Starting a new job

Landing the role is only the beginning. How you approach your first days and weeks in a new job will shape how your colleagues, manager and employer perceive you – often for a very long time.

Before you start

Once you’ve accepted an offer, resist the temptation to switch off entirely. There are a few things worth doing before day one:

• Confirm the practical details: your start time, where to go, who to ask for, and what to wear if there’s any doubt about dress code.
• Do a little background reading on the company, its products or services, and any recent news. You don’t need to become an expert overnight, but arriving with some awareness of the business is always well received.
• Sort out your commute in advance if the route is unfamiliar. Arriving late on your first day – for whatever reason – is not a great start.

 

Your first day

First days are rarely productive in the traditional sense, and most employers understand that. Your job is to listen, absorb, and begin building relationships. Smile, introduce yourself, and show genuine interest in the people you meet. Take notes. You will be given a lot of information in a short space of time, and it’s impossible to retain all of it. Nobody expects you to remember every process and system immediately, but people do notice when you’ve made the effort to write things down.

In the weeks that follow

The first 90 days in a new role are often described as the period when impressions are cemented. Here are some principles that serve people well:

• Be curious. Ask questions. Employers want people who want to learn.
• Observe before you criticise. You may spot things that seem inefficient or outdated, but hold your judgement until you understand why they are done that way.
• Be consistent. Reliability and punctuality build trust quickly. So does doing what you say you will do.
• Build relationships across the business, not just within your immediate team.
• Be patient with yourself. It takes time to find your feet in any new environment. The people around you know that.

 

💡 Quick tip If you’re joining through Personnel Selection, do let your consultant know how you’re getting on. We’ll be in touch to check in, but the more we hear from you, the better we can support you through the early days.