Psychological adaptation of a newcomer to the organization. Difficulties on the way of adaptation of new employees in organizations. Complexities of the adaptation process

When entering a new job, it is helpful to recognize the need for adaptation. It makes sense to be patient and give yourself a mindset: do not jump to conclusions. Many beginners, faced with the first difficulties, lose the desire to fight. A month passes, another - and the new employee finds a suitable excuse to leave the company. This behavior is completely unjustified. At any place of work, difficulties arise at first. In most cases, it makes sense to wait a little longer, making efforts to overcome difficulties - and the situation returns to normal.

Most of the problems for beginners arise due to the lack of sufficient information about the workflow, regulations, etc. That is why it is very important at each stage (clause 1.2, section 1) to provide support to a new employee, provide comprehensive information, share experience, introduce colleagues. Lack of this information also affects job satisfaction.

The problems faced by beginners can be divided into two groups: professional and communication. The former are directly related to official duties, the latter are problems of communication with colleagues.

To first group problems include:

• - the adaptation period within this period, "newcomers" need the care of both the immediate superior and the persons responsible for the implementation of the personnel policy in the organization - the personnel department. It must be understood that most people in the first days of work are most afraid of not being able to cope with a new position, discovering a lack of experience and knowledge, showing incompetence, not finding a common language with the manager and colleagues and their location, not being perceived as a whole and eventually losing their job ;
• - the next problem of adaptation can be identified as "overload" of new employees during the first period of work, which, of course, will have a negative impact on the adaptation process, but also "underload" at work and setting simplified tasks can cause negative moments in the adaptation process, such as underestimation of young professionals and distrust of them;
• - it is also impossible to ignore the issues of motivation of a new employee during the period of adaptation. Strong tools to help motivate new employees and successfully adapt them include conversations with management, clarifications and recommendations. Such meetings and instructions give the newcomer a sense of confidence, reduce the feeling of need and uselessness, sharply increase the sense of belonging to the organization's activities;
• - in the process, such a problem as the lack of an adaptation period as such is revealed - there is neither the institution of mentoring, nor attempts to create conditions for the new employee to enter the position and team;
• - Another problem of adaptation of a young (new) employee may be the situation of comparison with those who held the position before his arrival. In this case, a complex of inconsistency with the position held, or a fear of being worse than the predecessor, or vice versa, a special zeal for work may develop;

Co. second group relate:

Relationships with colleagues and management, conflict situations in the workplace - this is also one of the problems of adapting an employee to new socio-psychological working conditions.

• - relationships with managers of different levels, this applies to heads of departments, and top managers, in whose subordination are specialists, then in the process of social and psychological adaptation, one most often encounters problems that are as follows:
  • 1. At first, it is not always possible to find a common language with subordinates due to their wariness. The team does not know what to expect from a new leader, because at the beginning of work, a person, as a rule, demonstrates his positive sides and carefully hides the negative ones, and enough time must pass before the team manages to form a correct opinion about the leader.
  • 2. There is a danger of a mismatch between the level of the leader and the level of subordinates. If the leader is head and shoulders above the team, subordinates will not be able to adequately perceive his demands or orders, based, for example, on a non-standard approach, and the leader will be in the position of a general without an army. If the opposite happens, then the team turns out to be a “herd without a shepherd” - this option can lead to emotional tension, especially when the former boss had a higher professional level.

When an employer hires a new employee, they are both filled with hope. The employee hopes that he will like it in a new place, and the employer expects immediately one hundred percent productivity of the employee's work. But before the work gets better, both the employee and the employer, and the workforce will have to go through a not always simple stage called “adaptation of a new employee”.

Significance of the adaptation period

Adaptation of a new employee- this is a type of socio-psychological adaptation, representing the process of active entry of a newcomer into a position through interaction with a new working environment.

The success of adaptation in a new place - a responsibility not only the employee himself, but also his new management. No matter how responsible, sociable, stress-resistant, courageous and experienced the employee is, he finds himself in a new environment for himself, and therefore in stressful situation, in a situation of need to adapt, adapt, change.

A competent and wise employer makes sure that the adaptation of new employees takes place organized He doesn't let her take her course.

Companies that do not care about helping a newcomer to get used to the team, get used to a new workplace, understand their duties and responsibilities, feel comfortable, doom themselves to a constant staff turnover.

A new employee is in the adaptation period decides for himself, he will work in this organization further or not. According to statistics 90% people who quit their jobs before having worked there even for a year, made the decision to leave already in the first days-weeks, and the rest of the time they just endured and waited for the right moment or the “last drop”!

If an employee does not like his new position, he has two options: quit or endure. People, not being able to leave their unloved work or simply out of fear of doing so, endure unbearable conditions for them for years! And the organization suffers losses.

There are many reasons why a new team member may leave work soon after employment, but unsuccessful adaptation or not at all maladaptation in the workplace is one of the leading causes!

Employer Mistakes

A common recruiting mistake is looking for a "ready-made" ideal candidate. But the ideal employee can only be “grown” in your organization. When a new employee comes to work, he is more or less suitable for the position, he cannot immediately be a perfect fit! To become an ideal employee, he needs to get comfortable, integrate into the organization and work in it for some time.

