Useful tips I used when starting my new job...

I am really excited to have just started a new position as an HR Business Partner and whilst starting a new job can be daunting regardless of the company and role, the first few days and weeks can be instrumental to set up for success before you get lost in the work. I have followed these tips to ensure I get the most out of my start to ensure I am ready for the exciting challenges ahead….

Introduce yourself, a lot:

Given the quick turnaround in roles, I found myself without a laptop for the first couple of days with Omnicell, which was a little bit of a blessing as it meant that I didn’t get stuck behind a desk doing online training. I believe that no matter what role you do, or which team you are on, it is really important to introduce yourself far and wide within the company. If you are like me, you will then have to re-introduce yourself just to remember people’s names.

Whilst it can be awkward, a quick hello goes a long way.

Ask stupid questions:

Whilst it is great having the ‘new card’ and being able to get away with not knowing things, it is really important to ask questions when they come up. This will help accelerate learning and to get a broader understanding of the company, your team and role. Companies (especially Omnicell) also have a habit of talking in their own language with acronyms, it is really important to learn the language as soon as possible.

Learn the business:

I spoke to the Managing Director on my first day and I asked him if he would like me to focus on anything in particular during my first month, his reply was simple but fantastic, he simply asked that I get to know his business and that I focus myself on being a sponge and learning as much as possible about the people, products, processes, policies, etc…

Getting to know the business is one of the important phases of an induction – again it sounds simple, but an employee doesn’t become effective in their role until they really know the business.

Be open, say yes:

To help get established in the company it is important to accept opportunities to be included in projects or meetings - even if you’re not exactly sure what you’re saying yes to. Diving right in can earn you credibility and respect early on, as well as helping you to learn more about the business.

Attack Board:

Setting myself with an attack board has been a great way to give myself targets to help me focus, this has been key to setting me on the right track.

I plan to turn my attack board into a 30-60-90-day plan, something to structure priorities and most importantly identify quick wins!

I love the sense of achievement and therefore establishing and achieving quick wins is extremely important to me.

Take initiative:

It is really important to stand out whilst at work and the best way to do this is to have the ability to see something that needs to be done and do something about it. It sounds simple but, in my experience, most people wait to be told what to do rather than having the courage to take initiative themselves.

Having a new job gives you the opportunity to strengthen what your personal brand is. An important trait that I want to be associated with is somebody that takes the initiative and therefore is more proactive rather than reactive.

I have therefore spent my time asking the right probing questions to surface some opportunities to capitalise on.