Today, due to Baby Boomer retirements and more workplace options, the number of new workers has risen. Inexperienced employees have a huge impact on an organization. This lack of experience can show up in a number of places: from customer service to processes that need to be followed to mistakes and other outcomes. It is the nature of newer people. Even with great onboarding, a person needs time to adjust to working in a different environment.

Yes, when outcomes have gotten worse, it is good to look at what could be causing the change. This often requires a fresh look at standard operating procedures, equipment, technology, and other work processes. But it’s a good idea to start with an assessment looking at the experience level of the workforce.

I do a lot of work in the healthcare arena. Sometimes when patients are staying longer than expected in the hospital, it may be due to the experience level of the staff on a particular shift or in a particular area. Before bringing in consultants and/or spending dollars on new technology, it’s a good idea to gauge the experience level of the leader and the workforce.

How does a new leader impact performance? It can be positive. It can also slow things down for a while as the new leader gets acclimated to the organization and the department.

How do inexperienced employees impact an organization? Work might take longer. More rework might be required. There can be bottlenecks as new team members learn processes, build confidence, and develop judgment. Decision-making can slow, and experienced staff might have to step away from their own responsibilities to help.

Over time, these small impacts add up.

Here are five things to consider:

1. Don’t underestimate the impact inexperienced employees can have.Could the less-than-optimal results you’re seeing be connected to the fact that you have a lot of new people?
2. Realize it takes a while for a new person to get up to speed. Sometimes we’re so excited to fill the vacancy that we forget they can’t hit the ground running. It’s important to give them the time they need to acclimate and to nurture the relationship. (I’ll talk more about this in next week’s column.)
3. Don’t overload them.If you’ve been without a person in that role for a long time, your instinct is to give them a lot to do. This can cause the person to get overwhelmed and leave.
4. Keep in mind the phases new employees go through. Phase One is “Excitement,” but they will quickly move to Phase Two, which is “Doubt.” A new hire likely won’t tell you how they’re feeling, so you as a leader will need to stay tuned in to their emotions. (Again, more on this next week.)
5. Normalize the learning curve.You might set up a time early on in which the new hire meets with more experienced coworkers. Have each person share with the new hire how theyfelt when they were new. Often the new hire compares themselves to their experienced coworkers and does not realize those coworkers were just like them at one time. This creates more empathy for the new hire and makes it easier for them to reach out for help. It’s the most effective step to take in increasing early retention, beyond the potential peers’ taking part in the interview process.

Recognizing the impact of inexperience is the first step. The real opportunity for leaders is what happens next. In Part Two, we’ll focus on how to support new hires through the learning curve, so they stay, grow, and become great contributors to your team.