By To a Younger Coworker: “Are you the new intern?”
Just because a newer coworker is younger doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the new intern. You were once a younger coworker too. Remember how intimidated you felt by all the experienced health care professionals in your first week?
The new, younger coworkers are probably already feeling vulnerable and out of place, so skip the demeaning questions and offer an olive branch instead. Who knows, you could even become a respected mentor for the new, younger coworker — which is always rewarding.
Being condescending only makes younger employees feel like their professional contributions aren’t valued, which drastically reduces productivity. So for the sake of smoothly running company operations, be nice!