In addition, the candidate for the position is a living person, he personality and cannot consist of merit alone. Treating a person as a machine or a robot that should neither get sick, nor have a personal life, nor argue or complain is a big mistake.

Often employers put themselves higher workers and applicants, raise the requirements for the latter to the skies, while forgetting to also meet the high requirements.

For example, an unsuccessful self-important entrepreneur “weeds out” candidates for a position who can become excellent employees only because they have no work experience or hires them, but disrespectful completely without worrying about their psychological comfort . At the same time, such an employer does not understand that his organization is not the one in which experienced specialists would go to work and that existing candidates should be valued.

Non-assignment of a probationary period - also a common mistake employers make . A trial period is necessary to understand whether the candidate is suitable for the position and whether he likes it. This is the time when not only the new employee is trying to please the management, but the management should also try to please the newcomer.

Successful onboarding of new employees is defined as important goal employers who understand that a hardworking, motivated, working as management expects from him, an employee is an employee who helped adapt and taught work exactly as it is required to work in his position.

Stages of adaptation of a new employee

From the success of the adaptation of employees depends the efficiency of the company. An employee who has been helped by the team and management to successfully adapt to a new place will certainly respond with gratitude and high labor productivity.

On average, the adaptation of a new employee lasts six months and is divided into stages:

• the history of the formation and development of the company,
• goals and direction of the company,
• internal rules and regulations,
• general requirements for personnel,
• personnel performance evaluation system,
• wage system, etc.
  • Introductory conversation with company employees. The team in which the new employee will work is informed of his arrival in order to create a favorable atmosphere, a positive attitude towards the newcomer and reduce the stress caused by the need to accept him into an established team.
  • Interview with immediate supervisor. During this conversation, a new employee will learn from his immediate supervisor the labor goals and objectives, areas of responsibility, functional duties and other specific components of his work.
  • Company Tour. The new employee is guided throughout the organization, remembering the location of various departments and such important areas as the dining room, toilets, and so on. At the same stage, the employee should see his workplace.
  • Getting to know the team. The employee introduces himself to the team in which he will directly work, and to all the staff of the company.
  • Preparation of documents and familiarization with the documentation. At this stage, an employment contract is drawn up between the employee and the employer and all other documents necessary for employment. For familiarization, the employee is provided with the internal labor regulations, job description and other important company documentation.

The final, successful completion of the adaptation period is evidenced by the feeling confidence and comfort new employee in the workplace.

Employee adapts successfully when he changes his behavior and compares it with the requirements of the company, when these requirements and his personal goals become compatible.

So, adaptation of a new employee- the process is mutual: the employee must want and try to work, and the organization must help him in this in every possible way (train and support).

If an employee who was suitable for a position quit of his own free will before the end of the probationary period, it means that the management made mistakes or paid insufficient attention to adaptation.

A person can adapt to any conditions, even very difficult and psychologically difficult ones. But will he do this when he does not find support, understanding, respect from the management and the team, but at the same time he understands that there is an opportunity to find another job? Hardly.

If you want to study the topic of adaptation of a new employee in more detail, we recommend reading the books by A. Ya. Kibanov “Personnel Management: Theory and Practice. Organization of career guidance and adaptation of personnel "and" Personnel management of the organization: current technologies for recruitment, adaptation and certification "

• 1. By subject-object relationship:
  • - active - when an individual seeks to influence the environment in order to change it (including those norms, values, forms of interaction and activities that he must master);
  • - passive - when he does not strive for such an impact and change.
• 2. By impact on the worker:
  • - progressive - favorably influencing the worker;
  • - regressive - passive adaptation to an environment with a negative content (for example, with low labor discipline).
• 3. By level:
  • - primary - when a person is first included in a permanent labor activity at a particular enterprise;
  • - secondary - at the subsequent change of work;
  • - adaptation of the employee in a new position;
  • - adaptation of the employee to the demotion.

Primary adaptation (for people who do not have work experience) is usually associated with great difficulties, while secondary adaptation (for experienced workers) usually proceeds faster and does not require special assistance from the manager.

An element of primary adaptation can be considered professional orientation, which is a set of organizational and educational activities aimed at familiarizing oneself with existing activities, identifying interest, inclination and suitability for them, showing their social prestige, attractiveness and significance, and forming a personal predisposition. The most significant criteria for choosing a profession are the intellectual and educational level, working conditions, social package, prospects for professional development and career, creative opportunities.

The adaptation of an employee to a demotion is most often manifested in times of crisis. So, in the early 1980s. There have been waves of layoffs and early retirement in the United States. In order to somehow support those laid off, most large companies - about 60% - did not just lay off workers, but tried to help them find new jobs, organized retraining and advanced training programs.

• 4. By directions:
  • - production;
  • - non-productive.

Professional adaptation consists in the active development of the profession, its subtleties, specifics, necessary skills, techniques, methods of decision-making to begin with in standard situations. It begins with the fact that after finding out the experience, knowledge and character of the beginner, they determine the most appropriate form of training for him, for example, send him to courses or attach a mentor.

