Stop Assuming New Hires Can Write: A 2026 Guide for HR and Managers
Why new hires struggle—and what you can do about it.Have you ever onboarded a new hire who writes like they’re turning in a term paper? You’re not alone.
Many employers assume that educated employees come with a built-in ability to write emails and simple reports, and are baffled when new hires struggle with these “basic” workplace writing skills.
Why new hires struggle with workplace writing
Even humanities-trained employees may have a writing skills gap. Writing programs usually neglect the formats needed at companies where content development isn’t the focus, especially in STEM fields. Your new hire’s resume can list grants, essays, and research papers—but technical manuals, white papers, and status reports might be completely new to them.
New employees are more likely to have gained writing skills through previous onboarding or, if this is their first job out of school, from professors. But professors most likely don’t share manager communication expectations.
How to help new hires adapt academic writing to business writing
Young professionals two or three years into a job are sometimes still turning in content in “homework format”. Their paragraph structure and logic are impeccable, but the text reads more like a college essay than audience-focused business writing.
Business writing requires an audience-centric approach more than a focus on individual ideas. Incorporate an exploration of audience to your onboarding workflow, showing new hires the importance of asking:
Who is the audience for this text?
What does the audience need to know?
What is the standard format for this type of information?
What is the call to action?
Moving away from a thesis-focused format helps employees move away from breaking down individual ideas to building ideas for a specific audience. That is, writing that meets organizational communication goals.
How to help new hires unlearn academic tone
Your organization has a specific voice, and that voice matters. Every email, report, manual, white paper, or blog either strengthens or weakens that voice. Likewise, academic writing has its own style and tone: one you don’t want bleeding through your organization (unless you’re an organization of academic researchers).
Students are trained to sound academic, and new hires will carry that “accent” in their writing for a while. Unlearning it takes training and practice!
Give employees access to the types of documents you want them to write and help them identify the vocabulary and formats that you work with. Download our free Learn to Write Anything guide to help them build their muscle—and learn your “accent”.
Why workplace writing requires intentional training
A good writer doesn’t necessarily know how to write for your organization. There’s a degree of specificity to what you need employees to do.
Your workplace probably has at least two of these:
Specific formats for different types of reports that have evolved over time but are not laid out in detail in any material.
Vocabulary that refers to your team, your product, or common scenarios that isn’t used outside of your organization or sector.
Individuals at the top of the email chain who have specific writing standards—from formatting to keywords that ease manager workflow.
Different language and tone used internally versus externally—and sometimes, different categories for “external” according to the audience.
Give new hires exposure to this important information by preparing a style guide or overview of writing considerations. It doesn’t have to be long: a few bullet points can be enough to give employees a head start. Encourage your team to keep adding to these materials periodically, so that each onboarding gets easier.
How leaders can provide effective workplace writing support
Employees who struggle with workplace writing aren’t necessarily at fault. Every organization is different, and it’s up to leaders to set goals and offer new hires opportunities to learn.
Your team needs clear expectations, support, and—most crucially—space to learn.
As you train new employees, assess:
What past writing experience do they have?
What formats are they most comfortable with?
What types of business writing do they normally consume themselves?
Answering these questions will help you build a foundation for communication skills development, which you can supplement with one-on-one feedback or more structured training opportunities. Your strongest hires will quickly rise to the occasion with confidence, combining their new knowledge with the strengths that led you to hire them in the first place.
Writing is a trainable skill like any other. Let’s give employees the chance to learn it.