How to behave in a new job - 7 common mistakes on the first day

Adaptation is the process of adapting an employee to work in a new organization. Every person, student or experienced worker, experiences stress when changing jobs. People tend to worry whether they will cope, whether they will be able to establish relationships with colleagues, how interaction with management will develop. Few people can immediately get involved in work; according to a Superjob study, it takes one to four months to get used to a new place.

It is important for the employer that the adaptation of new employees is quick and painless. According to the study, only 27% of companies organize preboarding for new employees (the process of adapting an employee to new conditions even before he goes to work).

Most people who quit in the first 6 months of starting a job made the decision to do so in the first 2-3 weeks. Successful adaptation of personnel would avoid the costs of finding and training employees to replace those who quit.

Scared to go to a new job

Everyone dreads the first day at a new job. It's clear. But let’s figure out what you’re afraid of.

I'm afraid I won't like you

Not worth it. No one judges a person by their first meeting, or a specialist by their first day. Look, listen, remember. No more is required.

What if I make a serious mistake?

It is unlikely that in the first days or even weeks you will be entrusted with something truly complex and responsible. In addition, an experienced employee will definitely be asked to look after the new one.

I'm afraid that my colleagues won't accept me

In vain. Usually, beginners are helped to get used to it faster.

Catch lifehacks - how to cope with stress:
Dress as comfortably as possible.
Take your talisman - something that brings good luck
Put some chocolate in your bag

Three approaches to adaptation

“Optical” - “you work, and we’ll look at you”

This approach cannot be called successful. Employers who choose it prefer to discuss the employee's salary and responsibilities after looking at him in action. There is practically no training; a beginner gets to work right away. If he doesn't fit, they hire someone else. For a new employee, this can result in frustration and a feeling of uselessness.

“Army” - “hard in training, easy in battle”

The probationary period becomes a real test of survival - the newcomer is given complex and responsible tasks, but is not explained how to complete them. Under these conditions, only the most purposeful remain. The employee who was not suitable is parted with and a new one is hired. This method has negative consequences: after joining the staff, the new employee relaxes or begins to “revenge”. Newcomers in such organizations are treated with hostility or tried not to notice - it is unknown how long they will last. Thus, an attempt to hire the best personnel results in the long term in a bad attitude towards work and conflicts in the team.

“Affiliate” – “we will help”

This approach is the result of an effective personnel policy. The employer realizes that there are no ideal candidates, does not delay the search, but chooses the most suitable person for the position. Entry into work is as smooth as possible - the employee is trained, introduced to the organization, and assigned a mentor so that he can ask him his questions.

Vladimir Trofimenko , General Director of the Mankiewicz representative office in Russia and the CIS countries, Member of the Strategic Council for Investments in New Industries under the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade:

“Our project management system was implemented in a natural, organic way and was based on the desire to achieve the company’s goals. We do not have a department that could deal with personnel adaptation. Instead, a “start-up” system has been introduced. They are formed based on the psychophysiological characteristics of each participant and are based on continuous training of team leaders who monitor balance, clear planning and hierarchy within the team. With this approach, the effectiveness of an entire department is always greater than the sum of the abilities of its constituent employees. Each startup is recruited for a specific project, and its duration depends on the deadline for completing the task. As soon as one startup closes, a new one is immediately formed, with a different composition of employees. Thus, the new employee does not go through a long adaptation process, but immediately gets to work and gets to know his startup colleagues. When the task changes, the newcomer begins to delve into the specifics of the work of another startup and works with other colleagues. It is quite difficult to accept a structure where there are no instructions for staff, a percentage of sales and penalties. But the results speak for themselves: at Mankiewicz, our average employee tenure is 12 years, and there is no staff turnover that plagues Russian companies. Many stay with us after coming for an internship for the first time as students. This means that the system confirms its effectiveness.”

Behaved unnaturally

Often beginners are afraid to show their weaker sides.

If you don’t perceive information well by ear, ask it to be repeated and write it down.

If you find it difficult to communicate with strangers, keep communication to a minimum. Don't forget, you'll have to maintain your image later.

Remember: you came to work. The main thing is that you are respected as a professional.

Of course, you shouldn’t shy away from communication. Behave as usual, but don't be too categorical - it's always scary.

Possible mistakes

You can’t conflict with new colleagues or contradict your boss

You need to know what actions will be unacceptable:

you cannot break the established rules;
it is unacceptable to criticize or discuss anyone;
you cannot compare your current place with your previous job, in particular, discuss work issues;
there is no need to conflict with anyone;
you cannot transfer your behavior from one job to another, especially if the specializations were completely opposite;
there is no need to boast to people about your abilities and intellectual data;
you cannot bend under pressure from colleagues and abandon your principles;
there is no need to dwell on your mistakes, treat them as experience;
Don’t be overly active or passive;
there is no need to rush to draw conclusions, it is better to weigh everything;
You should not forget about your well-being and health;
there is no need to suck up or flatter someone;
You can’t be overly self-confident;
It is unacceptable to comment on the decisions and actions of the boss.

