Speech Introducing a New Staff Member
Introducing a new member of staff is a great way to help your team to bond, if you do it right. As all managers know, the best way to ensure your team is successful is to create a sense of being part of something. Why do you think we’re all expected to go on those cheesy ‘team building exercises’ or encouraged to let our hair down over a glass of wine after work on Fridays?
Team building can be quite a sensitive subject because gossip and personality clashes mean that office politics can be the downfall of team potential. This is where making a suitable speech to introduce a new member of staff comes into the mix – get it right and you have new energy in your team and a renewed sense of opportunity to succeed; get it wrong and you can irritate your star players and cause valued employees to consider leaving.
Preparing for a Positive New Employee Introduction Speech
Timing and content is everything. You can’t go showing off about your new employee without giving some thought to how that is going to make the current team feel about themselves and their importance in the company. Here is a template that includes suitable structure, content and examples of what you might say.1. Make the Speech Sooner Rather Than Later
Don’t let office gossip make the speech for you – take control before people start making comments, or you will find that your new employee is joining a very hostile crowd. You may be making this speech on your new staff member’s first day at your company, or when you feel it is necessary to confirm that this person is joining you. In sales roles, it is more likely that you will need to make the speech before they have joined.- Call a meeting with the relative colleagues/team members
- Say that you are pleased that your new employee is joining your team
- Explain how you hope your team will make the new employee welcome
Example: I am pleased to inform you all that Jeremy Martins will be joining us as an account manager at the start of the month. As some of you may know, he joins us from Caruthers and Partners and we hope that he will bring with him some of the skills that helped to win the Olympic project. Jeremy is keen to meet you all and I’m sure you’ll make him very welcome when we all go for a drink together at lunchtime on his first day.
2. Don’t Put Any Noses Out of Joint
When introducing a new member of the team, it is all too easy to sing their praises without realising that you may annoy long-standing members of the team. In order to make your new recruit welcome but still ensure your existing team feels positive, be careful about what else you say during this speech.- Highlight your new recruit’s skills
- Explain how he will fit into the team
Example: Jeremy is joining us at a time when we are expanding and looking to explore new sales channels. His experience at Caruthers will fit in well with our current team, so I hope that you will be able to show him how we like to do things and make the most of his industry contacts. I expect him to sit with Jenny and Michael, so you two will be key in making him feel welcome.
3. Make the Team Feel Positive
To conclude your speech to introduce a new member of staff, it is a good idea to illustrate how well your current team is doing. If the new employee has been brought in to shake things up, you do not necessarily need to make a big deal of this as it will be pretty self-explanatory and making it obvious will only irritate people and stop your new employee from being able to comfortably fit in.- Praise your team
- Talk about your current aims
- Conclude your speech on a positive note
Example: I am sure that Jeremy will enjoy becoming a part of our team. He is already impressed with our recent work on the Selwyn Brothers project and he is looking forward to meeting his new colleagues at his welcome drinks…which are on me, you will be pleased to know! This coming year is a very exciting opportunity for us to cement our market leading position and I am really pleased that our team is growing. Thanks to you all for a terrific Q2.
