I. Knowledge Review

What is communication?

Communication is the exchange process of thoughts, feelings or information from someone to other. Word “communication” derived from the Latin word “communis” means to share. When communicating, you send a message to other and also show your attitude for one who we talk with. There are many methods to communicate with someone such as: oral, writing, picture, signal, visual or behavior…

Basic communication process includes five main steps as following:

From an idea in the beginning, sender will encode it in a message and then transmit the message through a channel (oral, writing, visual…). Next, the message will be decoded and send to receiver. After that, the receiver will respond to the message and send a feedback to the sender. During communication process, there is some noise can affect or interrupt your sending message.

Why communication is important in business?

Communication is a useful tool which help people send a message to other, make people can understand what other want or need to say, narrow the distant between peoples and bring them come closer. Nowadays, with the development of technology, communication become more effective and methods using to communicate is also more diversity.

Communication, in plain terms is the basis of all relationship. Be it personal or professional, you cannot do without a healthy and effective communication. When it comes to business, communication becomes even more important. This is the pillar on which professional relationships are built. If you want the maximum profits out of your venture, it is essential that you have a healthy rapport with your clients, partners and employees.[1]

In business, communication is one of the most necessary factors for organization, company… or noticed as the key to success. Communicating with your employees is central to managing your workforce. Poor communication can result in misunderstandings and mistrust. Introducing proper procedures for informing and consulting with your employees can take time and money but you will benefit from improved products, productivity and competitiveness.

Other benefits of effective consultation and information-sharing include:

- Improved employee commitment and job satisfaction, particularly if employees understand what the business is trying to achieve and the effect of their contribution

- Increased morale leading to lower turnover of employees and reduced recruitment and training costs

- Better employee performance, if they understand targets and deadlines and receive proper feedback

- Provision of accurate information or guidance, which helps avoid misunderstandings, for example on health and safety policies, business performance, staff changes and job structures

- Improved management decision making, due in part to feedback from employees

- Improved management or employee relations

- Improved exchange of ideas

- Consistent approach and strategy across the business[2]

Communication with new employees is an important aspect in a company or organization because when a new employee comes to your company or organization, they will have many problems in getting familiar with new environment. Each employee is a potential employee who can bring profit for your company or organization. Therefore, you have to find out the way to communicate with him or her effectively.

There are two aspects in communication with new employees: former employees vs. new employees and new employee vs. former employees. Two aspects affect each other and also affect the performance of company or organization.

II. Communication with new employees

1. New employees vs. Former employees

a. Things should do

There are many things you have to learn when starting a new job. Besides that, you have to face with a big challenge. It is establishing relationships with boss and colleagues. Things should be done as follows will help you to integrate into the new environment and adapt to its conditions faster and easier.

- Learn about work procedures, company culture, rules and regulations.

o Do it before becoming the official employee of the company. Try it to remember those things. It is very useful when you understand carefully your workplace. Thanks to that, when starting to work, you will feel familiar and find it easier to follow and apply.

- Be active in everything.

o The environment does not create integration for you. You have to understand it the most actively and positively. If you want to know something you have not faced with or experienced, the best way is asking smart questions. You should take advance all of opportunities to ask people who has longer time of working than you. Asking to know clearly about work schedule as well as the way attending into meetings will help you have accurate orientations and directions about your work.

- Acquaint with colleagues

o You can choose the common grounds or topics that are close with people to make small talk to your colleagues. They will be comfortable and more open-minded when finding something similar with you in interests, hobbies or habits. Otherwise, you can invite your colleagues to go to eat some light dishes so that you will have more opportunities to approach people. You can also make some simple cakes by yourself and bring them to your office. It is a way to be closer with your colleagues and create friendly atmosphere in your workplace.

- Care to your costumes.

o Notice about your costumes on first days going to work because the first impression is very important. Choose clothes that help you enhance your confidence and maturity. If the company has strict rules about formal uniform, you have to follow them. If not, you should still pay attention to this matter. You can observe your colleagues and find suitable clothes for you. Your costumes should match to your position, your company and Vietnam culture because through your costumes, you can gain respect of your boss and colleagues.

- Go to the office early and linger after work time

o Being on time is an essential thing in workplace today. That demonstrates that you work at a serious manner. Each day being early a few minutes make your boss realize that you put your work in importance. Lingering after work time also shows that you are the person who is very devoted for work, always try to complete the task with whole heart. Your colleagues will value it and respect to you.