Now you know what adaptation is like at work. You need to be prepared for the fact that the process may be lengthy. Be patient and realize that all people go through this at some point in their lives. Remember the recommendations outlined in this article, follow the adaptation rules and avoid mistakes.

How was my first day at work - stories from the Gorodrabot.ru team

I was told to come at nine in the morning. I came - but my boss wasn’t there. It turned out that he always arrives at ten. They simply forgot about me that day
They immediately gave me a bunch of names. Of course, I didn't remember anything. I had to look for colleagues using social networks to find out what their names were
She got a job as an administrator at a medical center. A patient came to make an appointment with a venereologist. To convince me of the seriousness of the disease, he was eager to show me the diseased organ
First day as a university teacher. The students didn’t wait for me for the first class - they got the building mixed up
During the interview I was able to impress with my level of qualifications. On the first day I updated the computer of a colleague who was on vacation - and broke it
First job. It was so scary that I never got up from my chair all day, didn’t drink or eat anything
On the first day of work as a sales manager, he told the client the amount to be paid by 20,000 rubles less than needed. It’s good that the client was reasonable and agreed to pay extra later
I had an interview and agreed on a day to return to work. But in the morning I became so scared that I didn’t go to a new job.
First day of work, I'm an assistant manager. I sat beautifully in a chair all day because the boss was in meetings from 9:00 to 18:00

Types of adaptation:

Adaptation can be primary , if an employee starts work for the first time in his life, and secondary , when he already has work experience. However, this division does not cover all the directions in which employees adapt to the new environment. If we consider this process in more detail, we can distinguish the following types of adaptation:

1. Social adaptation – familiarization with the “company atmosphere”, integration into the social environment, acceptance of norms of behavior, active interaction with this environment. 2. Production adaptation - inclusion of an employee in the production process, study of labor standards and production conditions, this includes getting used to new technology and software, studying a CRM system. 3. Professional adaptation – acquisition of new knowledge and skills needed in a new place of work, assessment of growth prospects, opportunities for training and advanced training. 4. Physiological adaptation – adaptation to new working conditions, schedule, loads. 5. Psychological adaptation – building relationships with the team and management. 6. Organizational adaptation - the study of interaction mechanisms in the organization: who can be contacted with this or that question, who reports to whom. Its result is a clear understanding of your place in the company structure. 7. Economic adaptation is the process of getting used to the system of material incentives and the level of payment.

Ask and ask again

I'm constantly worried about how I look from the outside, and I'm afraid of seeming narrow-minded. When under stress, anxiety increases. Before asking any (even the most necessary) question, I doubt it, say it to myself and figure out whether it’s worth it. In the end, of course, I ask – and not just one question, but a whole bunch.

At first it’s hard for me to ask for help, but then, along with other difficulties, I accept this too. Google doesn't have anything about processes or traditions in a specific team, but I need this information to perform my tasks well. All that remains is to ask your colleagues. Once you flip this switch in your head, the embarrassment disappears.

What stands apart in this topic is the need to ask again. It can be difficult for me to admit that I didn’t understand the answer, but... this road also needs to be walked. If you are embarrassed to ask again, it is important to notice this feeling and come to an agreement with yourself. In the end, what would be better: to remain silent, not to seem stupid and not learn something important, or to ask again, even if it’s awkward for me? The second option always wins - both when I didn’t catch the name of a new colleague, and when I didn’t understand the technical details.

And then, if you ask a lot of questions, it means you care. Everyone will like your indifference.

Rules for the first working week

In the first 3 months, the manager, HR and the employee himself must put in a lot of effort. The newcomer is worried that expectations from the place of work may not coincide with reality. The more insecure a person feels, the more difficult it is to work.

To help integrate into the company, the boss should support the employee. The first week is the most important for adaptation.

Introduce the employee to the team personally. Send out an email so that those who missed the new person can find out about him. Mention the newcomer's previous experience and responsibilities. Introduce the employee to clients, if necessary. Make the first day an easy version of a normal work day.

Tell us about the products and customers, show the organizational structure of the company, explain which colleagues are responsible for what.

Outline the employee's area of responsibility and your expectations. Explain how tasks are set in the organization and their implementation is monitored. Give some tasks for the current week.

Familiarize the newcomer with the team rules, work schedule, corporate traditions, team building, vacation and lunch schedules.

Tell us in which areas you are ready to provide support. If you see that a person does not share his difficulties, ask a recruiter for help.

Finding out the reasons

Before making any decisions, let's carefully analyze why you don't like the job. The reasons may be as follows:

Not satisfied with job responsibilities.
The team is unsuccessful.
I don't like the manager's attitude.
The salary is different than promised.
Not at all what I would like to do.

Now let's look at each of them in detail.

