4 ways to manage unseasoned employees

Employees who are just starting out in their careers and ones who are new to their field have the potential to bring a lot of fresh, positive energy to their new workplaces. Here’s how to manage them.

Be open to their questions and concerns

Employees should be able to think independently, but that doesn’t mean you should throw new people into the deep end right away. After all, they need to get the lay of the land before you start loading them up with every long-term assignment you were planning on sending their way over their first three months on the job.

So be receptive to questions they have, look for patterns in their learning styles, and see how you can best help to set them up for success at the beginning.

If they don’t know where to go to get their ID sorted out, or have questions for HR, don’t blow them off because of your schedule. Point them in the right direction so they can move forward, and onto their work.

Give them space for critical thinking and decision-making

At the same time, it’s important for managers to give unseasoned employees room for growth and development. By stepping away once they’re all set up, you can see how they fare in the beginning, and measure their progress as they become increasingly confident in their professional abilities.

Giving newer employees space for critical thinking starts with being a source of inspiration. If you’re motivated and ready to go, you have all you need to potentially push them to do a good job on their own.

Meet with them about their work, find out about ideas they’d like to contribute, then help facilitate the progress in a more “hands-off” way by giving them pointers, then stepping back.

Make the company goals, team goals and expectations clear

Research has found that the top stressor for employees is “unclear goals,” so do the new addition to your team a favor and explain a little bit about where the company has been and where it’s trying to go.

Then break down your team’s mission, and how it aligns with the rest of the organization’s. Giving them the proper framework can’t hurt.

Also, manage your expectations. Realistically think about what you’ll want this new employee to have finished by their first week, first month, and first six months.

Embrace their optimism

Unseasoned employees might see things with fresh eyes, and choose to tackle certain things in new ways. They may not be as jaded or married to one way of doing things as you might be, after decades in your field.

So use this as an opportunity to jump on the very same bandwagon, and join in on their innovative approaches. As long as the new employee’s ideas don’t compromise the team in any way, this could be just what the rest of your team needs to feel reinvigorated.