Many people are happy after getting their first job, especially after graduating from college. However, the first-time job is not only challenging for employees but also the organization that hires them. Employees find it challenging to adapt to the new working environment, primarily due to the uncertainty, anxiety, and the desire to meet expectations. Organizations, on the other hand, strive to retain first-time employees by meeting their expectation while they perform to achieve the set goals and objective. Companies like McDonald use many strategies to meet the expectations of first-time employees, mainly through teamwork and mentorship, yet they still face some communication and group behavioral challenges. An organization that hires first-time employees face many communication and group behavioral issues.
The first communication issue that might arise in an organization that employs first-time employees is the challenge of communicating expectations. Both employees and employer face the challenge of communicating their expectations. A first-time employee would like to impress the employer to keep the job. At the same time, the employer would want to convince the first-time employee that he or she is employed in the right place (Alexander, 2014). The anxiety on the part of employee and employer has a negative impact on communication. Anxiety prevents people from communicating openly and honestly. Besides, anxiety interferes with the clarity of the message being conveyed. As a result, there is infective and unclear communication between first-time employee and the organization, which may confuse. The second communication issue that may arise when an organization employs first-time employees is a failure to follow the required communication protocol, mainly when there is a problem to be addressed.
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Apart from communication challenges, first-time employees are not likely to stay long in their job ( Chester, 2012) . They always find their first-time job not fulfilling. In many cases, first-time employees are dissatisfied with their opportunities during the first year of employment that is often characterized by frequent training. Thus, employees who are employing employees in their first job are likely to be faced with high turnover. First-time workers are encouraged to look for better job opportunities, primarily when they do not see the chance of growth.
Also, the first group behavior issue is lack of consistency and uniformity in the organization, which is essential for team teamwork. According to Chester (2012), consistency and uniformity are always guided by rule and regulations that are set by an organization. However, first-time workers require some time to master the established rules and regulations. At the same time, some first-time employees are reluctant to follow the rules and regulations. For instance, first-time employees who are right from college find it challenging to adhere to the organization’s guidelines that are aimed at shaping group behaviors. Some new employees in an organization also have personalities that do not readily conform to rules or teamwork. Introverts, for instance, always avoid close social interaction with others. It takes time for first-time employees to conform to common group behaviors.
First, to avoid the anxiety that interferes with the effectiveness of communication, the organization should spend the first months of employment to set expectations and reinforce them with the intention of reducing anxiety. First-time employees should be encouraged to their expectations with the organization. Besides, employees should understand what is expected of them. The expectations of both employees and employers should be understood clearly. Secondly, the organization should maintain consistent communication. The organizations should develop a framework to communicate and share with employees consistently. Importantly, communication should be used to update employees on what is going within an organization.
To increase job satisfaction of first-time employees, an organization should assure them of opportunity for career growth and development. McDonald’s Corporation, for instance, is using internal promotion. A significant number of McDonald managers started as first-time employees in the same organizations ( Anderson, Adams & Adams, 2015) . First-time employees will be dedicated to working in the organization when they expect promotion in the future. Mentorship is another strategy that an organization should use to reduce the high turnover of first-time employees. First-time employees are likely to overcome challenges such as anxiety when senior managers or supervisors mentor them in the organization. McDonald is using programs such as Leadership Circle to mentor new employees ( Anderson, Adams & Adams, 2015) . Besides, teamwork can encourage employees to conform to group behaviors that are embraced by an organization. McDonald's Corporation is using programs such as Global Shared Services (GSS) to promote a common group behavior.
Therefore, organizations that employ first-time employees face some communication and group behavioral issues. Employees who are employed for the first time encounter a lot of anxiety because of desire to impress the employer and to prove his or her capability. First-time workers also lack uniformity and consistency that are required in group behavior. Organizations can use effective strategies and practices to address communication and group behavioral issues that are linked to hiring first-time workers. Employees who are employed for the first time require a lot of support and motivation to adapt to their new working environment.
References
Alexander, S. (2014, July 31). How to Communicate With Your First Employee. Entrepreneur. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236032
Anderson, R. J., Adams, W. A., & Adams, B. (2015). Mastering leadership: An integrated framework for breakthrough performance and extraordinary business results . John Wiley & Sons.
Chester, E. (2012, April 5). The “Firster” challenge: Managing first-time employees, so they last . Retrieved from https://www.tlnt.com/the-firster-challenge-managing-first-time- employees-so-they-last/
