How can you make orientation more interactive for introverted employees?

Some strategies that may work: 1. Break the larger group into smaller groups for discussions and activities. Introverts often feel more comfortable I smaller groups. 2. Use icebreaker activities that are low-pressure and not overly extroverted. 3. Create online discussion forums where introverted employees can contribute their thoughts or questions at their own pace. 4. Provide materials and resources that allow introverts to learn at their own pace. 5. Offer one-on-one sessions with mentors where introverts can ask questions and discuss their concerns privately. 6. Utilise technology like polls, surveys, or interactive apps to allow introverts to participate in discussions without needing to speak up in a large group.

Small groups: Organize activities in small groups. Icebreakers: Use icebreaker games to encourage interaction. Scheduled breaks: Provide regular breaks for recharging. Anonymous Q&A: Allow anonymous or written questions. Buddy system: Pair with a mentor for personalized support. Workshops: Host interactive workshops for engagement. Role-playing: Use role-playing for practical learning. Feedback options: Offer anonymous feedback channels. Individual check-ins: Schedule private discussions for support. Self-paced learning: Provide self-paced resources for independent learning.

Introduce the established ways of working and communicating of the team, and ask for the new employee to consider over the orientation period how they can best use them, and where they may want to suggest improvements. Encourage all members of your team to introduce themselves to the new employee over the orientation period, preferably in a staggered way and in one-to-one meeting or call. Ask them to share their communication preference and to request for the new starter to share if they wish. This will foster a culture of inclusion and awareness.

Basically orientation forms the first impression of how the organization feels and works. Thus for new employees and moreover introverted ones its essential to ensure the following; 1) Whilst welcoming the employee to the organization make sure you any form of anxiety that they may have by guiding them through their roles for the first few days or week. This can be through a dedicated team member to act as a guide or their supervisor. 2)Its also essential for the supervisor to meet with the emplyee discuss the expectations, explain their preffered way of doing things, timelines etc. This enables both the supervisor and new employee to learn more about each other thus breaking the anxiety. This helps create an interactive environment.

We have to step away from the traditional ice breakers and social strategies at work. It is amazing how much employee socials are geared towards extroverts and do not factor in the needs of introverts. Providing several options for socializing helps solve this. Rather than having in person get together, interactive online activities that allow introverts to pace themselves can be useful. When hosting departmental meetings instead of asking everyone to contribute verbally, contact your known introverts and create safe spaces for them to share ideas. Thinking out the box and asking feedback of team members can truly make a difference. Recognizing the need for change is also of great value.

From my own experience, I know that for introverts, meeting many people at once can be overwhelming. Acknowledging this, it becomes crucial to extend the timeline for team introductions, allowing introverted employees the space and time to connect with their team members at a pace that suits them. This intentional approach not only fosters a sense of comfort but also contributes to building genuine and lasting connections within the team. Recipes that generally work for onboarding (like the 30-60-90 rule) may not always be the best possible solution.

Sequencing and flow can make a big difference to introverts. Adding two or three minutes for individual journaling or reflecting on a question before moving to discussion groups gives introverts an opportunity to gather their thoughts and their energy.

Orientation often leads to meeting a lot of people over a short space of time, and it is easy to think that meeting a group or team at once will be time-efficient. For introverts, it may be preferable to meet one representative of a team, or "buddy up" with one person with whom they can build a deeper interaction. This person can introduce their team though pictures or their work. Having one contact takes the pressure off from asking questions on the spot; and offering the opportunity to meet over two short sessions in a week, rather than a longer one, offers time for reflection.

I cant speak for everyone but leaving Introverted staff-alone unless necessary REALLY helps. The needless team meetings and bonding-journeys arent for everyone and just because some of us would rather NOT be there doesnt make us 'difficult' or 'challenging'. We can still contribute and be part of the team without being the social butterfly. To all People Managers and Leaders; please learn the difference between being ANTI-social and OVERLY-social.

I like to invite participants to approach me on breaks or afterwards if they feel more comfortable. Additionally, demonstrating the training room (if in person) is a safe environment focused on their benefit helps break the ice a bit for introverts. Building in time for quiet reflection, small group breakouts, anonymous polling and even self-study homework/practical exercises can be useful to give people more opportunities to interact in ways that feel more comfortable to them.

