How To: Ace Your First Week

The first week of any new job is always tough and impressing your new boss is your way of showing them that hiring you was the best decision they ever made!

The question is, how do you really maximise your impact? For me, and for you as an employer or employee, the first week of any job sets the tone for the rest of your career. That’s why doing it right is critical.

At my private equity firm, Hamilton Bradshaw, we place particular importance on the induction process and integrate new staff into our company culture before they officially start.

In my 30 years’ experience, I’ve discovered there are a few essentials every employer and employee should take into consideration;

Employers! Think about:

Take a leaf out of my book and make an effort to make the induction process as seamless and useful as possible. During the notice period, why not invite your new starter to grab a coffee, go to lunch or join you at any social events you’re holding so they have the chance to meet the rest of the team.

This always works really well for us because when it comes to their first week, they already feel like part of the group and nerves aren’t getting the better of them.

Embedding them in to the company culture like this creates a sense of belonging and means you get the best of both worlds – you’ll get to know them on a personal level and they’ll be more productive now they feel more at ease with the responsibility of their role.

Knowledge is king and I understand the more you know, the more comfortable you are. I will often create a new starter Dropbox account and send over as much information about the role and the business as possible including objectives and future vision.

This is all designed to recognise the importance of the first week and make your staff feel as welcome as possible which in the long run, will improve your business brand and talent attraction strategy.

Employees! Think about:

It’s always assumed that the new employee should be doing all the impressing but that’s not true – the employer has to impress you too!

Just imagine how much better your first week would be if you already knew the people you were working with, you’re already mentally prepared, integrated with your colleagues, made allies in the office and that initial sense of fear has disappeared. Not only will you be more comfortable in your surroundings and avoid retreating into yourself, but you’ll be far more confident about meeting your objectives because they will be already be clear in your mind.

If your new employer doesn’t suggest meeting prior to your start date, why not do it yourself? Show you’re eager to get involved – ask your employer if you can meet with the team and spend a day at the office. I for one would be really impressed if someone did this because not only would it show they are taking control of their career, but it illustrates they’re a team player and they want to be in the best possible position to carry out the new role effectively.

Bear this in mind now you’ve officially accepted the new role. Maximising your impact could be the difference between passing your probation period or not and feeling fulfilled in the workplace.

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