You’re already frazzled. You’ve checked six times to make sure you ripped the tags off those new pants.
It’s your first day at a new job.
Shaking hands and remembering names is as difficult as it will get today. For some reason, every boss in the universe has to make sure you meet everyone on Day One.
The reason I bring this up is because I normally appreciate a boss who thinks "out of the box" and tries something out of the mainstream. Except when it’s the King of Awkward.
A newbie joined our department yesterday and here’s what she was subjected to. The Big Bossman pulled a move I’d never experienced. He asked the whole department (about 10 of us) to come into his office. Already sitting there was the rookie. We rolled up on her like we were straight out of Compton. We formed a semi-circle and trapped her against the wall.
The King of Awkward then went around and introduced us (hardly in the most flattering terms) one by one. While this tactic did eliminate 10 awkward handshakes, it had to have been dreadful for the new woman.
This leads me to a question: Is there a better way to have a new employee make the rounds?
I know that some companies, like Ketchum Public Relations, for instance, have an extensive Intranet site where each employee has a profile page. I don’t recall if a photo is included, but you can search for employees based on skill. For example, if you need something in Spanish translated, you can search the employee database and find out who’s bilingual.
Maybe it would be better if companies handed out a flowchart with photos and mini bios. At least you’d have something to consult once the blur of Day One was behind you.
I’d love to hear from our loyal readers, fellow career bloggers and HR specialists: Is there a better way to conduct new employee introductions?
Get creative and subscribe to the blog. And let’s wish the newbie at my job all the luck in the world. She’ll need it.
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