The complexity of professional adaptation depends on the breadth and variety of activities, interest in it, the content of work, the influence of the professional environment, and the individual psychological properties of the individual.

The following factors influence professional adaptation:

• - working environment (place, technology, environment);
• - personal characteristics of the employee (experience, knowledge, skills);
• - motivation (interests, sense of duty, desire for professional growth);
• - individual psychological properties (sociability, activity, goodwill, etc.);
• - “assistance and control from the head and colleagues (training, consulting), stimulation;
• - features of production tasks, the pace of inclusion in the work.

Psychophysiological adaptation - adaptation to work activity at the level of the employee's body as a whole, resulting in smaller changes in his functional state (less fatigue, adaptation to high physical exertion, etc.).

Psychophysiological adaptation does not present any particular difficulties, it proceeds quite quickly and to a large extent depends on the health of the person, his natural reactions, and the characteristics of these conditions themselves. Nevertheless, most accidents occur in the first days of work precisely because of its absence.

Socio-psychological adaptation of a person to production activities - adaptation to the immediate social environment in the team, to the traditions and unwritten norms of the team, to the style of work of managers, to the peculiarities of interpersonal relations that have developed in the team. It means the inclusion of the employee in the team as an equal, accepted by all its members.

It can be associated with considerable difficulties, which include deceived expectations of quick success, due to an underestimation of the difficulties, the importance of live human communication, practical experience and an overestimation of the value of theoretical knowledge and instructions.

The success of adaptation is due to:

• - high initial level of experience, knowledge and skills;
• - interest in the organization and new work, the presence of prospects;
• - possession of the necessary volitional and psychological qualities (perseverance, composure, patience, etc.);
• - timely help of others, especially the leader;
• - the ability to anticipate difficulties and respond in a timely manner to unexpected situations, etc.

Signs of successful adaptation are:

• - mastering the necessary professional knowledge and skills;
• - the emergence of interest in the organization and work, which begins to play an increasingly significant role in life, and a sense of connection with the profession, satisfaction;
• - strict compliance with the requirements of labor discipline;
• - striving for improvement;
• - good relationships in the team, a sense of psychological comfort.

At the same time, adaptation is associated with considerable difficulties caused by:

• - prejudice and negative attitude at first around (especially the leader);
• - the need to perform new duties, often in unusual conditions (in the absence of the necessary experience and skills and the unsuitability of many of the previous ones), and in connection with this, a significant susceptibility to stress;
• - discrepancy between ideas and reality (dissatisfaction with the organization's capabilities, deceived expectations, etc.);
• - indifferent attitude of the members of the new team;
• - the difficulty of breaking old ties and getting used to new norms.

In addition to adapting a person to work, it is necessary to take into account the opposite - adaptation of work to a person, which implies:

• - organization of workplaces in accordance with the requirements of ergonomics;
• - flexible regulation of the rhythm and duration of working time in accordance with the individual characteristics of people;
• - building the structure of the organization (subdivision), the distribution of labor functions and specific tasks based on the personal abilities of employees;
• - individualization of the incentive system.

Usually, adaptation on a "gravity flow" lasts up to 1.5 years, but with proper management, its period is reduced to several months.

The adaptation process includes several stages.

• 1. introductory, lasting about a month. Within its framework, a new employee gets acquainted with the organization, duties, rights, requirements, opportunities (during this period, you can demonstrate your capabilities). At the same time, his readiness for work is assessed.
• 2. Entry stage(up to a year), when the mastery of the system of knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill professional requirements is achieved, and the person is mastered in a new team.
• 3. integration, during which the acquisition, deepening and improvement of the necessary knowledge and skills are gradually taking place, the formation of their single complex. The employee acquires a qualification of the appropriate level, turns into a specialist who is able to work independently and with interest, get satisfaction from his work, and strive for improvement.

A person's ability to adapt is determined by the ability to anticipate the main negative factors that he may encounter, and the ability to quickly respond to them.

Organizational measures (individual and collective) within the framework of the adaptation process, the scheme of which it is desirable to communicate to people, can be combined into two groups:

• 1) related to the introduction to the organization;
• 2) associated with the introduction to the unit and position.

An introduction to the organization is usually carried out by personnel services, mainly in the form of a general orientation course, which is read to a group of newly hired employees. Here they get acquainted with the organization, its policy (including in the personnel sphere), working conditions, rules of conduct, basic requirements for work. In Western firms, the following information is usually reported:

• - about the organization as a whole - history, traditions, structure, leadership, activities, products, consumers, development priorities, problems;
• - about orders - procedures for hiring, firing, requirements for appearance, behavior, internal relations;
• - personnel and social policy of the organization;
• - on remuneration - forms and systems of remuneration, payment for weekends and overtime, bonus conditions, etc.;
• - on the regime of work and rest, the procedure for granting holidays and time off;
• - additional benefits - insurance, severance pay, training opportunities, the availability of canteens, buffets, health centers;
• - on occupational health and safety - risks and dangers associated with the performance of work, precautions, places of medical care, health and sports centers, opportunities for physical education, how to behave in case of accidents and notification of them, health requirements and prohibitions (for example, smoking);
• - on issues related to personnel management, - conditions for appointment, relocation, dismissal; probationary period, rights and obligations, relations with the immediate supervisor and other managers, performance evaluation, discipline, rewards and penalties;
• - on relations with trade unions;
• - about solving everyday problems - a rest room, conditions for parking cars, etc .;
• - about the economic situation of the organization - the cost of equipment, the amount of profit, losses from absenteeism, delays, accidents.

