Mentoring New Starters Mentoring New Starters
What research says about helping new starters settle in, and who should help.
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
What this presentation covers
What newcomers need
New starters need three things
Research calls it adjustment: a clear role, confidence and acceptance by the team.
- Role clarity knows what the job is
- Self-efficacy feels able to do it
- Social acceptance feels part of the team
Why adjustment pays
Adjusted newcomers perform better and stay
Across 70 samples, adjustment linked onboarding to satisfaction, performance and staying.
- Onboarding structure and asking questions
- Adjustment role, confidence, belonging
- Outcomes satisfaction, commitment, staying
Mentors as a source
Mentored newcomers learned more about the organization
Graduates with a mentor learned more about how the organization works.
Peer buddies
A peer mentor eases the stress
New students who got more help from a peer mentor coped better with stress.
- Personal support helped with politics and performance
- Career help helped with relationships at work
- More help overall better at coping with stress
Many helpers count
Organization, manager and coworkers each help
Prior knowledge, personality, the organization, managers and coworkers each aided adjustment.
- Prior knowledge
- Proactive personality
- The organization
- The manager
- Coworkers
Orientation day
Orientation builds early commitment
Attendees knew more about goals, history and people, and felt more committed.
Structured and social
Planned, social onboarding works best
Insiders as role models and affirming newcomers predicted adjustment most strongly.
- Serial an experienced insider shows the way
- Investiture the newcomer’s skills are affirmed
Buddy and mentor
Give newcomers a buddy and a mentor
A buddy answers how things work; a mentor helps with the longer view.
The first 90 days
Plan the first 90 days
Each step checks one part of adjustment: role, confidence or belonging.
- Before day one the buddy sends a note
- Week one daily buddy, first mentor talk
- Day 30 is the role clear?
- Day 60 who else should they know?
- Day 90 review, then buddy steps back
Sources
The research behind this presentation
- Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M. & Tucker, J. S. (2007) Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(3), 707-721
- Ostroff, C. & Kozlowski, S. W. J. (1993) The role of mentoring in the information gathering processes of newcomers during early organizational socialization Journal of Vocational Behavior, 42(2), 170-183
- Allen, T. D., McManus, S. E. & Russell, J. E. A. (1999) Newcomer socialization and stress: Formal peer relationships as a source of support Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54(3), 453-470
- Kammeyer-Mueller, J. D. & Wanberg, C. R. (2003) Unwrapping the organizational entry process: Disentangling multiple antecedents and their pathways to adjustment Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 779-794
- Klein, H. J. & Weaver, N. A. (2000) The effectiveness of an organizational-level orientation training program in the socialization of new hires Personnel Psychology, 53(1), 47-66
- Saks, A. M., Uggerslev, K. L. & Fassina, N. E. (2007) Socialization tactics and newcomer adjustment: A meta-analytic review and test of a model Journal of Vocational Behavior, 70(3), 413-446
Start before day one
Name the buddy in the welcome email, then check the role at day 30.