Difficulties of the adaptation process

A new employee, especially one without experience in the field, wants to demonstrate his best side. The fear of not being able to cope with responsibilities, of losing oneself in the eyes of colleagues is the main obstacle in the adaptation of a newcomer. There are also fears of not working well with the new boss, of discovering one’s own incompetence and of losing one’s job. Adaptation measures should combat such phobias. Most layoffs occur in the first month of an employee's work. Moreover, this applies not only to voluntary dismissals. Accidents at work also occur in the first months of work for a newbie. To prevent such staff turnover in an organization, personnel adaptation is needed. The main goal of the adaptation process is to make the newcomer a working element of the team. We need to tell him about the specifics of his job duties, help him integrate into the team, and establish relationships between the team and his superiors. Ultimately, adaptation helps not only the newcomer get used to the team, but also colleagues and managers get used to the new employee. Trainings and educational events will help the employee undergo adaptation - this way the person will quickly understand his responsibilities and will be useful to the company. A system of public assignments for establishing close contact with the team will also be useful. Such assignments will help you get to know your colleagues and establish informal connections. At the initial stage, it is also worth monitoring the interaction between the boss and the newcomer - whether the work is being assessed fairly, whether the specialist corrects the manager’s comments. Finally, team building activities will help to integrate into the team.

How to behave if you...

Supervisor

Congratulations, you have the honor of onboarding a new employee. No one will do this for you, but they will definitely be able to help. So, what is required of you:

Meet the employee in the morning. Mark it immediately on your calendar or ask HR to always mark the new employee's start dates.
Show him around the office. Show the workplace, check that the employee is logged in everywhere.
Spend an hour talking with the newbie.
Talk about your company, division, and main tasks (general and personal). Tell what the employee needs to learn in the first week, what is expected of him in the first three months. Here are the documents you need. Here are the names of those with whom I would like you to talk about such and such. It’s better to communicate with me in this way, make appointments this way, contact me on such issues. The next time we will meet is then.
Smile. This is extremely important. Even if half your face is paralyzed, smile with the rest of your face. I'm serious, don't be a jerk, employees come to the company and leave the manager.
Set tasks and record them in writing, at least send them in the form of a letter by mail (this is after the meeting, when the tasks were discussed orally).
Provide all necessary documents and access.
Select an experienced and outgoing person on your team and assign him or her as a mentor for the employee. A newcomer can contact him with all questions.

New employee

Think about what information you are missing and where you will get it. Feel free to ask questions.
Understand your goals for the first week, month, three months. If the manager does not voice it, ask yourself.
Write down the names of everyone you meet. In general, at first I recommend writing everything down: the amount of information is large and will definitely be forgotten.
Tell us very briefly about yourself every time you meet, for example:
I'm Misha, 12 years in HR, worked at Alfa Bank, STB, Wargaming, created the most successful online HR courses at Laba, author of an article about life hacks for resumes, which was read 1 million times.
In the startup environment this is called “pitching” or elevator speech. Prepare in advance. For new employees, you are nobody until you tell them about yourself. Don't miss the chance to make a good impression right away.
If the position involves introducing changes in the company, it is easiest to make them in the first 60 days, then it will be harder. Especially if you need to make unpopular or simply difficult decisions: hiring, firing employees, transferring to another position, switching to new software, a new reporting form, rebuilding a process, investing in something new.
Plan small victories, they will help build trust in you. For example, choose small tasks that you can accomplish in the first 60 days and focus on them. Set aside tasks that require more than 60 days of your work for now. Here I would give an analogy with the Agile approach to programming, when we do not try to make a very large and very complex product at once, but divide it into parts and develop it step by step.
Set up 30-minute meetings with everyone you'll work with. Prepare a list of questions in advance and write down the answers.
Ask what works well, what works poorly, and what needs to be changed. You will collect a lot of information and build trusting relationships.
Conduct an audit and present the results if you are a manager or an expert.
Arrange for regular one-on-one meetings with your manager to share results and receive feedback.
Smile at your colleagues. Nobody wants to work with surly employees, even if you're currently stressed.

HR

I could write a whole book, but I will give you some of the most important tips:

Make it a newbie day: gather them in front of old employees and ask them to briefly introduce themselves (5 minutes). We do this at Preply, and it works really well.
Use special software to set up notifications for the employee and everyone involved so that they don’t forget what needs to be done when the employee leaves. We use BambooHR, which has an Onboarding section that allows you to set up notifications for any employees with any tasks and deadlines. For example, three days before an employee quits, the admin receives a notification about creating an account, and on the day of quitting, the manager receives a notification about the need to set tasks.
Communicate with newcomers regularly. If you don't have an HR business partner, have your recruiters talk to new hires once a week.

Colleague

Of course, as a colleague you don't have any responsibility for onboarding newcomers, but you can definitely benefit from it. People remember well who helped them in difficult times (although they don’t always talk about it publicly), so you have every chance of building a good relationship with a newcomer and then counting on his help. Here are some tips:

Meet first. Come up and say: “Hi, my name is Misha, I’m Head of HR here. I see you’re new, let’s get acquainted.”
Tell him to contact you with any questions.
Tell us what you consider important and necessary.
Invite them to lunch.
Ask the newcomer about past experiences, plans and goals. Provide information useful to achieve them.