The Power of Emotional Contagion

Most of us have felt the impact that a visibly warm welcome can have on our emotional state. When we meet someone who is clearly happy to see us, our entire physiology changes. Our shoulders drop. Our faces light up. We feel calm, safe, and able to speak naturally and freely. Similarly, when we meet someone who appears unhappy to see us - maybe they are upset about something, or simply socially uncomfortable, we have the opposite reaction. We tense up, close off, and feel socially awkward ourselves. 

How is it that our social skills, which feel so intrinsic to our personality, can change so dramatically based on the way we are treated by others?

The answer comes down to a fascinating social phenomenon called emotional contagion. First recorded over a century ago, the term was formalized in 1993 by psychologists Elaine Hatfield, John T. Cacioppo and Richard L. Rapson. In their seminal article, Emotional Contagion, they define the term as “[t]he tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements with those of another person's and, consequently, to converge emotionally.” While early theorists believed that emotional contagion was the result of a conscious effort to integrate the emotional state of others, Hatfield et al argue that the causes of emotional contagion are more “subtle, automatic, and ubiquitous” than previously understood. 

Research over the past thirty years has validated their view, and shed light on the powerful impact that emotional contagion has on our subconscious. These include findings that engaging with socially anxious people can make you feel more anxious, that emotional contagion results in measurable physiological and neurological changes, and even that some people are more “emotionally contagious” than others. 

We can leverage this powerful psychological phenomenon to turn a new hire’s first day into a positively contagious loop that builds friendship and drives social belonging across the team. The secret is a ritual called the Enterview, which originated in innovation consulting firm IDEO’s San Francisco office, and was popularized more recently by No Hard Feelings, a 2019 book on workplace emotions by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. 

Emotional Contagion and the "Enterview"

The Enterview is designed to hijack emotional contagion by flooding a new hire with all of the excitement and enthusiasm that their new team is feeling for them on their first day. In short, an Enterview involves preparing a digital or physical card for a new hire, contributed to by everyone they met during the interview process. Each team member writes about why they are excited for the new hire to join, and the value they feel the new hire brings to the team.

Like the visibly warm welcome that one might experience from a close friend or family, this burst of earnest enthusiasm helps put the new hire at ease on an otherwise stressful day. In this more relaxed state, the new hire is much more likely to feel comfortable opening up and connect with their peers. And when the new hire opens up, it triggers a reciprocal openness from colleagues, creating a virtuous and infectious cycle of team bonding. 

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How to Implement the Enterview for New Hires

Here’s a playbook for how to add an Enterview to your social onboarding process:

Step 1: Identify your team

Have the hiring manager identify all of the team members who were involved in the recruiting process for the new employee, including HR, the internal recruiter and anyone else on the interview panel, including any executives. These folks are usually listed in your applicant tracking system (if you use one), or if not, by syncing with the HR or recruiting team. 

Step 2: Create the card

Create a card, physical or digital. (Liz and Mollie suggest a title of “We think you’re kind of a big deal, and here’s why.”) 

1. For digital cards, we recommend using Kudoboard, which is highly customizable and works great for quick group collaboration. Alternatively, If you’d prefer to go DIY, create a slide in Google Slides or Powerpoint with a welcome message and then share it around to the team. 
2. For physical cards, any blank dollar store card will do, although if the Enterview becomes an ingrained part of your social onboarding process, consider creating a custom branded card. Companies like Vistaprint or Moo.com make this easy. [cross post on both]

Step 3: Share the card with the internal team

Ask everyone in the interview circuit to write a short note which includes why they are excited for this person to join, the important skills they bring to the team, and anything else they want to include. 

Step 4: Share the card with the new hire on their first day

For a digital card, send the new hire a link to the card over Slack, Teams or Email. For a physical card, get in early to ensure it is on their desk before they arrive.

The Enterview, and the positive emotional contagion that it creates, makes it abundantly clear to your new hire that your organization is a place where they are valued, and kickstarts a cycle of reciprocal warmth and enthusiasm that will continue to drive social connection long after the ritual has ended.

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