Career Article 123:
Reduce New Employee Anxiety

By Tamara Dowling, CPRW

It is natural for employees to feel some anxiety when starting a new position. If employees are too anxious, training costs, turnover, absenteeism, and even production costs may increase.

Even if you are not a manager, new co-worker anxiety can affect you and your team. The sooner the new team member is up and running, the sooner all of your team can begin to feel the support. It also is unsettling when a team is divided.

Here is how managers and co-workers can reduce anxiety of new employees.

1. Assure new hires or newly transferred employees that they have a good chance for success.
2. Encourage them to ask questions and seek help.
3. Give them an indication of the department culture. Let them know how the people dress, what the lunch routine is, and how to handle requests for information, approvals and supplies.
4. Tell them to disregard the comments of negative employees and 'jokesters'.
5. Encourage them to become acquainted with other department leaders and respected senior staff. Giving those people a heads up, and then advising the new employee to contact them to schedule a brief appointment, can easily accomplish this.