Ensuring psychological safety for employees

New employees learn better if the work conditions are congenial for that.

A lot has been written about how one needs to create a psychologically safe workspace for employees to thrive and contribute to the healthy growth of an organisation. There is a give-and-take inherent in such situations. When it comes to psychological safety, SMEs need to do much more for women and minorities. Generally, small businesses have a closely-knit environment. It is therefore imperative to set expectations and boundaries for all stakeholders early on.

Thought leaders speak about this as “Organisation Socialisation.” It is all about psychological contract, so to speak. Every staff member has an employment contract, which specifies the tangible aspects of employment, such as salary, benefits, perks, working hours and days, etc. It is important to get this right and be transparent about it. If the compensation includes variable pay or ESOPs, the risk-reward involved should be explained as transparently as possible.

Organisational socialisation refers to the manner in which an individual is taught about the behaviour and perspective that is prevalent and/or desirable in the organisation. Socialisation has a lot to do with learning about the culture of the organisation. This could affect the day-to-day working. It could also have a bearing on how one handles non-regular situations.

It provides the individual with an orderly view of the work-life and guides experience, and shapes personal relationships in the work setting. It also provides the ground rules under which everyday conduct gets managed.

Employees joining a new organisation have anxieties and uncertainties about the place, colleagues, work, and so on. One way to address this is by learning the work and the culture quickly. If this takes a long time, the new employee can feel isolated and may suffer from performance anxiety, which can lead to feeling like a fish out of water — not being able to identify with the work and social equations at the workplace.

How can employees socialise?

SME organisations, just like any other business, should set realistic expectations. This can go a long way towards enabling a smooth on-boarding, and help people step into new roles:

Employee handbooks and portals can provide information about the work environment and culture. These can also be helpful in giving the new entrant some sense of logistical and administrative processes. However, people also learn from the people they are surrounded by. Making that a part of the onboarding process can help a lot in speeding up the integration.

New employees learn better if the work conditions are congenial for that. Feedback on performance is critical.
The stability of any organisation depends to an extent on the way newcomers slip into their roles and become a harmonious part of the system. Hence, this is not just about the comfort of a new entrant, it is also about how the organisation responds to this new addition. It is an interactive system of sorts.

Collective vs individual socialisation

Collective socialisation is the process of putting a group of new entrants through a series of common experiences. For example, basic training, induction, functional training, etc. Mass induction is a way for people to socialise informally and form allies. A buddy system is a more individual approach and if it is managed properly, very helpful.

Salary, benefits, and workplace amenities are crucial factors in attracting talent. However, how the new employee feels about navigating the culture and becoming at ease working in the organisation is more critical from a long-term perspective.