A new job is an exciting opportunity to flex your skills in a different setting. It is also a chance to learn and make connections with people you might not have encountered previously. As you start your role, the key is to remain open-minded and take on board everything that you can. Whether it is your first day or the second week, having a positive attitude and displaying confidence will help you succeed.
The first few weeks in a new role can be overwhelming, but it’s essential to get off to a strong start. Demonstrate enthusiasm and a ‘can do’ attitude from the outset, and keep your new job description handy at all times. Your manager or HR team may wish to complete this for you, but either way it should be clear and specific, avoiding vague terms and ambiguity.
During your first few days in your new role, grab any opportunities to have video calls with remote team members. This will give you a sense of the dynamics of the team and how they work together, and will allow you to establish relationships with them early on in your job. It can be difficult to form close bonds with colleagues when working from home, but research shows that those who do are more satisfied with their jobs.
Your manager chose you for a reason, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. Giacobbe suggests pinging your manager on Slack or emailing them, but being discreet and unobtrusive. She suggests that this will help you appear capable and confident in front of your boss, so they are likely to be more receptive to any feedback or questions you have moving forward.
It’s important to consider the long term goals of the new role, and how it will contribute to your business success. For example, if you hire someone who wants the role to grow into a full-time position within six months, this should be taken into account during the hiring process and budgeting for this particular hire.
You should also outline the other teams that the person will interact with regularly, along with who their direct report will be. If you have an internal tool that allows you to set up a network of colleagues, this can be a great way to show a new colleague how to use it.
It’s also a good idea to set out the company’s policies and benefits on the first day, including how the company deals with sick leave, vacation time, and parental leave. This will help the new employee to feel a sense of belonging, and will demonstrate that the company cares about its employees. Providing benefits like these can increase job satisfaction levels by up to 80%, according to research from TCB Global. In addition, it can reduce turnover by up to 60%.