The old strategies we employed to integrate new colleagues—whether first-year associates or lateral hires—have gone out the window. Gone are the days of days-long orientation programs and welcome receptions. Many of us are comfortable (too comfortable?) working from home, but it will be more difficult and overwhelming than ever before for new hires to integrate into their workplaces from their home offices. There are several things that we can all do—the newbies and the veterans—to make sure the integration process can go smoothly.
- Even if it could be a simple call, consider a Zoom.
At the beginning of the pandemic, virtual meetings surged. Enamored with the technology and eager for contact and connection, we forged ahead and over-scheduled Zooms. Now, nearly a year later, many of us are, frankly, over it. When a standard call is sufficient, we have returned to conference calls, and many of us are grateful. But that is not as helpful for attorneys now trying to integrate into their new-to-them work environments. If you have a call scheduled with a new colleague, even if you know it could be sufficiently handled over the phone, consider proposing a video conference. Colleagues trying to integrate will benefit from the added layers of those interactions.
- What may have been a big group social gathering, will be better off small.
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