Introduction to the unit can be individual and collective (if the unit is large). Individual Introduction to the organization begins immediately after the acceptance of a job offer by a preliminary story about it, the provision of books, brochures, booklets, etc.

You can draw up a special memo for the employee containing information about the organization, structure, production process, employment conditions, social policy, benefits, medical care, discipline requirements, etc. In the case of collective introduction management arranges for groups of beginners to read a special orientation course (in a small unit, the necessary information is provided by the immediate supervisor in a personal conversation).

In the process of special orientation in Western firms, the following questions are considered:

• - goals, technologies and features of the work of the unit; internal and external relations and communications;
• - procedures, instructions regarding the performance of work, paperwork, as well as behavior in case of fires and accidents;
• - safety and hygiene rules;
• - personal duties and responsibilities, expected results, assessment standards;
• - duration and schedule of the working day, overtime, replacements;
• - personal information (an explanation of where to get something, how to repair it, who to ask for help, how to act in case of being late, sick, need to get a day off; organization of rest, breaks, meals; telephone conversations of a personal nature);
• - Opportunities for training and professional development.

In addition, inspection of the unit, rest rooms, showers, smoking areas, various special services is carried out, as well as acquaintance with the management and future colleagues.

The induction is completed at the workplace by the direct supervisor or mentor (some Western firms conduct special one-day seminars on onboarding management). It is a lengthy process, including after a person already starts working (because new employees can absorb a limited amount of information at a time).

The first day leaves the deepest impressions, so at this moment beginners should be treated especially friendly.

Special cases of induction are graduates of educational institutions. Since they have not yet worked, they need to develop a positive attitude towards work in general, a sense of their importance in the activities of the organization, their place in the overall system. They need to be explained in more detail and shown perspectives. For university graduates, it is also necessary to focus on the relationship of work.

Introduction to the position is planned in writing, fixed after the completion of each stage, controlled. To make it effective, before the arrival of a beginner, it is advisable to find out:

• 1) whether the workplace (equipment, premises) is prepared;
• 2) whether future colleagues are officially informed about him (last name, first name, track record, planned functions) and whether he will be favorably received by them;
• 3) whom to appoint as a boss with a high status in the team, sociable, ready to help, assist in mastering the intricacies of their own and related professions and involve them in the affairs of the team;
• 4) whether the documents for the newcomer are prepared. Such a document can be a memo for new employees, which reflects duties and responsibilities, work requirements, daily routine, accountability, control, grounds for rewards and punishments, criteria for evaluating work, etc.;
• 5) in what form adaptation will be carried out (mentoring, seminars, courses, individual conversations with management and mentor, role-playing games, gradual complication of tasks, etc.);
• 6) what tasks a beginner can start right away. A new employee should not be given difficult tasks, but to begin to strengthen self-confidence and desire to work with assignments of medium complexity, not forgetting about instructing. This will allow him to successfully cope with them and at the same time feel satisfied.

The difficulties faced by a beginner are primarily due to a lack of information. At the same time, one should not overload it, because beginners are especially vulnerable in this respect;

7) whether the induction schedule has been drawn up.

An example of a schedule:

The induction schedule is drawn up by the immediate supervisor with a margin of 10-15% of the time (but in fact, “early” development of work is imperceptibly carried out, which increases the confidence, self-esteem of the new employee, and trust in management).

The manager must keep the adaptation control card in sight and constantly monitor this process. For example, during the first week, it is desirable for him to see the employee daily, learn about successes and help eliminate problems (as such, checking for psychological reasons should be minimal).

This will allow as early as possible (ideally - within a month) to fully understand the weaknesses and strengths, diligence (which is the basis of adaptation) of a new employee, emerging relationships in the team, determine the need for additional training, etc.

In the process of individual induction, the immediate supervisor congratulates the new employee on the start of work, introduces the team (tells a biography, emphasizing the merits), introduces the unit and the situation in it, sets out in detail the requirements, including unwritten ones, reports on the difficulties that may to meet, and about the most common mistakes in work, about future colleagues, especially those who have a difficult character (in a joking way), and those who can always be relied on, ask for advice.

As a result, a person gets the feeling that they were waiting for him, preparing for his arrival. This allows you to reduce the psychological fear of failure, avoid many mistakes at first, form a positive attitude towards new responsibilities and the environment, thereby reducing the likelihood of disappointment and early departure (most newcomers leave the organization in the first three months of work).

In addition, the new employee's nervousness and anxiety for their future are reduced, the necessary attitude towards work and others is formed, and there are incentives for further development and improvement.

If a beginner is well instructed, has confidence in the manager, the organization, has mastered the requirements for him, feels comfortable, he will work efficiently and with a desire.

