13 things you should never say to a new coworker
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'Don't hang out with those people ... '
Even if you have perfectly valid reasons to hate certain people in the office, this just makes you sound incredibly petty. Why would you want to embroil the new person in office politics?
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'I hate our boss/company/coworkers/everything'
It's not a good idea to trash the higher ups to the new person. Most likely, their loyalties will lie with the boss that just hired them, rather than the grumpy person that keeps leaning over to spout complaints at them.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'Good luck'
If you're sincerely wishing this person good luck, that's fine. But don't psych them out with sarcasm. That's just mean.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'I'd run for the hills now!' or 'You'll probably regret taking this job'
Similarly to the sarcastic version of "Good luck," these aren't helpful or encouraging things to say to your new colleague. Let them decide for themselves if this is a great, or terrible, place to work.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'So, what's the latest scoop from [their old company]?'
Again, this just makes you sound like an annoying gossip. If they feel like sharing all the weird things that happened to them in their old job, they will.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'Are you unhappy here so far?'
Whoa. They only just started! This one's pretty confrontational and unnecessary.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'They claim this is a rule/policy, but it doesn't really matter'
Don't encourage your new coworker to be a rule-breaker on his or her first day.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'What's your salary?'
This is unprofessional when it's directed at people that you've worked with for some time. It's just downright awkward when posed to the person who's just starting out.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'Stick with me and you'll go places'
First of all, immediately offering to mentor someone makes you sound a tad arrogant. Second of all, you don't know this person! They might be capable of charming you at the water cooler, but that doesn't mean they're deserving of your guidance.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
'Here's everything you need to know to succeed here'
Sure, sharing this kind of information can actually be really helpful. But it's best to offer a little bit at a time over their first few weeks, and not overwhelm your new coworker right away. Plus, there's some stuff they should figure out of their own.
13 things you should never say to a new coworker
Nothing
The worst thing you can do is just ignore the new person. If they reach out to you or your paths cross, make an effort to be polite and make them feel welcome.
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