You’ve just landed a new job – congratulations! It goes without saying that starting a new job is an exciting prospect. Once you’re over the contract signing and notice period hurdles, it’s time to get stuck in.
On your first day you’ll start your induction process, where you’ll meet the team you’ll be working with, get to know the ins and outs of the business, and (most importantly) shown where the tea and coffee making facilities are.
There’ll be a lot of stuff to take on, and your first week may be a bit ‘information overload’, but it’s key to absorb everything you can as this will create the foundation which your role in the company will be built upon. You want to make sure that you quickly prove to your new employers that it was a good decision to take you on, so learning the business is critical to making this happen.
Having a full appreciation of where you fit in and what impact you can make will enable you to plan your tasks, in the short term as well as thinking about the longer game.
Quick Wins
You may have grand plans for your new role, but it’s important to realise that these may not happen in the short term. Think carefully about what opportunities you have to make an impact quickly – can you achieve these goals within, say, the first three months?
Whatever the case, make sure that your manager is involved in these decisions so that they align with the company’s goals, and that you’re capable of delivering them. Do you have all the tools at your disposal? If not, consider how you can acquire them, whether it’s knowledge or help from your new colleagues, or even just a case of being pointed in the direction of the right files and folders.
Making this great first impression will not only show your value from the get-go, but it’ll also give you that needed (and deserved) confidence boost to set you on course for even more successes.
Networking
This word might throw up connotations of coffee mornings and other ‘business networking’ events, but what we’re talking about here is navigating your company’s internal network.
Who are the people in the business that will help you get things done? This isn’t just about getting to decision makers, but finding out what skills you can pull on to help you achieve your objectives. It’s also a great way to demonstrate leadership capabilities, by leveraging the experience of your colleagues and working together. Forge strong relationships with people in your business by helping when you can early on and you’ll find that these people will help you too.
You might already have a ‘buddy’ system as part of your on-boarding. Take advantage of this 1:1 time and ask as many questions as you can – you’re the newbie, so there aren’t any silly questions!
Set Expectations
First of all get absolute clarity of what is required of you in your role. This is a conversation for you and your manager. Talk about deliverables, naturally, but a good thing to check off is work out what styles of working and communication suit you both best. This will help you both in being up-front about setting goals, as well as making both of your jobs easier as you’ll understand how you can both help each other. This type of feedback, when handled properly, can arguably make the biggest impact.
Tactical outputs (and quick wins) are one thing – but what is expected of you down the line? Figure out what the needs of the business are and how you can positively contribute addressing them. This will give you some longer-term goals to discuss working towards, showing that you care about longevity and are invested in the business.
Do you have any tips of your own for people starting a new job? Tweet us @HeadResourcing – we’d love to hear from you!
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