The information received by the employee during the adaptation period, starting from the first day of work in the company, is extremely important for developing his loyalty to the company, since the employee for the first time gets the opportunity to assess the real attitude of the employer towards him.

Below are the features of programs that increase the “acquired” loyalty of employees and reduce the time it takes for a new employee to adapt to positions used by various companies.

• 1. PricewaterhouseCoopers. On the first working day, a newcomer is invited to a “lunch meeting” by his immediate supervisor. At the same time, the company even allocates small funds to pay for this lunch.
• 2. Kaspersky Lab. There is a tradition here to welcome each new employee with a pleasant surprise. As a rule, this is a small gift - a cup, a pen, a funny souvenir that a beginner finds on his desk on his first working day.
• 3. Philips Electronics. About the arrival of each "new" employee, all "old" employees are notified by e-mail, an announcement about this event is hung on the information board.
• 4. "Radisson-Slavyanskaya". The first working day of new employees is always Thursday. This is done so that for Thursday-Friday a person gets up to speed, orients himself in the hotel, and on Monday he has already begun his immediate duties.
• 5. M.I. There is a rule here: in the family of each new employee, on behalf of the organization, the immediate supervisor sends a letter of congratulations on his acceptance to work.

In some organizations, a mandatory company tour is held, and at the end of the tour, a T-shirt or baseball cap with the company logo is awarded. Others show a special film about the company - a representative film, about the history, customers and victories of the company.

It should be noted that most Russian companies do not have an integrated approach to building adaptation programs. But in world practice it has existed for many decades. For example, in a car company Toyota Motor an adaptation program has been developed, which includes: an overview of the work of all departments, the basic principles of work, information about the structure of the company and its goals in the market. The course is read every two to three months for all employees on probation. An employee can get acquainted with the everyday aspects of the company's work by reading the "Employee's Handbook" ( employee handbook). The workplace is formalized as soon as the HR department receives an application for hiring a person, and on the first working days the newcomer is brought up to date by the immediate supervisor or employee of the HR department.

All these measures can significantly reduce the costs associated with the entry of a new employee into the position, and lay the foundation for loyalty to the employer.

An effective adaptation system is a strong advantage of the best Russian employers. Most companies that are attractive to potential employees have a well-defined onboarding strategy for new hires. According to many HR directors, building such a system is a complex and interesting task, which is implemented in each company in different ways, depending on its corporate culture and business goals.

The development of an onboarding program for new employees may include a simple interview, a seminar, tours of the office and production, and a film about the company. Many companies have a special "Beginner's Guide" document containing the formulated company rules. The main thing is that all these elements really exist, and the style of adaptation will largely depend on the corporate culture. It is desirable that with the arrival of a new employee, he was immediately familiarized with the corporate rules and his opportunities in this company. Ultimately, the purpose of any onboarding program, in whatever form it takes, is to help newcomers settle in and accept the rules of the game in the company.

Another important advantage of adaptation schemes is their mentoring system. It not only helps new hires to quickly and easily adapt, but also allows their experienced colleagues to gain leadership experience, which is a motivating factor for them.

But the most important advantage, which makes a strong impression on managers, is that this system speeds up the process of introducing new employees into the company and increases their efficiency in the shortest possible time. From the tasks of a training nature, which are traditionally the lot of newcomers during the probationary period, they quickly move on to solving real problems facing the company. Thus, as a result of a well-designed adaptation program, the company receives professionally accomplished, motivated employees who can significantly increase the efficiency of the entire organization.

To facilitate the adaptation process, a variety of methods are used, among which the adaptation programs of large companies operating on the system Graduate Recruitment. Such companies immediately recruit a large number of candidates who do not have work experience and, therefore, are not capable of self-adaptation. For example, Ernst & Young organizes trips for new employees to holiday homes near Moscow, where they develop communication skills and teamwork skills.

For beginners with experience in other organizations, one-day trainings are provided, in which the maximum emphasis is placed on familiarization with the basics of the corporate culture, mission and strategy of the company. Much attention is paid to the employee evaluation system, which largely reflects and determines the corporate culture.

In order for an employee to know what his professional prospects are in the company, you can draw up his individual development plan and set certain tasks for him. To do this, it is important to determine the range of knowledge, skills and abilities that an employee must master, as well as activities that will contribute to this. Obviously, the more transparent and understandable development opportunities are for employees, the more actively they will improve their skills.

It must be borne in mind that the adaptation of certain categories of workers has its own specifics. This includes primarily women, as well as those in leadership positions.

The process of adaptation of women is additionally influenced (both positively and negatively) by the peculiarities of their psychology and socio-economic status.

Their adaptation is complicated by the following points:

• - the need to compensate for the lack of work experience, knowledge and skills that arose as a result of breaks associated with the birth and upbringing of children, the performance of other family responsibilities;
• - a small number of women leaders who are able to provide psychological assistance and support;
• - discrimination on the part of many male colleagues (including against women - top-level managers), the difficulty of entering the male environment;
• - excessive emotionality, aggressiveness, susceptibility to stress, bad habits (for example, women do not have a food enzyme that destroys alcohol, so its effect on the female body is one third stronger than on the male);
• - excessive stereotyping of thinking;
• - insufficient physical strength, etc.

