Managing Yourself: Your guide to getting it right

Starting a new job

Starting a new job may imply that:

an existing employee has been appointed to fill a vacancy in an existing or newly created job

an individual has joined an organisation to fill a vacancy in an existing job or to assume the responsibilities of a newly created position.

This checklist focuses on the latter.

Starting a new job is an exciting but testing time when you will face many new challenges. While you may be justifiably proud of yourself for having completed the application process successfully and secured the position you wanted, this is not a time to rest on your laurels. Thinking about how you will approach the first few days and weeks in your new job and planning ahead for any potential issues you will face will help you to:

reduce your stress levels

become productive more quickly

be accepted by new colleagues more quickly

prepare for the cultural differences in your new organisation

significantly reduce the potential for embarrassment which can arise in a new situation.

This checklist outlines practical steps which can be taken before you take up your new position and during the first few days in the job. Success depends not just on how you handle the first day with your new employer but on how you prepare in advance, even before you leave your current job. This checklist should also be helpful to organisations employing new starters.

Action checklist

1 Act positively before you leave your present job

Make sure that you sort out issues such as pension arrangements, private health insurance and your P45 with your HR or personnel department before you leave. Return any company property you have – badges and passes, computer equipment and mobile phones, for example. If you have received funding for qualifications or training, check whether you will be required to repay some or all of this. Does your contract of employment include any clauses restricting your movements or actions in the future?

2 Consider the implications of the new job for your work–life balance

Recognise that, whatever the level of the job, there will be a ‘settling in’ period during which extra focus and concentration will be required. The balance between your private and working lives may change, if only for a certain length of time, and your partners and family members will be affected. It is preferable to discuss this in advance to avoid or minimise any potential problems. Think too about any additional commitments you have outside work – leisure activities or voluntary work, for example – and decide whether any adjustments or temporary changes will be needed.

3 Research the background of your new employer

You will no doubt have carried out research into your new employer before your interview. Recognise that the more you know about the organisation you will be working for, the easier it will be for you to fit in during the initial period in your new job. Digest any documentation you have been given and find out what you can from company reports, corporate websites or industry publications.

Seek to identify:

your new employer’s competitors

their relative degree of success or failure

the basis on which they compete (such as price, quality, or service) or are protected from competition (because of location or access to raw materials, for example).

If you are new to the sector, consider how you can best familiarise yourself with it and acquire some knowledge of the terminology used. Remember that the people with whom you will be working may assume that you are familiar with their jargon. Try to get ahead of the game.

Find out anything you can about the culture of the organisation, the people with whom you will be working, the structure within which they work and the reputation of the unit which you will be joining. If you know anyone who is already employed by the organisation, glean what you can by talking to them.

Consider what you have discovered and its implications for a newcomer. Identify what you still need to know and resolve to take a proactive approach to gathering this information once you have started your new job. This will give you the advantage that comes from being well informed and enable you to impress your colleagues with your willingness to learn and work.

4 Make a good first impression

Check the joining instructions you have been given – where and when you are expected and whom you should report to. Make sure that you have familiarised yourself with the route to work and know how long it will take you to get there, making allowance for rush-hour traffic, if necessary. Dress appropriately, be friendly to everyone, take a lively interest in what you are told and show enthusiasm.

5 Take full advantage of induction programmes

The induction programme organised by your new employer should provide you with the information you need to do your job, as well as an understanding of organisational aims, objectives and operating procedures. Be prepared to listen and learn and don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Take notes and keep them for future reference. If information is not provided, you will need to find it yourself, or ask for it. One place to start would be the staff handbook or organisational intranet, if there is one.

Recognise that you need to be clear about:

the purpose of the unit you have joined

the purpose of your new job

your responsibilities

your authority

the structure of the unit

the unit’s place in the structure of the organisation

who you report to and your boss’s requirements

who, if anyone, reports to you

as much as possible about the culture and values of the unit and of the organisation.

