After his birth, a person is forced throughout his life to adapt to constantly changing environmental conditions, or, in other words, to adapt to it. The concept of adaptation includes the knowledge, skills and abilities of a person to interact with the outside world and people. People at the same time must also learn to interact with him.
This concept is one of the key and most widely used in many scientific disciplines: human ecology, ethnography, sociology, physiology, etc. The body's ability to constantly adapt to changes not only in the external environment, but also inside it also refers to the concept of adaptation. The types of adaptation that apply to human communities are as follows:
- biological;
- social;
- psychological;
- Ethnic
- professional.
If the familiar environment changes and a person finds himself in new conditions, he will need to adapt to them in order to feel comfortable. Achieving harmony in a person’s relationship with the outside world is the main goal of the adaptation process. This concept, in fact, accompanies a person’s whole life.
Adaptation mechanisms: biological
In the process of human evolution, his constant adaptation to the conditions of a changing environment took place, which was called the biological type of adaptation. The concept of adaptation in this category includes changes under the influence of the environment in which it finds itself, both of its internal organs and of the whole organism.
Being engaged in the development of criteria determining the state of health or illness, physicians took this concept as a basis. If the body is ideally adapted to the environment surrounding it, then it is healthy. With a disease, its ability to adapt noticeably decreases and drags on over time. Sometimes the body may be completely unable to adapt. This concept is called "maladaptation".
There are two types of adaptation of the body to the new conditions surrounding it, or two processes:
- phenotypic adaptation;
- genotypic.
At the first, which would be more correctly called acclimatization, the body has a reaction to changes in the environment, which leads to compensatory physiological changes. They assist the body in maintaining balance with the outside world in emerging new states.
If the previous conditions return, the phenotype state is restored and all compensatory changes in physiology disappear.
With genotypic adaptation, the selection of beneficial properties occurs naturally. In this case, deep morphophysiological changes are observed in the body, which are fixed in the genes as new characteristics that can be inherited.
Psychological adaptation
This kind of adaptation, as psychological, is the longest process that continues throughout a person’s life. Its importance cannot be underestimated, since the rest of his life will depend on how a person from childhood can manage to fit into the reality surrounding him. Therefore, the very concept of psychological adaptation implies a person’s acceptance of the traditions and values ​​of the social group in which he lives. And it exists everywhere - in kindergarten, school, labor collective.
Communication and other types of interaction with society are the main manifestations of psychological adaptation. It provides an opportunity to learn, build relationships with other people, to be a member of the labor collective, etc.
There are several options for psychological adaptation. The concept of this includes the following methods:
- trial and error method;
- reaction formation;
- observation;
- latent adaptation;
- insight;
- reasoning.
The trial and error method consists in the fact that, solving some vital issues and encountering obstacles along the way, a person tries to overcome them using his existing life experience. And only when the problem is not solved using the familiar method, he begins to look for new opportunities to solve it.
Formation of a reaction is a method that is something similar to “training”, when reward for a perfect action stimulates to repeat it with further improvement.
Observation. When a person enters a new environment for himself, he begins to look closely at the behavior of others and unwittingly imitate them. Gradually, in the process of adaptation in a new environment, he already begins to take action, without thinking about how he does it and why. Over time, a person fully develops the line of behavior adopted in this society.
Latent adaptation. Interacting with the outside world, a person constantly receives some signals from it, but not all of them are perceived at the level of consciousness. Most of the information remains in the subconscious, which comes from there as necessary when interacting with society.
Insight. A huge amount of information is stored in human memory that helps to properly respond to a particular situation. The way of insight is that when a problem arises, the signal received in the brain from all possible options finds the best solution for it.
Reasoning. When a person falls into an unfamiliar situation or encounters a problem, he begins to look for a way to adapt to it. The decision made (as a result of reasoning) is subsequently applied when such situations arise.
Social adaptation
The ways in which a person interacts with his social environment, as well as the process of his adaptation to it, are included in the concept of social adaptation. This is the adaptation of the individual to the society into which he entered, and the relationship with the team, where his work, education takes place.
