Your first 30 days at a new job can often be quite nerve-wracking, with all sorts of things being thrown at you. You’ve received the rapid-fire induction conversation which frequently goes in one ear and out the other. You don’t know how to navigate the company’s intranet, where to find the toilets or even how to go about getting a cup of tea or coffee.
But fear not, AP Personnel is highly experienced in connecting top employment talent with the best available employers, and we’re equally well positioned to give you a few helpful pointers on how to make the most of your first month in your new role.
1. Upfront, remember that this is your probation month – so be at your best
From day one, keep in mind that your employer hired you based on many things including your CV, your experience, your interview and your general personal brand. As such, your employer is hoping for the best from you, and it’s important that you deliver on their expectations.
Naturally, no one expects you to immediately understand and deliver upon the full complexities of your new role, but do your best to pay as much attention as possible and portray the same persona that you did during your interview process.
2. Ask questions and do a “listening tour”
Even after you’ve been given your “first day welcome chat” by your manager, you’ll still probably only have been given 50% to 60% of the information you need.
So don’t be afraid to ask questions of anybody and everybody. Just like they were once, you’re new and they will appreciate your eagerness to get up-to-speed.
Another good idea is to do a “listening tour”. Actively take the time to identify all the key members of your team and then approach each of them individually. Ask them what they do, what they find exciting about their job and what they expect you to do. Remember to thank them for their time because they’re all quite likely to be very busy.
3. Put boundaries in place
Once you’ve listened and learned, and you feel that you have a good understanding of your manager’s expectations of you, it’s time to firmly define what your work schedule will look like, including any potential after-hours calls, your preferred means of communication and the methods in which you interact with your colleagues.
This is important because all too often your co-workers may see you as their own personal resource to be used indiscriminately, which can impact upon your overall work delivery.
4. Identify knowledge and skills gaps you may have
No matter how well prepared you might think you are for your new role, you’re almost certainly likely to encounter gaps in the knowledge and skills you need to perform optimally from day one.
But don’t let this discourage you – instead, work hard to develop your knowledge, gain new skills, even consider taking a relevant online course to boost your qualifications.
5. Put together draft “reaction documents”
This is a very useful tip. Simply putting on paper your draft ideas about your role(s) and functions in your new job allows you to share them with your manager and colleagues before your finalise and formalise them.
This can not only save you time on individual projects but can also help you understand how your colleagues work, enabling you to consistently interact more positively with them.
6. Immediately set about creating your 90-day plan
Yes, you read this correctly. While this article is about how best you manage your first 30 days at your new job, it’s important that you also start developing your plan for the first 90 days in your new role.
Depending on your level of seniority, your manager may already have put one in place for you. If, on the other hand, you’re in a more senior role, you may have to take a deep dive into your company’s goals to develop your own plan of how you can make a positive impact in the next three months.
7. Be prepared to go the extra mile
Do your best to give equal weight to both the “learning” and “doing” parts of your job. Be willing to sacrifice some of your day-to-day time in order to better understand what’s expected of you in the long term (which may represent a career advancement opportunity for you) and to understand how your new company functions over and above your own role.
Also, be prepared to put in extra hours whenever required. This will show your willingness to contribute to your company’s success and boost your own image as an employee.
8. Prepare your “elevator speech” and update your LinkedIn profile
Your “elevator speech” is a very concise summary of who you are and what you think your role is in your new company.
This will help your new colleagues get to know you and understand your role in your new workspace.
You can use the same “elevator speech” as a basis to update your LinkedIn profile, telling your followers about this exciting new development in your career.
9. Look out for low-hanging fruit
Keep aware of any opportunities for you to take advantage of when it comes to demonstrating successes in your new role, and ensure that you bring these to the attention of your manager (in a subtle way, of course).
Highlighting these early successes is not just about justifying your hiring – it’s also about making management as likely as possible to trust you with crucial projects in the future by helping them to develop trust in your abilities to effect positive change.
10. Engage productively with your manager
In conclusion, in addition to the above advice, possibly the best thing to do during your first 30 days at your new job is to touch base with your manager as regularly as possible. If catch-up meetings aren’t already scheduled, feel free to take the initiative and ask for them yourself.
Not only will these meetings prevent any inadvertent disconnects or miscommunications, they will also let you ask key questions, highlight your accomplishments, ensure you’re both on the same page and allow you to talk about next steps in your successful onboarding process.
AP Personnel’s Senior Manager Faron Le Prevost fCMgr recommends that you follow these pointers and put your best foot forward, and notes that “As a new employee, you have a free pass to approach all your team members, so make the most of the month ahead of you – and remember, your first days on the new job go by quicker than you may think!”
For further information please visit www.ap-personnel.com or call Faron on +44 1534 753009 or email him at faron.leprevost@ap-personnel.com