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Did you know that managers are more likely to support new employees that seem more proactive about their own onboarding?听Here are some tips for appearing proactive:

• Ask questions
• Seek out information
• Find opportunities to meet co-workers

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MAKE A BUDDY听and ask them!

• It鈥檚 no surprise that employees that feel connected to their co-workers, feel more comfortable asking questions. This is why many employers assign new hires with a 鈥渂uddy鈥� who will make themselves available for questions and help new hires navigate the workplace. For those of you who do not have a buddy, here are some ideas to help you master the art of asking questions.

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DECIDE WHAT TO ASK

Quality questions are:

1. Relevant: Every question you ask should help you gather information, purposefully. Know which kind of information you need and ask your questions with this focus.
2. Informative: Unlike yes or no questions, open-ended questions invite the respondent to talk 鈥� enabling you to gather way more information.
3. Planned" Before speaking with your supervisor, outline some questions to help you cover your informational goals in an organized way.

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TO ASK OR NOT TO ASK?... that is the question

Before you ask a question, you should:

• Be concise and to the point by focusing your questions - ask one thing at a time. If you really want to know two different things, then ask two different questions.
• Avoid confusing questions by speaking your listener鈥檚 language. Use clear words they will understand, and try rephrasing if they do not.

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DECIDE HOW OFTEN TO ASK听- Quality vs. Quantity

Depending on your supervisor鈥檚 workload or audience in general, there is such thing as too many questions.

• Avoid asking non-essential questions by doing your homework. This means googling the answer or asking a less busy co-worker first.
• After you have exhausted other informational sources, ask the question you STILL have with confidence!
• Gather your questions and ask them collectively at your next meeting, rather than as one-offs.

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CONVEY THE RIGHT TONE

Questions with a positive, rather than negative tone are generally more effective.

• A negative tone is likely to raise resistance -听Do you really need it so soon?
• A positive tone听is likely to gain acceptance or curiosity -听When would you like that by?
• A neutral/non-judgmental tone is more听likely to elicit an unbiased opinion -听How did you like it? Interesting, can you tell me more?

Before asking certain questions, you may want to ask yourself:

• If I was asked this, would it raise resistance or curiosity?
• Is this something I am expected to know or not?

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DON'T FORGET TO CAPTURE ANSWERS

• Listen to the respondent鈥檚 full answer and do not interrupt before they finish speaking.
  • Interrupting someone when they are answering your question makes them feel like they aren鈥檛 really being heard, which is ineffective for communication. Asking questions is a great way to practice listening, which is a critical skill in the workplace.
• Take notes 鈥� doing this prevents you from asking the same question twice by leaving something you can refer to when your memory of the conversation fades. Note-taking also signals to the speaker that you are interested in what they have to say.

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SAMPLE NEW HIRE QUESTIONS

• What should I know about this workplace鈥檚 culture (dress code, etc?)
• How will my performance be evaluated? Do you meet regularly with employees?
• What kind of professional development opportunities are available to student employees? Will I be assigned a buddy?
• As a supervisor, how would you describe your communication preference?
• Are there any procedures I need to know about?
• How flexible is the schedule? Can I work from home?

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REFERENCES

• Your New Hires Won鈥檛 Succeed Unless You Onboard Them Properly Allison M. Ellis, Sushil S. Nifadkar, Talya N. Bauer, and Berrin Erdogan - June 20^th 2017 (HBR)

• Turman, Kara M., "Onboarding and Career Development for Undergraduate Work-Study Employees" (2013). Library Publications. Paper 34.

• Components of onboarding 鈥� Buddy systems Onboarding: What is the advantage of a buddy system? (2012, May 31). Retrieved from

• Learning the Ropes of the Workplace Without Hanging Yourself 鈥� Work 101 鈥� Elizabeth Freedman