At the same time, the adaptation of women is facilitated by:

• - high social orientation (a man perceives the workplace mostly as a battlefield or a launching pad);
• - communication skills, the ability to easily establish informal relationships, resolve conflicts;
• - patience;
• - high discipline, organization;
• - favoritism on the part of many men, etc.

To the complexities of socio-psychological adaptation leaders relate:

• 1. Suboptimal ratio of his own and new subordinates age and experience:
  • a) if the age of the leader and the average age of the team are approximately equal, adaptation is relatively easy;
  • b) if an experienced leader comes to a young team, then there are also few problems, since authority works;
  • c) if a young leader joins an established team, he may be met with distrust and even drawn into a specially provoked conflict.
• 2. Discrepancy in terms of knowledge:
  • a) if the manager is head and shoulders above the team, the latter will not be able to accept his demands and the leader will be in the position of a general without an army;
  • b) otherwise, with a low level of leader training, the team will be a “herd without a shepherd”.
• 3. Problems related to the succession of leadership and the transfer of power. It can go:
  • a) about the limited "by tradition" independence of the new leader (this often happens if the former leader simply rises one step higher);
  • b) about comparison with the predecessor and about the duration of the break in the emotional connection with the last team.

If the successor has been in the shadow of his predecessor for a long time, it is easy for him to master new duties, but it is difficult to win a “place in the sun” because of the habit of playing the role of “second” and “one’s own” in his own and others’ eyes, and the lack of proper respect from the outside at first. former colleagues. The easiest way for a beginner to adapt is if he turns out to be the successor to a person who previously did not stand out in any way, and the hardest thing is if he was a "star". Often, outgoing leaders, wanting to be remembered as strong managers, recommend individuals with much less ability than themselves, which is dangerous for the organization.

• 4. The propensity of young leaders to excessive administration at first, causing resistance from performers.
• 5. Natural alertness of subordinates.

The team does not know what to expect from newcomers: their positive qualities are clearly visible and negative qualities are carefully hidden, so a lot of time must pass before they can get the necessary idea about them.

Subordinates want to know a lot about the new leader: how long will he stay, what are his human qualities, is it possible to work with him, is he dangerous, what is his track record, how did he get to the position and what connections does he have, what is he going to do, does he have he own concept of work. Where possible, all relevant information should be provided to the team.

• 6. Envy and alienation of former colleagues.
• 7. Insufficient orientation in the environment and situation.

The new leader will be able to succeed only when he is well versed in internal relationships and leans on key figures, for example, who temporarily performed these duties before him; First of all, it is advisable to turn to him for advice and discuss the possibilities of cooperation.

8. The need to take into account the interests of others in their activities.

Subordinate and superior managers have certain expectations regarding the newcomer, who, in this regard, is under pressure from both above and below. They must immediately be given to understand that their interests will be taken into account as far as possible, but there is no need to rush into practical actions in this direction.

In the process of social and psychological adaptation, the leader can implement several strategies for interacting with new subordinates:

- expectant: gradual study of the general situation, problems of the organization (subdivision) and features of the work of the predecessor, acquaintance with unrealized projects. Only after that (usually not earlier than 100 days later) active actions begin.

In any case, in the first days at work, it is better to “lay low”, remain calm, listen and talk as little as possible, because it is easy to make a mistake, which will take time to correct;

• - critical: a negative assessment of everything that happened before and attempts to immediately bring everything back to normal lead to a quick failure;
• - traditional: movement along the “road” beaten by the previous leader and the repetition of previous methods;
• - rational: selection of several options for action in order to solve important, pressing problems within 4 -6 weeks and thus improve the situation.

Such a strategy can bring success to the newcomer and show his skillful leadership. It is necessary to teach subordinates to work in a new way, setting them specific goals, not to give up in case of difficulties, remembering that the force of inertia is often very large.

The entry of a new manager into the team is facilitated by:

• - preliminary study of future subordinates, their advantages, disadvantages, potential opportunities;
• - asserting himself from the first day as a resolute but prudent person, not changing everything at once, but immediately eliminating serious obstacles in his work;
• - attentive attitude to the opinion and suggestions of subordinates, especially those who did not find understanding with the former leader (but the latter should not be criticized at the same time);
• - suppression of attempts by unscrupulous people to use a weak orientation in the environment to settle scores with rivals with his hands.

It is advisable to control a novice manager twice a year on the basis of an evaluation sheet (containing a list of duties and an assessment) filled in by his immediate supervisor.

Find out what is staff onboarding. Let's talk in detail about the types of adaptation. Using specific examples, we will show how to properly build an adaptation system. Bonus: 6 Common Adaptation Mistakes.

From the article you will learn:

Adaptation of personnel: what the newcomer is afraid of

HR is well aware that every new employee experiences stress. He is afraid not to complete the task correctly, not to find a common language with colleagues or to break some unwritten rule and cause laughter or criticism.

