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- Business benefits
- By: Пламена Гетова
- Date:
In my own way, I’d like to share a story with you—it’s been far too long since I last did.
Plus, the stories from work offer us valuable lessons.
At the end of January, I started working with a new client, and I still hadn’t met everyone on the team. So I overheard a conversation while making coffee, between two employees—let’s call them George and Maria. They’d been tasked with onboarding a new hire. The conversation went something like this:
The mentors' perspective.
George: “If you know this Ivan, what a find! He picks things up so quickly. I’ve already managed to offload several tasks to him, and he’s only been here a week.”
Maria: “Oh, I don’t know. You’re so lucky. My Ana has been here for a month already. I give her documentation to read and try to assign her tasks, but she either takes forever to get it or doesn’t get it at all. And I’m always worried—how can I trust her with anything? What if she messes up? Then I’m on the hook.”
George: “Come on, we all know nobody’s perfect. What’s the big deal? We learn from our mistakes. I have a system for onboarding new hires that keeps me calm when I delegate some of my own tasks.”
Maria: “You’re a brave one. And how did you come up with that system?”
George: “At my previous company, HR gave us some guidelines. You share your expectations with the new person, and then give them the chance to meet them.”
Maria: “But what if the newbie turns out to be so good that he outshines you and pushes you aside?! I don’t want to take that risk. I’ve busted my butt for the last five years—working around the clock—and in the end, they hand me someone who just wastes my time and ends up replacing me.”
In today's dynamic business world, a company's success hinges on its team, and collaboration among colleagues is essential for its effectiveness.
Here’s the other perspective on the situation, overheard in the same office from the other characters—the newbies we’ve already tentatively named Ivan and Ana.
Newbies viewpoint
I: I think this was the best decision to kick off the new year. I’m really glad I chose this company—it gives me the chance to learn and grow. George is fantastic! He helps me a lot, explains everything I need to know, and is already giving me my own tasks.
A: I’m so happy for you! Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about my experience. It feels like you’re talking about a different company. I just can’t figure out the processes, and I’m scared they might fire me. I thought I knew enough and would hit the ground running. Maria seems to be doing everything on her own instead of teaching me—in fact, it feels like she’s sabotaging me.
I: Really? Everyone in the office says she’s super responsive and knows a ton. If she really wanted to hold you back, they wouldn’t have chosen her as a mentor.
A: Maybe it’s my fault—I might just not be cut out for this job. I feel so useless; I haven’t completed a single task since we started. I think it’s starting to annoy the others because I can’t be of any help.
I: If you truly believe you’re giving it your all while your colleague is holding you back, maybe you should bring it up with the boss.
Does this situation sound familiar to you?
What might the outcomes be at this point?
Option 1:
No one pays attention to the situation, and Ana either quits or gets fired (which is essentially the same outcome for the company). The losses for the company could be up to 15 times Ana’s salary. These costs include recruitment expenses (job postings, time spent screening resumes, candidate interviews) and the lost productivity of Maria. Her increased workload and fatigue might lead to additional errors, which indirectly add to the overall losses. Essentially, the recruitment process has to start over, and the next person paired with a mentor like Maria will likely follow the same path, creating a vicious cycle.
Option 2:
After overhearing the conversation, the team manager and I called everyone from the department into a meeting later that same day. The differences between the two new hires hadn’t gone unnoticed. We discussed how each person’s skills complement the team, the added value they bring to the company, and our shared goals. We emphasized the importance of supporting one another and relying on each other’s expertise, and how our communication helps us become better versions of ourselves each day. We also touched on how crucial it is for both the quality of work and our creativity to take breaks, leave work on time, and avoid burnout.
The issues of mentorship and team collaboration are pivotal. True success comes from sharing knowledge—not from worrying that someone might “steal” it.
Learning points:
The start for new employees is a critical moment that demands objectivity, clear expectations, and solid team support. A smooth onboarding process is key to preventing future conflicts, misunderstandings, and workflow issues. In fact, a fear of internal competition can only slow down the overall pace of progress for the entire organization.
If you want to avoid such pitfalls, follow me on social media, where I share tips on how to keep team problems at bay.
If you're building a team and you want to succeed rather than lose out, get in touch with me.
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