Don’t let new hires fall victim to poor safety culture
Instilling new hires with the importance of safety requires that supervisors reinforce the company’s safety culture during the first several months on the job. However, those efforts could be undone if coworkers’ negative attitudes toward safety infect the new hire.
In particular, if a new hire’s previous employer did not support safety, the new employee could easily adopt a negative attitude. To identify the experiences and attitudes of new hires, consider asking a few questions like:
- Was safety considered important in your last job?
- What are some safety rules that you followed?
- What do you think are your responsibilities for safety?
- Can you think of some reasons people might choose to work unsafely?
The answers can give you valuable information on how much effort might be needed to reinforce the idea that safety is valued at your company.
Follow up
Meet with new hires after a few weeks to make sure they’re getting the support they need. Ask a few questions like those listed previously, explaining that there are no wrong answers, but the employee must be honest about his or her experiences on the job. The answers could help determine if the department needs more attention to develop a positive safety culture.
When an emphasis on safety from new hire orientation is reinforced by supervisor support and coworker support, new employees should be on the right path.