Consider incorporating activities such as individual reflection exercises to make orientation more interactive for introverted employees. Develop surveys that prompt them to reflect on their goals, values, and aspirations. This encourages self-awareness and introspection, allowing them to connect with the bigger picture of their role in the organization. Create worksheets or templates that guide employees through structured reflection exercises. These can include questions, checklists, or frameworks to help them organize their thoughts and reflect on specific topics. From experience, clear instructions and a supportive environment always help introverted employees feel comfortable and engaged.

Including written components to the orientation—both live and asynchronous—can help introverts to engage in ways with which they're more comfortable. Having this is a natural for the hybrid/virtual mode in which many of us work today. And it provides the added benefit of being preserved for posterity as something to reference later. You can also help spotlight these contributions as a facilitator in the moment, to bring them into the live verbal discussion.

Orientations can be tricky for some employees as they may take a little more to get used to the new workplace and environment. I often try to share my life example and portray myself as a shy and introvert to gain their trust. Building connections with introvert members is vital to make them realize their potential and convert them into resource. In first few sessions I can gauge the shy sheep in the flock. I sometimes assign them responsibilities such as distributing folders or taking roll calls etc to make them feel more inclusive.

Not every part of employee orientation or onboarding has to be like a church camp weekend extravaganza. Let's face it, having a group exercise about how the online employee module works for requesting time off, filing benefits forms and changing your banking information is a bit of overkill. You could just as easily have a simple e-learning style course for that with a bingo-style prize if they do it.

Delivering feedback needs to be customized based on the person, the relationship you have with them, and what the thing you are providing feedback is about. When dealing with different personality types, it is imperative that you have the conversation about how they like to receive feedback first. Someone's introversion could be influenced by their social background and that needs to be considered when having those conversations. Generally, if you can provide as much information up front when either giving feedback or creating a space to give feedback then you'll be more successful and support a culture based on psychological safety and inclusion.

While it's difficult to quantify orientations, gauging it's effectiveness is vital. Employees are companies biggest resource and to have the best talent pool we need to ensure employees have indigenous outlook. While feedback and follow ups are the best practices. We can always quantify the effectiveness by attrition rate.

Provide information in advance so that introverts will know what to expect. Include an outline of the agenda with desired outcomes for each section of the day and when possible, share any prompts that will be explored with a partner or in small groups.

Strategies for designing interactive & effective orientation/onboarding program which may extends to initial 90 days or beyond for introverts are as follows; 1.Consider online orientation program before onsite orientation for familiarization with process, people and organization. 2.Connect with others one-on-one environment OR in small groups. 3.Prepare ahead of TIME-Agenda sharing. 4. Training on Team Building, socialization. 5.Assign mentor at joining. 6.Creating an Introvert Friendly Work Environment 7.Provide online channels for communication, feedback. 8.Encourage anonymous contributions. 9.Take written suggestions/findings at the end of orientation program from new joiners in order to improve orientation/onboarding experiences.

In my experience, I have found 2 things really helpful in the sales training sessions I conduct. Very practical, very simple, and very effective to get introverts involved! First, get the introverts in the front seats of the room. The extroverts are easier to get themselves heard, send them to the back. Second, everytime you have questions to ask the audience, get the introverts to talk first. Don't always ask questions to the crowd, ask specific people questions, and start with the introverts. This way, they are heard first. If you ask a crowd of introverts and extroverts, who's answers do you think will be more heard?

Create a clear onboarding plan. Make it crystal clear what to expect. This can include an exact schedule, blocked out by half hour or hour, including information on who they'll be with, an overview of the content they'll be covering, and what to expect from an interaction standpoint. It can also be helpful to directly ask the new hire what level of engagement they would prefer out of the gate. Providing clarity on even the smallest details will provide a space of surety and support the mental space to engage within their new environment. Bonus thought, only do the basics on day one, including paperwork and general introductions. First days are already a sensory overload experience, so allow them to ease in