How to successfully integrate a new member into your team
So you’ve done the painstaking task of recruiting a new member to your team, now the key next step is to successfully integrate them. Having a proper process in place will be mutually beneficial, your new team member joining seamlessly will make the process less stressful for them and also make the process more effective for you.
Welcome pack
The first step in successfully integrating a new employee into your team is to provide them with a welcome pack. In this welcome pack you can provide guides and handbooks but also some nice touches like a card and small gift. This will help to reassure the new team member that they are already a valued member and is likely to relax them.
Communicate with the team
Before a new member joins the team it is important to fully communicate the strengths of the new team member and reasons for them being selected. Not only does this give the current team a better understanding of the individual about to join them but it will also allow them to imagine their role within the group before they join meaning it will be more natural.
Encourage relationships
When a new member joins a team there is likely to be feelings of anxiety and uncertainty from both sides. It is imperative that barriers are broken down as soon as possible in order for the team to start working together cohesively. You can do this by facilitating conversations and collaborative working to encourage an inclusive working environment. Once initial relationships have been established these will then flourish naturally and create a chain reaction of further relationships.
Team building
Not only is team building great to improve relationships within established teams, choosing the right activity can also help to more easily integrate new members into teams and kickstart effective professional relationships. Not only can team building activities act as ice breakers but they will also allow new members and established members to identify each other’s strengths that can be important to the future logistics of the team.
Integrating a new team member might seem difficult at first but by following these simple tips the whole process should be a lot more seamless for everyone involved.