- Always work carefully

o On first days going to work, you will be assigned to do light tasks to avoid pressure and acquaint with work frame or process of the company. It is the foundation to evaluate your abilities. All things you do should be ensured to avoid making mistakes. Working carefully is a good quality that will help you get positive scores toward your boss and your colleagues. They will appreciate your capabilities. They have trust to assign work to you because they think that you can accomplish your work well.

- Accept comments and recommendation from your colleagues

o You should remember that you are the new employee, everything can happen. When you do not complete work in the right way, colleagues may comment with discomfort attitudes. In that case, you should still express your reception with those comments. Basing on them, realize things which have not been done well and try improve yourself so next time you can do better. That will satisfy your boss. Your colleagues will have no reason to complaint about you.

- Respect the environment of the company, respect the differences

o You should make you match to your company. Each company has its own culture and rules. You have to respect them and follow them. Sometimes there may be something that is strange with you. You may feel surprised first. However, you should gradually try to make yourself become a piece that fit to the whole picture. When being an official employee of the company, you are a part of that organization; also become a member of your department. Therefore, integrating into the culture there is very important. “When in Rome, do as Romans do.”

b. Things need avoid[3]

- Be too arrogant, overconfident or too timid

o If new employees want to integrate into the new environment, they should listen and learn first. They should spend time on understanding the company and getting familiar with old employees before embarking in the task. Thus, everything will become easier for their in the new environment

o Although being advised not to be arrogant or overconfident, new employees also should not be timid when entering new environment. If crouching and being afraid of everything such work or employees, they will do nothing. Instead of that, new employees should get familiar with people, with the work actively; build good relationships for themselves in the beginning. The best way is that they should spend time on talking with colleagues, both about work and personal lives, understand and share with old employees honestly. That is the way to help new employees to integrate quickly.

- Interrupt talk of colleagues

o If new employee comes to interrupt the conversation of old employees, they surely feel uncomfortable. Not exactly when meeting in the first time, new employees have to show their friendliness or care too early about everything like that, because it will make former employees think that those employees are "too natural". And of course they do not like “that nature” of new people. In addition, when entering to work in a new environment, new employees often needs time to adapt and understand the culture not only of the company but also of department they work for. Besides, they also need to have the time to understand clearly about former employees’ character as well as how they work, so new people should not be too hasty to join conversations because their thinking about acting like that will help them to integrate quickly new employees is really a wrong thinking.

- Show overfriendly attitude

o Showing overfriendly attitude with former employees does not help newbie get their favor more quickly. Although newbie found out culture of company thoroughly, it does not mean new employees can treat everyone or behave new employee in workplace as in home.

o New employees also show their overfriendly attitude through some actions like inviting colleagues to participate some activities such as camping, shopping, travelling, etc… after get familiar a little with former employees in the first day of work or ask nickname on Facebook, Yahoo. Old employees can dislike this attitude of newbie’s because they do not know anything about that newbie’s personality and they can think newbie is too hasty to make friends. Moreover, when inviting them to join some activities of new employees, nothing makes sure that they are interested and want to join because their hobbies can be different from newbie’s. Asking for nickname on Facebook or Yahoo is, too. The social network is usually place where newbie shares about life, personal thoughts, and it includes his/her close friends. Therefore, should make friends with colleagues before sharing with them newbie personal life.

o The first impression is very important. If creating an “overfriendly, over natural person” image in the first meeting, it will turn on bad image in old employees’ eyes. Therefore, it is better that newbie should keep their attitude or action at a certain extent.

- Find ways to hear about the weaknesses or vices of colleagues

o The truth is, instead of finding out the weaknesses or vices of others, the new employees should try to improve their own weaknesses because when they focus on others’ weaknesses, others also will be able to scrutinize at the points new employees are not good at. In addition, when entering new environment, what new employees need to do first is to fulfill their job well, to try to integrate into that new environment, but not to hear bad things of others since this may distract employees in working, which affects the company. Moreover, it also makes old people feel uncomfortable if they know employees always have "scrutiny" on bad points in them and make them feel unrespected; then the relationship between old and new employees will turn to bad.

o If new employees join a conversation with colleagues in new company and hear they talk back of people who are not there, do not show the attitude of curiosity, speak and express emotions too much, or express the unnecessary views and feelings.