Rating of phobias of a new employee

1. I will not cope with the duties, I will not be able to meet the deadline.
2. I can't find a common language with colleagues.
3. I will find professional shortcomings or a gap in knowledge.
4. I don't work with the manager.
5. I will lose this place.

However, for many, the initial stress passes quickly, and they begin to work effectively. But there are employees who make decisions for a long time.

To speed up the process of adaptation of such employees, special programs, tools and methods are being developed.

An example of adaptation would be program "Three touches". The purpose of the program is to quickly involve newcomers in the work. By the end of the second month of work, new employees show excellent results and begin to move up the career ladder.

Ksenia Levykina, HR business partner of HiConversion, told more about it on the pages of the HR Director magazine.

Answers to the questions of personnel officers and HR-s from 12.00 to 14.00 April 3:

• Remote. How to arrange, pay for and control the work and what to do with those who cannot be transferred (simple)?
• Staff reduction. Five lessons from the past crisis to take into account this time.
• Part-time work. How to transfer and what to do with employees who refuse?

Traditionally allocate 2 types of employee adaptation- production and non-production.

Production adaptation includes professional, psycho-physiological, organizational and sanitary-hygienic adaptation.

Behind these long and awkward words are the standard procedures for all companies:

• the employee is introduced to the rules of work;
• determine the terms of reference;
• show the workplace;
• present to colleagues.

Further, from the competence of HR, the employee falls into the competence of the labor protection inspector. Do you know that you can adapt employees already at the stage of selection ? The personnel system experts will tell you how to do it.

Non-manufacturing adaptation- is building informal relationships with colleagues. Festive corporate parties, sports competitions, field trips, in a word, everything that will give employees the opportunity to see each other not only as staff members and functional performers, but as ordinary people who can be friends.

The classification of adaptation by type does not have a direct practical purpose. You can't tell an employee: On Monday we have social adaptation, on Tuesday - production, on Wednesday - psychophysiological, on Thursday - organizational, and on Friday - economic and a banquet ". All types of adaptation of the employee will take place simultaneously: on Monday, and on Tuesday, and for several very difficult weeks for him.

★Important fact. 80% of employees who left in the first six months after being hired made this decision in the first 2 weeks of work in a new place. This means that the employee made the decision to quit during the period of adaptation.

HR is engaged in the adaptation of ordinary employees, and who is engaged in the adaptation of HR? This was discussed at the webinar -

An example of complex adaptation

In order for an employee to successfully pass all types of adaptation in the workplace, an integrated system is needed. The adaptation system involves the implementation of various activities and the appointment of those responsible for them. It is most convenient to present data on activities and responsible persons in the form of a table.

Table. Adaptation of new employees in the first days of their work in the company

When to spend	Target	What to organize	Responsible
	To introduce the organization, to give an idea of ​​its structure	The employee is registered in the personnel department. Provide the newcomer with general information about work discipline and pay	Human Resources Inspector, Human Resources Manager
		A Welcome-training is held, where basic information about the structure of the company, its mission and values, and the rules of conduct in the company are given in an interactive form.	HR manager (control - HR director)

Download full table

6 Common Adaptation Mistakes

Error 1. A beginner is overloaded with unstructured information.

Mistake 2. The employee has to perform duties that were not discussed at the interview.

Mistake 3. The adaptation period is too short.

Error 4. HR is not in place on the first day of the newcomer's work.

Mistake 5. The new employee is left to himself.

Mistake 6. A beginner cannot immediately get to work for some reason.

Mikhail Prytula

Head of HR Preply. Previously worked at Wargaming, STB, Alfa-Bank. Over 12 years in HR.

The topic of employee adaptation, or, as it is called in the West, onboarding, is devoted to a lot of research, articles, recommendations, and even books in the style of “Your first 90 days at a new job.” I won't bore you with book references, statistics, links, and so on, but I'll get straight to the point and give you some tips from my 12 years of experience in HR.

Adaptation does not happen by itself

No matter how cool a professional is. There is a widespread belief that if we hire a super-cool pro, then he will definitely figure out what to do and how to adapt. Like, this is almost a sign of a professional. Not adapted - so not a pro. Next!

In fact, at best, the adaptation will be delayed and the employee will reach full capacity in 3-6 months (depending on the level of the position and the complexity of the position). With high-quality adaptation, this period is halved.

How much are you paying your new marketing director there? $5,000 a month? And do you think your efforts are worth the $15,000 you save the company? It’s a pity for you to pay three salaries for searching for candidates, but you easily lose them on adaptation?

The first day is critical

So, you understand that adaptation is an extremely useful thing. What to do, where to run? Hire an urgent HR manager who will take care of the adaptation of your employees? No, calm down first. 90% of the success of adaptation lies in the first working day, and the manager can do it himself with high quality. But you have to be prepared.

The documents

Make sure that the documents are signed by this time (employees do not like it when the signing of documents with the company is delayed for several days). It's best to do this ahead of time if possible.

At STB, for example, we sent out a candidate questionnaire, which the person filled out at home and sent to us. In "1C" we had templates for all contracts, where we loaded the candidate's questionnaire and printed all the documents in 5 minutes. The employee does not have to wait until your personnel officer types his data by hand.

