5 useful tips for integrating new agency workers when growing your company
In recent months, the pandemic has had a significant impact on many businesses in the creative sector due to social distancing laws, a fall in consumer spending, and the national lockdowns. Despite this, there has been some optimism about the possibility for growth.
According to figures from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, while business confidence suffered a small fall in the three months to October, demand for permanent staff has remained high. This is true for both the short- and medium-term.
If your agency is looking to expand in the near future, then you may be wondering how best to integrate your new staff into your team. Read on for five useful tips that can help you to do so.
1. Prioritise introducing them to their colleagues
As you may know, agency work is inherently social, which is why it’s important to establish good rapport from the get-go. This is especially important in the first few days, as the new situation can often make people feel somewhat anxious.
Introducing new members of staff to their colleagues and heads of departments is also useful so they know who to turn to with any unexpected issues. When you’re new to a team, it can sometimes be embarrassing to have to ask for help, so overcoming this initial barrier is crucial for efficiency.
It’s very easy to chat to your teammates in an office environment, but sending a message to request a call can make it seem more awkward. That’s why these early introductions are especially important if you give your team the option to work remotely.
2. Teach them your company’s core values
Over the years, you’ve probably built up a business culture that you’re understandably proud of. That’s why, when you take on new staff, it’s important that you take a bit of time to talk to them about your company’s core values.
Even if it only takes half an hour, having this chat about your business’ history and culture can be useful for not only helping to guide their work but also making them feel like a part of the team.
3. Assign them a mentor
No matter how experienced your new hire may be, it can often take time to properly adjust to a new environment. This is where being mentored by a more experienced colleague for the first few days can be useful.
As you might imagine, different businesses have different processes, and this can sometimes be a stumbling block for new hires. For example, your company might have a particular way of handling compliance or internal checks before you send finished work to your clients.
Having a mentor on-hand can help new staff to quickly adapt to any such changes and help them to more seamlessly integrate into their team. Having someone explain a process to you can be much more effective than having to learn it through trial and error.
A mentor can also help to show them how their work fits into the “bigger picture” of company goals, which can give them a greater sense of pride in their work.
4. Organise social events
So far, we’ve only really discussed ways to help to improve their work efficiency and motivation but another important aspect to consider is how well they fit into your company socially. It’s important for them to feel comfortable at their workplace, which is where socials can really help.
Getting to know your colleagues on a more personal level can help people to feel more comfortable, which in turn makes them more able to integrate with their team. Even a quiet evening at a local pub or bar can be a great way for breaking down barriers and making new hires feel more relaxed.
You may also want to consider organising some alcohol-free social events, so that teammates who choose not to drink don’t feel left out.
5. Ask for their feedback
One of the most important ways that you can help a new teammate feel like a valued part of your team is to ask for their feedback on how their first few weeks have been. Not only does this help them to feel more appreciated but it also gives you a useful opportunity to measure the effectiveness of your onboarding process.
As good as your work culture may be, there is always room for improvement and having a fresh perspective can be invaluable for seeing if there are any aspects of your company that could be improved.
Asking for feedback benefits everyone involved, resulting in both a more engaged employee, as well as a more effective onboarding process, helping your company to improve and grow.
Get in touch
If you’re growing your business with new staff and want to gain more peace of mind by ensuring you have the right protection for your needs, we can help. Email creative@eggarforrester.com or use our contact form to request a call back from our team.