- Talk continuously about their old workplace, such as "In my previous job, people do not do that" or "People there are very kind and like me very much."

o Praising the old workplace is not really a bad thing, but those new employees should remember that they have transferred to new workplace. Compliment of the new employees can make their colleagues wonder why new employees leave that “great” workplace to come new company. And they can think reason they left there is because new employees did not work well. Or no matter how they has explanation that because of the family affair, former employees will feel uncomfortable when these new employees have compliment about old company like that.

o Moreover, when continuing to talk about the colleagues in old company with compliment like, it will make former people think that new ones do not respect or like them as colleagues in old workplace and make them uncomfortable when continuing to talk to new employees. In that case, new employees should to be silent, smile and follow the conversation as a neutral person.

- Do everything following newbie’s own way

o In each department, people can leave firm on time, others do not. Newbie should keep them humble and pay attention to what others are doing. New employees are integrating into an environment where culture in workplace has been set. To adapt with that environment, they should not be against it. Maybe each new person has their own personality and principles, but they should remember that when working, what they need to do at work is not only to finish their job and go home, but also to establish relationships with colleagues and boss. Remember: "When in Rome, do as Rome is doing, to live as people living in Rome."

- Criticize and complain when starting to work

o Newbie should be doing things that can make them become better in the eyes of people, such as helping them in their work, having lunch together and chatting, offering useful advice ... If newbie talks something such as complaint and criticizing words, no one wants to work together and helps a person like that. As a new employee, make sure he/she need to learn a lot from them, the former employees, and has experiences in technique fields. So there is no reason for new employees to criticize or complain. Besides, they need to learn happily. If new employees are happy, enthusiastic, they will get these things from people around.

- Propose ideas too early

o New employees are not satisfied with the management system in the new company? They want to suggest some ideas to help company work better? Of course when coming firm, newbie wants to contribute their ability for work. However, just remember that the company has many long-time and seniority employees, so if they do not suggest changes, perhaps because it is not necessary or it will cost the company an additional cost rather for this major change. So, despite wanting to contribute their proposal for company, this can make boss and former employees feel uncomfortable. So newbie first needs a clear understanding about his/her company (why it has not changed, ideas really needs for the company or not ...), then consider proposing.

2. Former employees vs. New employees

In first days going to work, most of new employees feel worry, nervous and wonder how their new colleagues will welcome them, enthusiastically or empathically? No matter how they try to be a part of organization, if other people do not cooperate with, their effort will be nothing. To make good relationships in work and have efficiency, it depends on both parties. The following tips those supervisors and other employees can consider to help new ones familiar with new working environment:

a. Things should do

Things supervisors should do:

- Make the first conversation intimately and comfortably.

o The introduction of new employee to their new direct supervisor is very important. It not only introduces names and personal information, but also be active to expand the beginning of a conversation intimately and comfortably.

- Make new employees feel be related to common tasks.

o Supervisor does not merely introduce new employees to others and present briefly about their main tasks. The direct supervisor of new employees should help them know and make the acquaintance of other department’s work. It aims to make them feel be related to common tasks.

- Inform to other employees about change in human:

o Supervisor can invite new employees to have lunch together or attend an intimate dinner to introduce them to other people. Then, he/she should inform to other employees about change of human resources and willing to welcome new employees (in internal bulletin boards or in guest rooms). The notice should include the name and picture, new staff’s positions.

- Helps new employees have an overview:

o It is not about professional skills that are required for new employees and relate directly to their jobs. It also needs in helping them know about other departments who relate directly or indirectly to their work. There are building relationship skills, knowledge of products and inventory goods, knowledge of equipment and technology used in business, policies and work processes of each department, labor safety.

- Introduce them friendly and internally:

o If companies have their own website, they should create a page that is secured by individual passwords (password) to introduce new employees friendly and internally.

Other employees should do:

- Be friendly and willing to help when they need someone’s help.

o Express warmly welcomes to new ones in order that they feel less worry and is acquainted quickly with new environment. Besides, you should be empathic with new employees because they used to be in similar situations, so try to be friendly and willing to help when they need someone’s help.

- Make suggestions actively to help new employees less confused.

o Do not make new employees scared of “little culture”: In some places, they get used to letting new employees pay for all members in feasts. However, they should understand that new employees who just begin the jobs for a few days do not have enough money to spend. In some cases, you should find out new employee’s difficulties to treat them well because some colleague’s invitations make them awkward at the beginning. If having introduction parties, you can suggest actively that all of you will share with them. It not only helps them feel less stressful, but also make them sympathized by new colleagues.

- Active to help new employees in first days going to work:

o If new employees have not had outline of functions in departments yet, you can print some information about establishment and overview of company operations, regulations, principles and policies that is useful in case employees would like to refer.

