Your First Six Months Can Make or Break a Young Employee's Experience

The first six months matter

For an experienced employee, starting a new job can be an adjustment, but for someone starting their first job, it can feel like entering an entirely new world.

There are new systems, new people, new expectations, new terminology and plenty of questions they might not feel confident enough to ask. That makes the first six months particularly important.

For employers, a little structure and support can make a huge difference.

Here are five simple things you can do to help a young employee settle in, build confidence and succeed.

1. Schedule regular check-ins

Don't wait for something to go wrong before you speak to them. Regular check-ins give young employees a chance to ask questions, talk about how things are going and raise anything they're unsure about. They don't need to be formal meetings lasting an hour; a regular 15 or 30-minute conversation can be enough.

Sometimes, simply knowing that someone will ask makes it easier for a new employee to speak up.

• How are you getting on?
• What are you enjoying?
• Is there anything you're finding difficult?
• Is there anything you need help with?

2. Set clear expectations

Don't assume someone knows how your workplace works. Things that seem obvious to experienced employees can be completely new to someone starting their first job.

Explain what good performance looks like. The clearer the expectations, the easier it is for someone to meet them.

• Working hours
• Deadlines
• Communication
• Meetings
• Responsibilities
• Workplace etiquette
• Who they should speak to when they need help

3. Give them someone to ask

One of the most uncomfortable experiences for a new employee is not knowing who to ask for help. Give them a named person they can go to with questions. It could be their manager, a mentor, buddy or another experienced member of the team.

This doesn't mean that person needs to have all the answers, but it helps the new employee to know where to start. Make it clear that questions are welcome.

'Just ask if you're unsure' is much more useful when someone knows exactly who they can ask.

4. Give constructive feedback

Don't leave feedback until the end of a probation period or annual review. Young employees need to know what they're doing well and where they can improve.

And remember to recognise progress. A new employee who knows they're improving is much more likely to keep learning.

• Specific: explain exactly what worked or what needs changing
• Timely: give feedback while the experience is still fresh
• Constructive: don't simply point out what went wrong; explain how they can do it differently next time

5. Increase responsibility gradually

You don't have to give someone everything on day one. Start with manageable responsibilities. Then, as they become more confident, give them more ownership.

The exact pace will depend on the person and the role. The important thing is to give them opportunities to demonstrate what they've learned. Don't keep someone doing the same basic tasks for six months simply because they're new. Give them room to grow.

• Learning
• Supporting
• Doing
• Owning
• Leading

The first six months set the tone

A young employee's first experience of work can shape how they view their career, their confidence and even their expectations of future employers. That doesn't mean employers need to create an elaborate programme.

Often, the basics make the biggest difference. Do those five things consistently and you give a young employee a much better chance of succeeding. When they succeed, so does your organisation.

• Check in
• Set clear expectations
• Give them someone to ask
• Provide useful feedback
• Let responsibility grow with confidence