Hays’ Pam Lindsay-Dunn has some advice for new starters, including knowing the difference between normal settling-in feelings and ‘I’ve made a huge mistake’.
Starting a new job is always difficult. Even a promotion within the same company takes a certain level of adjustment so when you have to pack up your proverbial office and meet a whole new team for a new role, the anxiety can skyrocket.
Once you get through your first day, you may breathe a sigh of relief and settle into your training, taking to things like a duck to water. But for many, that period of adjustment and uncertainty can take longer than a day or even a week. New starters can have conflicting emotions of getting on with things quite well, while still feeling unsure of how they fit into this new role. They might even be left wondering if they made the right move.
Understanding your environment
Pam Lindsay-Dunn is the chief operating officer for Hays in the UK and Ireland and she said the biggest challenges for many new starters is moving from a place where they knew the people, structures and culture to a completely new environment.
“I think people probably underestimate how much there is to learn or actually getting to know the team. That’s probably the biggest stress element in terms of the people that you’re working with,” she said.
“The common challenges are more around taking the pressure off yourself and actually taking time to understand the environment you’re going into and the people that you’re working with.”
Give yourself the right time
While going into a new job can be very exciting and if you’ve gone for a role that is similar to a previous one or otherwise in your wheelhouse you might expect to settle down quite quickly. However, Lindsay-Dunn said while an optimistic attitude is important, it’s still worth recognising the level of change you’re going to go through and the time you need to learn the ropes.
“You should be giving it three months before you assess how you feel about the job. And I think the biggest piece of advice is don’t underestimate that actually not knowing things or having to learn things again is bad,” she said.
“I think a lot of people think ‘I’m not enjoying this because it’s different’, as opposed to finding out whether it’s really the job they want to do. And I think that takes at least three months for you to be able to embed into an organisation and actually make a decision based on real facts, rather than feelings.”
Dig a little deeper
Even as you’re giving yourself the needed time to settle in, you’d be forgiven for still feeling like it might not be the right role for you. And while it’s entirely possible that you have made the wrong move, Lindsay-Dunn said it’s worth taking the time to really analyse what you’re struggling with.
“Quite often people decide that they don’t enjoy a job without having explored exactly what they don’t enjoy. The best way to do that is to have open conversations with your boss, agree upfront; what do they expect from you? And at least then you’re benchmarking against something that that’s real,” she said.
“I think a lot of people will feel in their first three or four weeks that it isn’t the right job and I think if they stick with that and work through what it is they don’t enjoy, they can make an informed decision … if at the end of three or four months you decide it’s not for you, at least you’ve tried and done everything to make that work.”
Look out for good onboarding
A major part of helping new starters settle in is what the employer does in that process. A good onboarding process is a key part of this and according to Lindsay-Dunn, that should happen even before an employee’s start date.
“Once people actually get there, I think a good onboarding works with the employee to find out how they learn and their learning. Some people can sit in front of a computer all day, other people need to do it with practical experience,” she said.
“I think that is a really good way of working with your boss and your team to say, ‘This is how I learned how to get the best out of me’ and having those conversations with your new boss.”
Check in regularly
While knowing all these tips can be helpful, the core part of settling into a new job involves allowing enough time to get to grips with things, which can be difficult. But Lindsay-Dunn said one of the most important tips she gives new starters during that settling-in period is to check in regularly, both with yourself but also your manager and colleagues.
“If you’ve got a mentor or a buddy that you’ve been assigned … check in with them. Find out how you feel it’s going versus how they feel. I think that will really boost people’s confidence,” she said.
“It’s more around engaging, connecting and asking as many questions as possible and I think the challenge that we always have when someone starts a new job is they don’t always want to ask a lot of questions … that’s actually not the right approach. So, check in regularly and get feedback on how you are doing.”
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