- Express your co-operative attitude when new employees try to make connection with you.

o In work, do not pretend as if you have to work all the time and anyone needs to do their own work. You should let them see your enthusiasm and willingness to give advices.

Thus, integration should begin by introducing overview of business activities but should not push this process too quickly.

b. Things need avoid

- Be the bully

o In today’s working environment, there are many cases that old employee bullies new person. These cheats are often happens in silent and they are overt. But they can make new employee feels stress, pressure and hard to get along with new work. Some people often have this habit. They always ask new people for a favor such as “copy this for me”, “take me some coffee” with the reason that they are busy. However, the truth is they are chatting, playing game or something like that. This makes new staff deep into so many works that they don’t have enough time to finish it and of course they will be blamed for not doing well.

o Instead of helping new person integrate with community, these people are putting her into a scary status while being submerged with mission every day.

- Jealous or put an aversion on the new employee if he has a good performance

o In general, new person often try to do their best to show the manager their abilities. But they don’t know that they accidentally create a bad mood for some other person. The reason is because when the new person tries to express their self, the manager will get attention to him and the others will feel like manager doesn’t put any care on them at all. That makes them jealous. From that, some people will cheat the new person like destroy their achievement, create gossip and so on.

o There is a real situation that the new staff is a serious worker. He always worked in a formal and professional way as well as he can and dislike the informal working style of some people. Therefore, some employers did not like him. They put some virus in his computer to destroy his information. This made damage for company and he had to compensate for that.

o In this case, these old staffs are wrong because that new staff does not intend to do that. It is his style so the old staff should consider carefully before putting an aversion on him. Being the old staff, if new staff does the wrong things, they should tell them to fix the mistakes so that everyone can maintain the friendly working environment.

- Compare with the previous staff who was in the same position

o Sometimes, people tend to compare two people and it somehow becomes a habit of many people in this life. Office isn’t exception. It is not good because it might generate a bad affect on the new employee.

o First, if the new person is not good as the old one: when comparing him with the other guy, he will tend to think that everyone in office loves the old guy more than him and he can’t change it. It somehow destroys his passion, enthusiasm and energy. When being deep into that situation, he can be fallen into inferiority so lower the capacity as well. He can be more difficult in integrating with new working environment.

o Second, when new person performs perfectly, there shouldn’t be too much compliments. He will accidental create a complacency trend. This somewhat bring him to distract working and also lower the contributions.

- Too strict with new employer

o As you know, being a newcomer can’t avoid making mistake. But if possible, it is better forgive him for it and accept his apology. It is important to a manager to remember this point. A manager has to be ingenious to control the situation. If he is too strict, new employer will scare of him instead of respecting. It can’t motivate newcomer doing work better but put him into a passive status while always worry about his manager behind his back. Scary can’t generate working passion. Strict with old staff is somewhat should be because the lazy time of worker needs some motivation. But it’s not the time for new staff to get along with.

o On the other hand, the strictness should be enough for newcomer to have more responsibilities to do his work. This depends on how delicate the manager is.

o Don’t look at newcomer’s mistake to critic and evaluate him because of that. It is not only create a good image in new employer’s mind to enjoy his work but also show him a friendly environment in office so the relationship can be developed.

IV. Conclusion

In summary, a new employee’s first day at work is significant for both the person and for the company that is employed them it. Because an employee's first day on the job can be a bit scary, nervous. They wonder how their new colleagues will react to their accession, enthusiastically or empathically. You try to be a part of organization but people do pretend to know, their effort will be nothing. To employees who have been working there, the way that they treat can turn an employee's awkward, nerve-wracking first day into a pleasant experience that will get him or her excited about the new job. In addition, a comfortable employee is a productive employee, and nothing drives a company more than the hard work of those committed to it. Besides, how new employees behave will make others sympathized or have enmity against, it is about the way you make first expression. Communication in business requires soft skills and clever conducting. When new employees start their new job, they need to know what they should or should not do to adapt to new environment and become familiar with new colleagues. Moreover, they should not only keeping on learning, but also improve communication and solving problem skills to react to situations will happen in business.

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[1] Reference: http://www.denniscummins.com/communication/importance-of-communication-in-business/
[2] Reference: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1074424960&type=RESOURCES

[3] References: http://semiconvn.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1661:nhng-iu-khong-nen-lam-i-vi-mt-nhan-vien-mi&catid=43:tuyen-dung&Itemid=88http://kiemviec.com/vi/cam-nang/nhung-loi-nhan-vien-moi-thuong-gap.35A51085.html