New Employees May Be Very Different from the Existing Ones

In any company or business, employees have a very strong influence on how things work. The company culture, as well as daily operations, tends to be shaped by the personalities, values and beliefs of those who actually do the work. Whether the company is large or small, over time, the make-up of the work force may change. It is important to consider the way the company can be affected when the newest employees have a very different way of seeing the world than the existing, long-term employees.

As the generations evolve, so do the values that individuals hold dear. The variety of ages, backgrounds, ethnic origins, etc. can be very enriching for a work environment, but it can also cause some "growing pains." When the newer (or younger) employees hold different values, worth ethic or experiences than the existing ones, it can take some care to figure out how to blend these "different worlds."

Fifty years ago, it was common for an individual to work for one company his entire working life. For adults who entered the work force in the 1980's and into the 21st century, this is quite rare. Where it used to be expected that workers would stay at a job for years, it is now quite common for what is known as "job jumping"-workers who work at a job for a couple years and then move on. These employees can have very different values and work styles to bring to the work place than their older counterparts and coworkers.

Newer employees may have different expectations from the job or work environment than existing ones as well. They may expect more autonomy or more group projects depending on their background and experiences. They may not be interested in socializing with work mates even though they have come into a company where part of the culture is socializing outside of work.

One of the ways to deal with the differences is to pay attention to "socializing" new employees into the existing company culture. If the culture is valued and the intent is to preserve it, find ways to mentor and socialize new employees into that existing culture-assign them a mentor or someone to work with them to show them the ropes, invite them to events and meetings, and just pay attention to getting the new employees acclimated into existing structure.

If the intent is to bring new employees in to shake things up and help to evolve the company culture then these newest team members will need support for this as well. Consider how to prepare the existing work force for new ways of working and create opportunities for interaction and collaboration so that the newest and more seasoned employees can learn more about each other.