At Preply, we generally sign all the contracts in DocuSign, we don't even have a clue how to go to HR. A person sends a scan of the passport, we enter it into the contract, upload it to DocuSign and send it to the CEO and employee for signature. The signature is digital, you can put even from the phone.

Workplace and required access

All accounts must be set up: mail, Slack, etc. We do this immediately after signing the contract.

Check that the computer is ready, the table and chair are waiting for the owner. The icing on the cake is the beginner's pack: a pen and notepad with a company logo, a T-shirt, a set of stickers, a ribbon for a badge, a company badge (budget - $ 10-15).

Getting to know the office and staff

Employees must be informed. If the company employs less than 100 people, we write on Slack who has joined us, throw a link to the profile on LinkedIn (in Russia - on Facebook). If the company has more than 100 people, we do the same, but only within the department (which is also up to 100 people).

On the first day, arrange a tour of the office: here we have a kitchen, here is a toilet, here is a meeting room (which we book like this), we smoke there, here is the accounting department, and here is our director’s favorite pony.

Introduce the newcomer to those who are sitting nearby: “Colleagues, a moment of attention, I have joined us (...), please love and favor.”

How to behave if you...

Supervisor

Congratulations, you've had the honor of onboarding a new employee. No one will do it for you, but they can definitely help. So what is required of you:

1. Meet the employee in the morning. Mark it right on your calendar, or ask HR to always mark exit dates for new hires.
2. Take him around the office. Show the workplace, check that the employee is logged in everywhere.
3. Spend an hour talking to a newbie. Talk about your company, department, main tasks (general and personal). Tell what the employee needs to learn in the first week, what is expected of him in the first three months.
4. Smile. This is extremely important. Even if half of your face is paralyzed, smile with the rest. I'm serious, don't be a bum, employees come to the company, but leave the head.
5. Set tasks and fix them in writing, at least send them in the form of a letter by mail (this is already after the meeting, when the tasks were discussed orally).
6. Give all necessary documents and access.
7. Select an experienced and sociable person in the team and appoint him as a mentor for the employee. A beginner can contact him for all questions.

New employee

1. Think about what information you are missing and where you will get it. Feel free to ask questions.
2. Understand your goals for the first week, month, three months. If the leader did not voice, ask yourself.
3. Write down the names of everyone you meet. In general, at first I recommend writing down everything: the amount of information is large, it will definitely be forgotten.
4. Tell about yourself very briefly at each meeting, for example: In a startup environment, this is called “pitching” or elevator speech. Prepare ahead of time. For new employees, you are nobody until you tell about yourself. Don't miss the chance to make a good impression right away.
5. If the position involves the introduction of changes in the company, it is easiest to make them in the first 60 days, then it will be harder. Especially if you need to make unpopular decisions or simply difficult ones: hiring, firing employees, transferring to another position, switching to new software, a new form of reporting, rebuilding a process, investing in something new.
6. Plan for small victories, they will help build confidence in you. For example, choose small tasks that you could solve in the first 60 days and focus on them. Set aside tasks that require more than 60 days of your work for now. Here I would draw an analogy with the Agile approach in programming, when we do not try to make a very large and very complex product at once, but divide it into parts and develop it in stages.
7. Set up 30-minute meetings with everyone you work with. Prepare a list of questions ahead of time and write down the answers.
8. Ask what is working well, what is bad, what needs to be changed. Collect a lot of information and build a trusting relationship.
9. Conduct an audit and present the results if you are a leader or an expert.
10. Set up regular one-on-one meetings with your manager to share results and get feedback.
11. Smile at your colleagues. No one wants to work with surly employees, even if you are currently under stress.

HR

I could write an entire book, but here are some of the most important tips:

1. Do Newbie Days: Gather them in front of old employees and ask them to briefly introduce themselves (5 minutes). We do this at Preply, and it works really well.
2. Use special software to set up notifications for the employee and everyone involved so that they do not forget what needs to be done when the employee leaves. We use BambooHR, which has an Onboarding section that allows you to set up notifications for any employee with any tasks and deadlines. For example, three days before an employee leaves, the admin receives a notification about the creation of an account, and on the day of the exit, the manager receives a notification about the need to set tasks.
3. Communicate regularly with newcomers. If you don't have an HR business partner, have your recruiters meet new recruits once a week.

Colleague

Of course, as a colleague you don't have any onboarding responsibilities for newbies, but you can certainly benefit from it. People remember well who helped them in difficult times (although they don’t always talk about it publicly), so you have every chance to build a good relationship with a newcomer and then count on his help. Here are some tips:

1. Meet first. Come up and say: “Hi, my name is Misha, I'm Head of HR here. I see you're new, let's get acquainted.
2. Tell him to contact you with any questions.
3. Tell us what you think is important and necessary.
4. Invite for lunch.
5. Ask the newbie about past experiences, plans, and goals. Give information useful to achieve them.

Conclusion

Adaptation in many companies is either not carried out or is carried out extremely poorly, as a result of which both the business and the employee suffer. The reason is the lack of understanding of the process on both sides. The simple tips above can greatly improve your onboarding process, even if you don't have HR staff.