How to Onboard an Introverted Employee

New hire training sets the tone for the employee’s tenure with the company, so getting it right is crucial. Unfortunately, many traditional onboarding methods are catered towards extroverts. There’s nothing wrong with these techniques, but extroverts aren’t wired to adhere to them. Forcing them to conform will get them off to a rocky start, and likely cause them to question their choice to accept the job in the first place.

Often miscategorized as shy, introverts prefer solo work over group activities, so create an onboarding program that plays to their strengths.

4 Tips to Onboard an Introverted Employee

Skip the Buddy System

During the first few days and weeks on the job, employers frequently pair new hires with tenured staffers to help them get acquainted. This typically works like a charm for extroverts, but it’s a nightmare for introverts.

Rather than formally teaming an introvert up with another employee, simply let them know who to go to with questions, comments, and concerns, and leave the ball in their court.

Focus on Self-Guided Learning

Introverts don’t want to spend all day being trained by other employees. Offer as much self-guided learning as possible, because this will produce the best results. Due to the way their brain works, introverts become exhausted easily when working with others, so they’ll have a lot more energy if you provide as much solo training as possible.

Provide Regular Breaks When Training With Others

All training cannot be completed alone, so it’s inevitable that introverts will have to learn some of the ropes directly from others. When this happens, balance out the influx of human interaction with regular breaks. For example, if you have them train with a colleague for an hour, make sure the next hour is occupied by alone time.

Opt for Virtual Check-Ins

As a caring boss, you probably stop by a new hire’s desk several times per day to see how things are going. You mean well with this gesture, but this much face-to-face time can be an overwhelming for introverts. It’s great to visit them in person once or twice per day, but check in over email or instant messenger the other times, so they don’t become uncomfortable.

Running a business is hard work, so allow ECS to make your day a little easier. We work with recruiters to provide back-office, funding, and employer of record service and offer payrolling and independent contractor management services to employers. Get started today!

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