When getting used to a new social environment, a person goes through the following stages:
- introduction to this group;
- full agreement with the norms of behavior and values ​​accepted in this environment;
- taking an active position of a full member in this environment in order to contribute to the early satisfaction of mutual interests.
If he fails to adapt to the new environment in this environment, he may face a manifestation of a negative attitude and tension. In the process of a person’s life, various social environments can surround him: family, school, new neighbors in the community, etc.
In order to function normally in them, he will have to go through social adaptation everywhere. This concept also includes adaptation to a new labor collective, where a person will have to work. This process is called production adaptation.
Ethnic environment
The process in which there is an active adaptation of ethnic groups to a new socio-cultural environment and changing environmental conditions is clearly illustrated by the Germans moving to their historical homeland, to Germany, from the republics of the former USSR. The adaptation of such ethnic groups to the environment of the regions where they were settled is included in the concept of socialization and adaptation of these ethnic groups in a new place.
The study of problems associated with the process of socio-cultural adaptation of ethnic groups in the new environment, is engaged in a science such as ethnic ecology.
There are two forms of adaptation: active and passive. In the first case, the concept of adaptation is that here an ethnic group is trying to influence the environment in order to change it. This includes the norms and values ​​adopted in a new environment for this ethnic group, as well as the forms of activity to which it will have to adapt.
With a passive form of adaptation, this group does not take any action to change the new environment.
If the level of survival in the new socio-ethnic environment turned out to be quite high for the ethnic group, then we are talking about successful adaptation. This concept extends to such important factors for this group as the lack of discrimination on ethnic or racial grounds. If their presence is observed in one form or another, then mass emigration can act as an indicator of low adaptation.
Children's adaptation to society
Currently, the topic of adaptation of children to society is increasingly coming to the fore and concerns not only parents, but society as a whole. And although many parents believe that the interaction of the latter with the children begins with a kindergarten, this is far from the case.
The adaptation process begins much earlier - when the parents first take the baby for a walk, when he first gets to the playground, where he can meet his peers. How quickly children can adapt to their new environment depends largely on their parents.
Therefore, the concept of adapting children to society includes the help they provide to them at an early age (from 1 year to 3 years), teaching a small child to communicate with people, games with peers, the ability to defend one’s opinion, etc.
During this period, the uniqueness and individuality of the little man begins to appear, and the adults around him must do everything to create a strong foundation for the formation of a future personality, a full member of our society.
Professional Adaptation
It is not a secret for HR managers that, irrespective of qualifications and general length of service, any employee who is newly employed in the production experiences some discomfort. He is frightened by the opportunity to make a mistake by completing the assigned task, he is concerned about the future relationship with new colleagues, etc.
In order to help such an employee quickly adapt to the team and workplace, today each company and company develops special techniques and programs. They give a clear definition of the concept and essence of adaptation in the production environment.
This process usually lasts from 2 to 8 weeks. Its duration directly depends on the nature of the employee, his qualifications, and the duties assigned to him.
Personnel officers usually consider two types of adaptation: production and non-production.
Production adaptation includes:
- professional;
- psychophysiological;
- socio-psychological;
- organizational and psychological;
- organizational and administrative;
- economic;
- sanitary-hygienic.
During production adaptation, a new employee passes familiarization with the existing rules and regulations in the company.
The concept and definition of adaptation of non-production includes establishing relationships with colleagues outside the scope of activity. This can be participation in various corporate parties, joint attendance at sporting events, etc.
Goals and objectives of labor adaptation
She most often acts as a process in which a new employee is included in the work within a single profession. However, this does not mean that it should be considered only as the mastery of certain production skills or specialties.
The basic concepts of adaptation in the labor collective include the adaptation of a new employee to the norms of behavior that are in force here, the establishment of such relationships with colleagues that will certainly contribute to an increase in labor efficiency, as well as mutual satisfaction of material and spiritual aspirations.
Today, studying the experience of successful foreign companies and adopting it, our HR managers began to pay more attention to young employees who need special attention in the process of adaptation.
