Did you know that managers are more likely to support new employees that seem more proactive about their own onboarding?听Here are some tips for appearing proactive:
- Ask questions
- Seek out information
- Find opportunities to meet co-workers
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MAKE A BUDDY听and ask them!
- It鈥檚 no surprise that employees that feel connected to their co-workers, feel more comfortable asking questions. This is why many employers assign new hires with a 鈥渂uddy鈥� who will make themselves available for questions and help new hires navigate the workplace. For those of you who do not have a buddy, here are some ideas to help you master the art of asking questions.
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DECIDE WHAT TO ASK
Quality questions are:
- Relevant: Every question you ask should help you gather information, purposefully. Know which kind of information you need and ask your questions with this focus.
- Informative: Unlike yes or no questions, open-ended questions invite the respondent to talk 鈥� enabling you to gather way more information.
- Planned" Before speaking with your supervisor, outline some questions to help you cover your informational goals in an organized way.
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TO ASK OR NOT TO ASK?... that is the question
Before you ask a question, you should:
- Be concise and to the point by focusing your questions - ask one thing at a time. If you really want to know two different things, then ask two different questions.
- Avoid confusing questions by speaking your listener鈥檚 language. Use clear words they will understand, and try rephrasing if they do not.
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DECIDE HOW OFTEN TO ASK听- Quality vs. Quantity
Depending on your supervisor鈥檚 workload or audience in general, there is such thing as too many questions.
- Avoid asking non-essential questions by doing your homework. This means googling the answer or asking a less busy co-worker first.
- After you have exhausted other informational sources, ask the question you STILL have with confidence!
- Gather your questions and ask them collectively at your next meeting, rather than as one-offs.
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CONVEY THE RIGHT TONE
Questions with a positive, rather than negative tone are generally more effective.
- A negative tone is likely to raise resistance -听Do you really need it so soon?
- A positive tone听is likely to gain acceptance or curiosity -听When would you like that by?
- A neutral/non-judgmental tone is more听likely to elicit an unbiased opinion -听How did you like it? Interesting, can you tell me more?
Before asking certain questions, you may want to ask yourself:
- If I was asked this, would it raise resistance or curiosity?
- Is this something I am expected to know or not?
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DON'T FORGET TO CAPTURE ANSWERS
- Listen to the respondent鈥檚 full answer and do not interrupt before they finish speaking.
- Interrupting someone when they are answering your question makes them feel like they aren鈥檛 really being heard, which is ineffective for communication. Asking questions is a great way to practice listening, which is a critical skill in the workplace.
- Take notes 鈥� doing this prevents you from asking the same question twice by leaving something you can refer to when your memory of the conversation fades. Note-taking also signals to the speaker that you are interested in what they have to say.
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SAMPLE NEW HIRE QUESTIONS
- What should I know about this workplace鈥檚 culture (dress code, etc?)
- How will my performance be evaluated? Do you meet regularly with employees?
- What kind of professional development opportunities are available to student employees? Will I be assigned a buddy?
- As a supervisor, how would you describe your communication preference?
- Are there any procedures I need to know about?
- How flexible is the schedule? Can I work from home?
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REFERENCES
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Your New Hires Won鈥檛 Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly Allison M. Ellis, Sushil S. Nifadkar, Talya N. Bauer, and Berrin Erdogan - June 20th 2017 (HBR)
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Turman, Kara M., "Onboarding and Career Development for Undergraduate Work-Study Employees" (2013). Library Publications. Paper 34.
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Components of onboarding 鈥� Buddy systems Onboarding: What is the advantage of a buddy system? (2012, May 31). Retrieved from
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Learning the Ropes of the Workplace Without Hanging Yourself 鈥� Work 101 鈥� Elizabeth Freedman