Your First Day in a New Work Environment

Walking into a new job is something which inspires knee knocking-terror in first time job seekers and seasoned veterans of the job market alike. While the experience of landing a new job is an exciting one, filled with prospect and opportunity, the act of walking into a new work environment is one which is filled with trepidation and a fear of the unknown.



Now, whether you’re fresh out of college and are heading out into the real world for your first foray in the workplace, or, you’re a high powered executive who has just moved companies, there are a couple of pointers which will help you make the transition from one environment to another easier.



The first challenge associated with entering a new work environment is getting to grips with the people who you’ll be working with from now on. In the case of the first time job seeker, you’re going to have to be able to suss out who is important to getting your job done. You’re also going to have to learn a lot of names and faces fast. Unfortunately, it’s fairly easy to forget who people are when you’re introduced to a large amount of new people over a short period of time.



If possible, you should endeavour to implement some memory tricks and techniques to help you remember everyone’s name. There’s nothing more embarrassing than entering a new environment, getting introduced, and having to reintroduce yourself two hours down the line. If you know that you’re terrible at recalling names and faces, make the effort to familiarise yourself with the people who you’ll be working with directly. At least this way you’ll have someone to consult with on names that you have not remembered.



For people entering management positions, it might appear that learning the names of people you’ll be working with isn’t as important as it is for people entering their first job. Nothing could be further from the truth. Taking the time to learn peoples’ names portrays you as a friendly and proficient individual. While it’s easy to think "I’m the boss, cower beneath me brief mortals," this type of attitude will not endear you to people who have to work under you. While your management style may be authoritarian in nature, you’ll still find that you’ll earn more respect and achieve higher rates productivity if your staff are inclined to like you. You don’t have to become everybody’s friend, far from it; you just need to treat people with the respect that they deserve. You’ll be surprised at how far learning peoples’ names will take you down the road to acceptance and professional respect.



Learning the ropes is the next big challenge associated with entering a new work environment. Even if you’re experienced in the position that you’ve been hired for, you’ll generally find that each company has its own unique way of getting things done. Often it’s the little aspects of a job that make all of the difference. If you’re new to the working environment, make sure that you familiarise yourself with your employer’s systems and process. Where you save a file on the company server might seem like a trivial concern to you, if you’ve forwarded your work onto its relevant destination, but it can significantly hamper the performance of your entire team if nobody knows where to find it further down the line. Typically employers will subject you to an orientation process where these systems and processes are explained, don’t be afraid to pull out a note book a record what’s expected of you. It’ll save you having to the mundane questions that irritate colleagues further down the line. If your new employer doesn’t explain how things are done in their company, make sure that you take it upon yourself to find out. Sitting on your laurels and doing things how you think they should be done will not impress anyone.



Learning the ropes in a management position is a different kettle of fish entirely. There’s a good chance that you’ve been hired to affect radical change and improve performance. There’s an even better chance that you’re good at what you do and have some fantastic ideas for achieving your targets. The important thing to remember on your first day in a management position is to familiarise yourself with the company and its processes. Don’t charge into a new environment with a to-do list and a whip. Take the time to critically appraise the company’s processes and systems before you start to implement change. This will ensure that you don’t try to fix what isn’t broken. Once you are familiar with the company, its strengths and its weaknesses, by all means start doing what you know needs to be done.



Obviously there are other factors to consider on your first day in a new work environment. They include things like wearing clothing which is appropriate to your position and the company ethos; behaving in a manner which is appropriate to the work environment; treating people with the respect they deserve and not upsetting your superiors. These are aspects of your first day which you are going to have to consider carefully and cater to accordingly. Your first day in the workplace is about creating a good first impression and setting yourself up for a successful term of employment. That means that you should try to establish sustainable, productive relationships and familiarise yourself with what is expected of you in your new position. Remember, you’ve managed to make it through the gruelling selection process to get to your first day in a new workplace. Your new employer has demonstrated their belief in you and your abilities by offering you the position, so relax, settle in and make the most of it.

Source: http://talentocean.co.za/magazine/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32:your-first-day-in-a-new-work-environment