Tips for First Day Jitters

By

Ron Owens

Easing the pain and anxiety of the first day on a new job is the responsibility of both employee and employer. Based on my many years of experience, I recommend the following:

The employee should:

·        Not put “all your eggs in one basket”. Put some of your emotional baggage into your family, hobbies, extra-curricular and community activities. Although that’s often difficult, because a job is often a “matter of life and death”, you don’t have to have all of your emotional needs filled at the office.

·        Be aware that the tensions won’t be limited to the hours you’re on the job. Know you’ll bring some anxiety home with you., and that you may be irritable. Explain that to the family and ask for their understanding.

·        Learn which method of adaptation is best for you and follow it. Some people cope better in a tense situation if they let off steam afterward by jogging, exercising or participating in sports. Others must spend leisure hours planning and organizing for the job.

·        Read the employee handbook and become familiar with company policies and standards.

·        Above all, listen. Listen. LISTEN. LISTEN. Take notes, if you have to. And please be attentive.

The employer should:

·        Realize the new employee feels uncomfortable in new surroundings. Make sure someone introduces him or her around and drops by the new employee’s desk frequently the first week to answer questions and provide orientation. Arrange to have someone take or invite him or her to lunch. At agencies where I have worked, we designated a seasoned employee as a sponsor for each new employee.

·        Make assignments clear, so the new employee feels he or she has a grip on things. Let the new employee know how his or her work relates to the big picture, so the new employee doesn’t think he or she is just going through the motions or some exercise. Once the new employee understands how his or her work fits in, that individual begins to feel more important, less dispensable.

·        Understand that some people are uncomfortable when they get into a new situation and can’t do their best work immediately. Adopt a “wait-and-see” attitude. Know the new employee may become frustrated by not being able to learn or become acquainted faster and might beat up themselves up for what he or she perceives as a failure.

·        Maintain a management “open-door policy, one in which an employee may address any matter of policy or problem.  

Ron Owens is President, Ron Owens & Associates, a market consultancy specializing in market development, diversity & inclusion, recruiting & retention and multicultural marketing. He is co-founder / principal, LMO Advertising; VP, Diversity & Inclusion, TMP Worldwide; VP, Bozell Worldwide; President, Ad Club of Metropolitan Washington; Governor, Mid-Atlantic Region of the 4A’s, Vice Chair, American Advertising Federation(AAF) and a member of the Association of National Advertisers. Ron is also a frequent guest speaker at many of the local colleges and universities. He can be reached via [email protected]