[2023-09-15] Welcoming new people

I stopped by a place of business this morning to pick up something for my son. I explained to the woman who greeted me what I was there for, and she said I would need to see a second person. After waiting five minutes to see the second person and another five minutes while he searched in vain for my son's item, we realized that he couldn't help me and that I needed to go back to the first person. When I returned to the receptionist, she apologized and explained that she was new. She asked a colleague for help. The colleague looked frustrated and impatient. Never once did she smile or say an encouraging word to her coworker. I didn't know the history between the two, but I did feel sorry for the receptionist, who seemed sweet and overwhelmed but nevertheless intent on doing her best. The more curt the colleague was, the more I wanted to reach out to the receptionist to let her know that I felt for her.

What struck me in observing this scene was not the receptionist's error, even though it wasted 10 minutes of my time, but the uncharitable way in which the colleague appeared to be treating the receptionist. Again, I don't know the story here, but I do know that the colleague's behaviour left a negative impression on me. I felt sorry for the receptionist.

Later in the day, I had occasion to welcome new volunteers to the Volunteer Check-in at CityFolk. I introduced myself to the student who was sitting alone and struck up a conversation with him. I asked another new person whether she wanted me to show her how the check-in system worked. I helped a coworker when she couldn't find someone in the system, attributing the issue to the tricky application rather than to anything she was doing incorrectly. I made an effort to learn the names of the other volunteers. I even spoke Brazilian Portuguese to a volunteer, asking him: "Você fala português?"

How we treat newcomers to a group says more about us than it does about them. Here are five ways you can welcome new people:
  • Be enthusiastic—let new people know you're happy they've joined the team.
  • Learn and use their name—share yours in return.
  • Offer to help—tell them they can come to you with questions.
  • Help them get up to speed quickly—share your time-saving tricks.
  • Encourage them—remind them they're doing well and making progress.
If you're a coworker of a new employee and you welcome and support them in this way, you will endear yourself to them. If you're a supervisor of a new employee and you give them a positive onboarding experience, you will not only improve their performance but also make them more loyal to your organization.