In the process of adaptation of young employees, the administration sets the following goals:
- help the employee to master his new workplace in a shorter time, thereby reducing start-up costs;
- reduce turnover in the workforce, providing the beginner with constant support at the initial stage of his labor activity;
- contribute to the development of a sense of satisfaction with the results of their work, and, therefore, a positive attitude towards the company itself;
- work with a new employee, adhering to the developed program, which will make it possible to significantly save time both for the manager and the employee.
Forms of labor adaptation
The process of labor adaptation includes seven forms. Their study provides an opportunity to delve deeper into the essence of the very concept of adaptation. With the characteristics of each form we will learn more below:
- Social adaptation - here we consider the process of adapting a beginner to an unfamiliar team, where he will have to work. While getting used to this new environment for him, he goes through several stages: implementation, assimilation of norms of behavior, acceptance of values, active participation of the subject in the life of this environment.
- Production adaptation is the process of actively getting an employee to work in a new team for him and mastering all the norms and rules in force in this production area.
- Professional adaptation - a beginner is engaged in the development of additional knowledge, obtaining new skills, and also begins to develop the necessary professional qualities and a positive attitude towards his business.
- Psychophysiological adaptation - adaptation to new working conditions with its physical and mental stress.
- Socio-psychological adaptation - at the same time, the employee not only masters new working conditions for him, but also adapts to the work collective.
- Organizational adaptation - this form involves familiarizing the employee with the features of the organization of management in the enterprise and with its own role in it.
- Economic adaptation - this includes an understanding of what material remuneration an employee receives for his work in a particular specialty, how wages are associated with the organization of labor in production.
Stages of adaptation of people in the professional sphere
The concept of personnel adaptation implies conditional periods of time during which a new employee is integrated into the work team.
Consider the four stages of adaptation of employees:
- The period of assessment of the qualification level of the employee. This assessment, as a rule, is carried out at the stage of hiring a new employee. At this stage, they find out how much he corresponds to the proposed position, whether he had previously worked in this area, whether he is familiar with the organization of labor in this company. All this information will help the personnel officer to develop a plan for adapting an employee to a new place of work.
- Orientation Stage. This stage is aimed at acquainting the employee with the order of work in the company, collective values, rules of conduct, the history of the company, etc. This stage takes place during the first week.
- The period of effective orientation. This stage includes the practical actions of a new employee based on the knowledge gained and its inclusion in the work collective. It is very important to establish feedback with the employee in order to understand exactly how much he accepts the values ​​of the company and complies with its rules, does he feel any discomfort.
- Stage of operation. At this final stage, it is assumed that the new employee has completely overcome all difficulties and has joined the work.
Methods used for adaptation in the team
The success and financial well-being of any company depends not only on a strong work team, but also on each individual person. The concept of employee adaptation at a new workplace includes a number of activities aimed at developing his motivation - both external, material, and internal, personal.
Material or economic motivation is more or less clear. It directly depends on the monetary remuneration of the employee, on how much it corresponds to his qualification level. And vice versa, intrinsic motivation is closely connected with a person’s desire for personal growth, with the corporate culture of the company where he works. In order for an employee to have a desire to join the life of the team, it is necessary to push him to this by conducting a series of events. For this, the company is developing appropriate tools:
- Trainings, having passed which a person will be able to quickly join the team and get to work.
- Monitoring individual communication between the leader and the newcomer. It is necessary in order to know how much the new employee is aware of how he copes with his new duties. This control is carried out with the feedback of the employee - manager.
- A system that allows you to gradually complicate tasks for a new employee. This will help a person, without stress, join the new work process for him.
- Fulfillment of assignments that will contribute to the quickest establishment of informal relations with the team.
- A single information space that will enable a new employee to quickly receive information about events taking place in the company, about colleagues, how to quickly find their contacts, etc.
If the company seeks to ensure that the adaptation of newcomers takes place in a shorter time, it needs to create its own corporate social network. The faster the adaptation of a novice in the team takes place, the lower the staff turnover, which means that the efficiency of the company itself is much higher.