Entering any new workplace can be daunting, but employees of color entering a majority white workplace may find the process doubly intimidating. Will they be the only employees of color in the office? Must they work harder than everyone else to prove themselves? Why not ease new employees into their work environment by welcoming them in five surefire ways that will make them comfortable. No matter your race, you can make new employees of color feel like they belong.
Mind Your Manners
Whether you’re a manager or an entry-level worker, you can make employees from diverse backgrounds feel comfortable by minding your manners. This may seem obvious, but be sure to introduce yourself and say “hello,” “goodbye,” “how are you” and “please” and “thank you” to new hires. Unfortunately, workplaces exist in which these words never factor into conversations and veteran employees neglect to introduce themselves to newcomers. A worker who’s new on the scene, especially one from a minority background, may feel slighted if you fail to greet him or ask his name. Such omissions may lead minority employees to think that you don’t consider them important enough to engage in conversation. Leaving out a “thank you” for a favor may lead them to think that you expect them to serve you.
Don’t Make Assumptions
If you a see a new person of color in your workplace, don’t make assumptions about her. The most offensive thing to do would be to assume that because someone has darker skin than you, they work in the mailroom, as a secretary or in another low-level position. The new employee could be your equal or, better yet, your superior. Don’t put your foot in your mouth by assuming otherwise. On a similar note, never tell a new worker that you think she got the job because of affirmative action. Unless you yourself hired the new employee and are intimately familiar with her education and work experience, it’s impossible to pinpoint why she landed the job.
Get to Know the New Guy
Take some time to get the lowdown on the new employee. Discover what led him to the workplace, which skills he’s most interested in building on and what his career goals are. If there’s any way to help him achieve his goals, don’t hesitate to point him in the right direction. But don’t make the mistake of only concentrating on work. Find out where your new employee is from and if he has hobbies outside of work. Try to incorporate the hobby into conversation later. If you watch a program where it comes up, mention it the next day at work. If your colleague mentions his family life—a spouse or children—make sure to follow up on what you’ve been told about them.
Invite Your Colleague Out
A major complaint of minorities in the workplace is that they’re left out of social functions involving key company players. If workers gather at a bar, a restaurant or a golf course to mull over business, invite your new colleagues of color out as well. They deserve to have the chance to interact with colleagues in a social setting. Outside of the office, deals are struck, promotions decided and information is shared between colleagues. Employees of color should take part in these sessions.
Support Their Activities with Race-Based Groups
If your colleague decides to join an organization for colleagues of his ethnic background, support him as much as possible. The organization may be the only opportunity your colleague has to hobnob with fellow minorities in his profession. Such interactions are especially important if there are few or no employees of your colleague’s background at your company, so don’t ask why your colleague needs to be in such a group.
Your colleague may eventually attend ethnic-based professional conferences. Don’t complain if this requires the colleague to take time off. You never know, the networking he does with the organization may prove beneficial to business.