6 Make sure you are clear about practical matters

These include day-to-day working practices as well as more long-term matters and include:

start and finish times

coffee, tea and lunch arrangements

the use of facilities such as telephone, email and internet access for personal matters

payment of wages and salaries

holiday entitlements and procedures for booking leave

pension arrangements

performance appraisal or performance management programmes

flexible working options

additional employee benefits, such as private healthcare

trade unions recognised by the organisation

training and development opportunities.

What you need to know may range from the obviously important to the apparently trivial, but if it helps you fit in, become accepted and begin to do your new job more quickly, it is worth knowing. This may be even more important if you have been appointed to a newly created position.

7 Investigate the background if your job is newly created

Find out whether the job to which you have been appointed is a new one and if so, try to discover why it was created. Was it to solve a problem and if so, what was the problem? Was it to cope with expansion in activity and if so, what caused that expansion? Find out what the context of the newly created job is – what future plans there are for it and, most of all, what expectations there will be of you as the newly appointed post holder. Is the job unique in the organisation or are there others like it? Try to identify which of your characteristics and skills led to you being selected for the post – these will almost certainly provide the criteria against which your performance will be judged.

8 Consider what behaviour is appropriate

Remember that you are the newcomer and that your behaviour will be the focus of some attention, particularly if your new role requires you to manage or supervise others. Be yourself but leave yourself some room for manoeuvre in the light of what you may discover over the first two or three weeks in your new job.

Keep your eyes open. You will notice things in the first few weeks that you will soon come to take for granted. These may be things that you will wish to change later. Ask about them if you wish, but be careful not to start criticising practices in your new organisation too soon.

Reserve your position until you see how the land lies. Remember that it may not be easy to retract after speaking or acting too hastily. Be polite to everyone and offer help where appropriate, but even when offering help, don’t allow yourself to act in an excessively assertive way.

9 Build relationships

Your relationships with your immediate colleagues, your boss and your team will be critical for your success in your new role. Seek out those who are best placed to help you find your way around the organisation and ask for their assistance. Don’t limit your contacts to your immediate department – interacting with others from across the organisation will help you to gain a better understanding of the organisation as a whole and how your role fits within it. Take advantage of meetings and any social activities that are organised to establish contacts with colleagues from other departments, especially if their work has some bearing on your role.

10 Be prepared for that bewildered feeling

You will meet a lot of people and have many new processes to learn in your first days and weeks in a new job. The challenges can range from getting to grips with your job to finding out how to use a different kind of photocopier. Understand that it is natural to feel disoriented or even overwhelmed to start with. Most people don’t feel fully comfortable in their new job for at least six months, so don’t worry too much if you still feel at sea after only a couple of days.

11 Don’t panic if the new job doesn’t immediately meet expectations

The first weeks in a new job can vary tremendously. They may be very busy and pressured, making you feel that you have been thrown in at the deep end, or progress may seem frustratingly slow, as you are provided with lots of orientation material but feel you are not yet being given the opportunity to show what you can do. You may feel that you immediately get on well with your colleagues, or you may find them unfriendly and unapproachable, leaving you feeling isolated and uncomfortable. You may be receiving appreciation and recognition for your efforts, or you may suspect that your performance is not meeting with approval.

Don’t jump to the conclusion that the move has been a mistake or take a hasty decision to resign. Give yourself time to settle in and your colleagues time to get used to you. If things are so bad that you do consider resigning, bear in mind that it is normally easier to find a job when you are in employment. Work to build good working relationships with your colleagues. Take every opportunity to demonstrate your willingness to learn and to make a contribution.

If problems persist or the role is not measuring up to the expectations you had of it, discuss your concerns with your line manager or mentor and seek to iron out any misconceptions or misunderstandings. If you are subject to a probationary period, it is advisable to raise any issues or misgivings you have before this comes to an end.

12 Set your objectives and plan for the future

It is important to consider what you want to get out of a new job and to set objectives for what you want to achieve. Set realistic and achievable goals, define what success will look like and start to develop plans for achieving them. Decide what your priorities are and start to gather the knowledge and develop the relationships that will help you to achieve them. Consider also what training or development you will need to help you develop the skills and competences required in your new role.

