

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