Assimilation: The readings for this discussion board tend to focus on the person being assimilated into
the organization with little examination of the process from the point of view of the persons in the
organization who are the facilitators of the process. Yet, it could be argued that the facilitators are at
least equally as important in the success or failure of a new employee’s assimilation process as the new
hire him/herself. For example, I have found a particular situation that is repeated frequently in
organizations. Employers often conduct a series of activities in the hiring procedure. These activities
are meant to provide the best possible candidate pool. Thus allowing the organization to select the best
possible person for the particular position. Yet, after the honeymoon period following the hire,
supervisors often migrate to micro-managing of work and the workers. It is at this point, that
consultants such as myself can be sought to fix the ensuing morale problem when either or both boss
and worker have lost sight of the initial good judgment of the hiring process.
So for this discussion board, talk about how supervisors influence the assimilation process, both in a
positive and negative aspect. Furthermore, discuss how the first impressions for both the employee
and the supervisor can affect the longer term relationship after the post-hiring honeymoon period.
Finally, speculate how communication can construct for both the supervisor and the new hire a positive
long-term experience. I would suggest a discussion of personal agendas would be relevant here. For
example, how important is it for a new worker to understand the personal goals of his/her supervisor as
compared to the goals of the organization. And how important is it for a supervisor to understand the
actual personal goals of a new hire as compared to the new employee who as the interviewee told the
organization what it needs/wants to hear so that it would hire him/her.
