Settling into a new role at big organisation can be difficult, but you won’t be the new person for long and no doubt your team and the wider company will do what they can to make you feel welcome and a part of the team from your first day.
I have previously spoken before about the benefits of joining a start-up company – everyone knowing your name and how much you can learn in a shorter period of time, across the wider business and not just your niche. If you are lucky enough to join a bigger more established and respected company and learn from some very experienced professionals, settling in can be much more difficult in comparison to a smaller company. Feeling like a valued member to your team, as well as the entire company can take a little longer, but you won’t be the new employee for long.
Impress in your probation period
You will of course be set certain tasks and objectives to complete within the probation period. It would be very beneficial to set yourself some tasks and objectives to complete within a shorter period of time. No doubt it will contributing to your overall success at the company, have the ambition to become an industry expert as quickly as possible.
Reading about any new trends in the market or what your competitors are doing can earn you brownie points when speaking with your clients as they consult with you over new plans and projects. Writing industry updates yourself or blogging about your own creative ideas, personal highs, or anything in the industry that may have inspired or impressed you can also develop your understanding of the industry quickly.
The most important thing is communication. Sharing these findings or thoughts with team members. Don’t just keep it all to yourself. Share and bounce ideas off each other. Even if you are the new employee, your ideas will be heard and they may come to life. You won’t be the new employee for long.
Read. Write. Communicate.
Get to know your new colleagues
It may have been a couple of years since you had to make new friends again after college or university. But the same principles apply, just say ‘Hi.’ Of course it is easy talking to members of your team, but try and take yourself out of your comfort zone and speak to employees on different teams. Try and make the conversation more social than professional at first, no one likes to talk about work 24/7.
Here is the hardest part; trying to remember everyone’s name at a company with 200 plus employees. You won’t remember everyone’s name first time, and for the 200 plus employees they only have to remember one new name. Don’t let it reach the stage where you’ve met someone on a different team, started partnering up based on a few projects for a client, but you’ve left it too long to ask what their name is and they already have a nick name for you. Don’t be too shy to ask what their name is for the first couple of weeks, humans are understanding creatures.
With smaller companies you could possibly draw up a little floor plan. Making friends around the office will make settling in that much easier. Finding out their job titles and a little bit about what they do for certain clients would also be very beneficial for you. Knowing what other teams offer to clients can allow for cross-selling, being the first point of contact and lightly introduce a further service which you have a brief understanding of can give yourself and your company the competitive advantage above others offering the same service.
This could involve more reading, or taking short exams to develop your knowledge, but when you are in those tense client meetings and have an urge to speak you will know what you are talking about and you will be heard. That sense of pride you get when you feel you have made an impact will be great. You won’t be the new employee for long.
Stay organised
Also don’t forget to write down what tasks you have taken on and completed in the week, month and quarter. What you have learnt or noticed week on week, good or bad and report back in team meetings. You are the new employee, but it would be easier for you to notice mistakes or be impressed by performance or projects. This shows you are developing a better understanding of your industry.
Carpe diem.