As a manager you should avoid:

forming or being drawn into alliances too quickly

being over-assertive or over-familiar with new colleagues

trying to take the lead in discussions, formal or informal

taking on too much in an effort to curry favour with others or prove yourself

being too quick to suggest a social outing with colleagues

boasting about your previous achievements

making comparisons between your former employer and your new one

taking decisions or expressing opinions that you may regret later.

New joiner: fitting in and getting on

Fitting in is about learning to function well within the social and cultural norms of the organisation, finding your place, being accepted and gaining the respect of colleagues. It involves building personal relationships and networks, and adapting to the culture and working environment of the organisation.

Getting on is about carrying out your job role effectively, meeting your objectives and making a positive contribution to the purpose and goals of the organisation.

The first weeks and months in a new job play a vital role in laying the foundations for personal achievement and success in a new organisation. However, starting a new job as a manager can be a challenging time – there are new people to meet, new skills to learn and new tasks to tackle. Your skills and abilities will be stretched as you face new challenges and opportunities. This checklist is intended to help managers starting a job in a new organisation to be aware of the issues they need to consider and to develop a strategy for success. It looks at how to fit into the organisation, develop relationships and demonstrate that you can fulfil the responsibilities you have been given.

Action checklist

1 Consider your approach

When starting out in a new job, it is important to find the right balance between confidence in your own abilities and your need to learn. Overconfidence can be seen as arrogance and cause you to forfeit the goodwill and cooperation of your colleagues. Excessive humility, on the other hand, may lead people to doubt your abilities. Try to strike a balance between the two, presenting yourself as confident but willing to listen and learn.

2 Get to grips with your job role

Your first priority should be to understand the job you have been appointed to do and what is expected of you. Make sure you are clear about your responsibilities, reporting lines and the extent and boundaries of your authority. Find out what systems, structures, processes and procedures are in place. Discuss and, if necessary, renegotiate objectives and performance measures for your work with your line manager. Take full advantage of any induction programmes which are arranged for you and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you need clarification or further information. Start by familiarising yourself with the work of your team or department and how it operates on a day-to-day basis.

3 Use your new role for change

Your new role gives you the opportunity to introduce change and improvements – to some extent this will be expected. Don’t rush into making changes without understanding the situation fully, but from the outset start to think about the vision you have for your role and to develop goals for yourself and your team. Prioritise the changes you want to make and decide who you need to consult with. Discuss your ideas with all those concerned before going ahead.

4 Build relationships

The relationships you build are vital to your success in the organisation. You need to balance your concern for ‘getting the job done’ with building relationships with your colleagues. Don’t become so engrossed in your personal tasks that you neglect people and become insensitive to your colleagues. Focus on getting to know your team and your boss, but don’t neglect wider organisational contacts and networks, Remember that relationships take time and patience. Be prepared to join in with any social events – this will give you a wider feel for the organisation and help you to get to know others and others to get to know you.

5 Look out for key contacts

Start early on to identify key people – those you will need to influence if you are to achieve your objectives and reap benefits for the organisation and yourself. It is helpful to have one-to-one meetings with such people, so that you can find out about their job roles and their priorities and understand how to gain their support for any changes and new initiatives you wish to introduce. Consider also finding a suitable mentor within the organisation. A mentoring relationship can be extremely helpful at any stage, but newly appointed managers may find it especially useful in helping them gain insight into organisational norms – management styles, culture and networks.

6 Consider organisational culture

Different organisations have different ways of doing things. Carrying on in your usual manner may not sit well with colleagues in your new organisation and in some cases may cause offence. Be aware of this and keep your eyes open for clues about ‘how things are done around here’. It’s also important to realise that official organisational culture and values may not reflect how things actually work in practice. If you are not sure about how to proceed, ask your immediate colleagues for advice.

Be flexible and think through which aspects of your personal style or working practices you need to adjust. This will help you to gain acceptance and become integrated. However, don’t feel