90 days Curse

 Hard work pays off in future, laziness pays off now.

Research indicates that about 20 percent of employee turnover happens in the first 90 days of employment. That means that one of every five college graduates today are likely to have left that job within just three months. So, what happens during the first 90 days of employment that causes so many employees to leave? How can you make sure you are not one of them?

Just follow the seven rules that not only are simple but require zero talent as well.

Don’t furlough

Having almost one hundred percent attendance ends up creating an impression on your manager that you are ready to work hard for the company. If you can’t attend office for a day, call in well in advance, preferably the day before you plan to take leave. If you are sick, call before your office timings are supposed to start. This creates an impression on your boss that you aren’t the kind who waits for time to go by before reporting a problem. 

Don’t take it easy

The less effort you put in, the fewer results you bear, which creates a negative image of yours on your manager, who wonders whether you are suited for the job. It’s better to give it all you have in these first three months. The more work you put in, the more positive image of yours is created for your manager. It also adds a tag of “reliability” on you which become an insurance for job security. 

Don’t just listen: take notes all the time

Also, while listening and learning, take notes. This helps in two ways. First, these notes will serve as a future reference for you when you need to use them. Relying on your own memory is a brazen risk, as you never know when or how you may forget it, and you never know when it may come back to haunt you in a crunch moment. Also, making notes makes your manager feel assured that she/he may not need to repeat the instruction/ advice.

Don’t resort to violence of silence, ask if you don’t understand

Your bosses don’t expect you to know everything when you join a job and are mostly ready to help. But they can answer a question only if it is asked. This is a problem that many new employees have. They don’t ask questions and get theses answered in time, because they were never told to do so. If you have a question, ask it. Fix up a time with who you think can answer it, and get it answered as soon as possible. As Sir Francis Bacon has said, “Knowledge is power”. Having it in time is more useful than having it late.

Don’t be a freeloader

Many offices nowadays have certain facilities that come with them - free food, a coffee/tea machine, and more features to help their employees. Some of the new college graduates overuse such facilities which ends up creating a negative impact on your co-workers, as they start seeing you as greedy. This impression sooner or later will reach your manager who may start seeing that as a negative in you, that can start hampering your career.

Don’t treat workplace as part time dating playground

A major pointer to remember in office is how professional you behave. Putting it simply, do what you’re being paid for. An office area is an area for ninety percent work and ten percent socialising that supports the ninety percent – not vice versa. Putting socialising on the top of your priority list and shifting work to a lower place will end up getting you fired.

Another important aspect of being professional is to not have any religious or social intolerance or similar hang-ups. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion, a workplace is not the area for loudly expressing or taking action on those opinions. It is highly recommended to behave in a controlled detached way when being around people who may not match your opinion.

Don’t create informal trade-unions

A simple advice is to avoid creating groups of like-minded people based on religion, caste, area etc. If one does so, then they indirectly brand themselves as belonging to ghettos. This will also be seen as an inability to adapt to different people and to be open-minded. If your company has a lot of diversity, being in such a group can get you on your bosses’ radar for a bad reason, which may end up costing you your job.

If you can leverage the seven tips above, you should be able to establish yourself as an effective team player with a desire to exceed expectations. Your boss will be too willing to work with you for months and years.