To tell new starter to be quiet?

[notetakerforlife]

Managing a team and have a new starter that keeps asking questions - and chiming in to other people's conversations thinking she's been helpful but it's just annoying.

They've not been here very long so I don't want to say the wrong thing and then they feel they can't ask questions and get something wrong but the things they ask are always just not that important - like finicky stuff that really isn't going to mean the world ends.

Would it be bad to say not to ask questions unless necessary? I really don't know how to approach it as they're new.

Or do I just Suck it up?

I've experienced this and the person was ND.
It could also be anxiety and a need to connect iyswim?

Next time she asks
"I'm busy atm, please write down any questions you have and we will meet at 2.30 each day to go through them"

Rather worrying that you are managing a team yet are failing to understand why a new starter may be asking what you percieve to be lots of inane questions.
You need to go on a management course that covers the human side of managing humans

If they’re asking so many questions maybe the onboarding and induction process isn’t very good

Sounds like the new employee is just nervous about making a mistake, quite normal in a new job. I assume she isn’t asking the same questions repeatedly? Can be buddy up with an experienced employee? I assume she is only asking you questions, is there another employee that you could direct her too to ask? If not, I would ask her to make notes of her questions, and you will answer them in short meeting as soon as you can.

You say she has worked in your industry before, so are the questions to do with your system or industry related? If re industry, was the reference good? Does her employment history check out? If system, let’s hope it clicks for her soon. I would imagine it’s very distracting for you atm. Good luck 🤞

😂 I love the delegation tactic!!

Have you thought of doing a few refresher manager courses?

A new starter asking questions, maybe some of them banal because they are just trying to fit in, sounds pretty normal to me.

If your 'head is exploding' then maybe management isn't your thing?

@MrsMikeDrop that's exactly why I'm asking for advice because I completely agree with you if I handle it incorrectly it could create real confidence problems or more serious issues - I don't want that

@Roselilly36 they're industry questions mainly which is what the issues is.

Rarely are they system questions

Flipping heck, given you've trained over 50 people you're way behind in this simple issue. You need to give feedback in an assertive but gentle manner. As a new start you should have been observing closely with a one to one after the first and second months (as a minimum). You may be busy and stressed but you need to either delegate more or be more organised.

@silverclock222 thank you I agree my organisation could be better and more delegation

If having a slightly annoying coworker who is asking lots of questions because they are new is your idea of soul-destroying, then I think many people would wish they had your life! Your fury at this poor new starter is quite something, is there something else upsetting you?

@BigFeelingsMoment I have too much work to do at the same time. Constantly get clients requesting things from me - it's just tough.

I do understand what you mean. I have a newish person (not brand new though 6 months) and while I don't mind answering questions I find she now doesn't think for herself, just asks me immediately. Drives me nuts! I go back with, what do you think? So she actually has to do some thinking first.

can you tell them to write down questions and then you can go through them at a time convenient to you?
When they interject tell them to wait a minute, and carry on. When they give wrong info, take them to one side and tell them to stop.

I find there are 2 types of questions - the ones they would normally answer themselves if they had been there longer (and possibly had better onboarding?) and the ones that are filler because they're nervous or want to show they know what they're doing.

We appoint a buddy for new starters - they field a lot of the crap.

Do you have processes and procedures in place? If you do cam you refer her to those and ask her to fine tune as she goes?

I'm in her position. 5th week in a new role and new industry. Team are smashed. I'm their manager. I ask questions and seek clarification regularly otherwise I'm not going to be up to speed for a very long time. Team have all commented they're happy I'm there (yay me) and I'm trying very hard not to be a lead weight - they've all said I'm really helping them so yay again. BUT I am super frustrated at having to ask really basic stuff. Stuff I could do without thinking in my last job. Day 1 I had to remind myself it's ok if I'm not an instant expert. Yes I have high expectations and am a high performer. It's just hard to perform to my own standards when I'm hamstrung because of lack of basic knowledge. I know the team are busy and my questions aren't necessarily what they're working on but I need them answered so I can contribute positively to the teams output.

Say something now! The woman I manage is like this - three years in and she still asks silly questions. Like - I haven’t had a response to this email, should I chase them? How should I word the email?

I am not there to be someone’s work mum. I am not there to clean up after people or point out the glaringly obvious which just involves using an ounce of common sense
This made me laugh. One of my managers would very helpfully send out a weekly email every Monday morning with important dates that are coming up, reminders about important dates that week that we had already been aware of, any priorities for the week, tasks that individuals needed to complete that were of team importance.

I lost count of the amount of times certain people claimed that they had no idea X needed doing or Y was the deadline, or they'd email me and other colleagues (including manager) to ask information that's already been sent out. It used to grind my gears because the manager was very good at making adjustments if you had a pinch point and communicated in advance, but I never understood how some adults would rather fire off an email asking their colleagues to do their thinking for them.

I would double check the employment history is verified, as that sounds very odd to me. I wonder if the employee has embellished on their experience?

No don't say anything, just tolerate it. It's too risky to deter them from asking for help, as you will be to blame if they make a major mistake because they didn't want to bother anyone.

Also the chiming into conversations they aren't directly involved in is just a new starter thing and a way of looking interested/trying to show off what you know and impress so you get through probation. I started a new job 2 years ago and did exactly this, I cringe a bit thinking back but it felt necessary at the time.

I took a training course with someone like this. She had at least a decade of experience in the field and asked the most ridiculous questions, things that only someone very new to the field would ask. Almost every point the trainer made invoked a question and added hours to the course. I still have no idea what was going on.

I think in your case OP you may need to have a chat with her to try and determine whether she’s struggling in her role and provide her with a list of resources (such as the number for IT) in the hopes that she’ll get the message that she can solve these types of problem on her own. Make it clear that she can come to you/her coworkers for problems she can’t solve herself.

Could you turn it into a positive - 'X I completely trust you to make the right call on this, you have the experience so believe in yourself'. Something along those lines that works in the situation.

I would think it's anxiety based and possibly they are ND.

@BigFeelingsMoment It's just the reality of having new starters. I once had 3 at the same time who were all very young, straight from university. They were constantly asking questions to the point that I lost my voice because I was spending the entire day answering/explaining. I was receiving 200 emails a day back then and got very behind, it felt like a step back taking them on. But once they found their feet I reaped the rewards.

Thank you guys I've really had some great help on here.

I appreciate some of you may not fully understand or think I'm a 'bad manager' and fair enough, I'm not perfect but I'm human and I also just think a bit overwhelmed trying to balance so many things at the moment.

I mean the person in question even wiggles her cup at me while I'm ok a VIDEO CALL to ask if I want tea. It is probably them trying to fit in but they do not understand basic etiquette and I didn't think I'd have to teach this to a grown adult - it's just thrown me that's all

Might have been suggested already (haven't RTFT) but is it worth reviewing your induction programme for new starters? Something they can read which covers the basics, a schedule of key people to meet in their first couple of weeks, etc...

FWIW I don't think questions should be discouraged for reasons already stated, but I can understand why constant questions would be disruptive for other team members and concerning for you if they seem fairly trivial.

If you're concerned that they're not capable of doing the job that's an entirely different thing.

Is there an etiquette against wiggling a cup to ask if someone wants a cup of tea? Only asking as interested as I would definitely do this! I would also not be bothered at all if someone did it to me.