Could someone who dislikes people, Hawaiian shirts, and exotic foods find a successful career at Trader Joe’s? According to Cohen and Avanzino (2010), organizational assimilation is the process by which newcomers learn the nuances of the organization and determine if they fit in. Studies suggest that successful assimilation is often based on a newcomer’s ability to figure out and make use of behaviors that will be appropriate and effective in a given organization (Mignerey, Rubin, & Gorden, 1995). Typically, new organizational members are quite motivated to get these behaviors figured out because the uncertainty of not knowing what to do or say can be challenging (Cohen & Avanzino, 2010). Organizations understand this as well and generally seek to help. That’s why religious organizations often have new-member classes and employers often have an orientation program to acquaint newcomers with the organization.

At Trader Joe’s, for example, new employees are subject to the group “huddle,” when all staff members at the store come together in a circle to share information and introduce themselves, perhaps noting where they’re from or how long they’ve been with Trader Joe’s. The idea is to make each new employee feel like part of the team (or in this case, crew) and to get to know everyone.

Similarly, an additional perk of working for Trader Joe’s is the free samples. Employees are always encouraged to try new products and even make up recipes for everyone to try (Lewis, 2005). This is one way that employees become actively engaged with the products: they feel personally connected to the products and can make heartfelt recommendations to customers, thereby furthering Trader Joe’s value of a friendly, interactive shopping experience.