How to adapt to a new job

Every person can face the need to join a new team in their life. We change jobs in search of more interesting activities, high salaries, flexible bosses and friendly colleagues. However, our psyche is designed in such a way that it reacts to any changes with certain protective mechanisms, thereby trying to reduce the impact of potential stress on the individual.

As a result, the first day at work turns into absolute horror: we are nervous, afraid of doing something wrong, and the boss has already begun to look askance in our direction. The first impression of the individual as a promising and balanced worker is hopelessly spoiled. How to avoid such a scenario and join the team organically? This will be discussed in this article.

Types of adaptation

Adaptation is divided into two main types: primary, if a person is employed for the first time, and secondary, for employees with existing transition experience.

To be precise, it includes the following subspecies:

social—familiarity with the traditions and foundations of the company, acceptance of norms of behavior;
production - inclusion of a new employee in the production process, studying the rules and becoming familiar with working conditions;
professional - acquiring new knowledge and skills, exploring opportunities for professional growth, building a career;
physiological - adaptation of a new employee to the schedule, daily routine;
psychological - building relationships with the team, management;
organizational - studying work issues, processes, obtaining information about which specialists are responsible for specific work;
economic - getting used to the system and level of payment.

Stress in a new job is primarily associated with the unknown. When you find a job in a new company, you don’t know what difficulties await you. Getting used to work and the team seems incredibly difficult, and it’s scary to make mistakes. Feeling nervous is normal, even for professionals. The main thing is not to let stress prevent you from settling into your new job.

Adjustment period

Adaptation to a new job takes an average of 3 months, which is how long the probationary period lasts.

This period is recommended by psychologists - in three months a person has time to get to know his colleagues and get used to the rules. Many people cannot cope with stress, and it is especially difficult for introverts. Difficulties with social adaptation lead to decreased performance, mistakes, and violations of rules.

This often leads to layoffs. Therefore, it is important to go through each period of adaptation to new responsibilities and prepare yourself mentally so as not to experience stress.

There are three phases of addiction depending on the period of work.

1. Acute.

It goes away within the first 3 months after changing jobs. Stress and adaptation to new conditions lead to uncertainty in one’s actions and indecision.

The work may not seem as serious as it seemed. Gradually, the psychological stress passes, and addiction sets in. The stage ends with the awareness of the fact that there is nothing overly complicated in the work; there is enough knowledge and experience to complete it.

2. Optimistic.

Occurs 4-6 months after employment. Psychological discomfort passes, the person begins to feel calm. Communication with colleagues improves, the director assigns him more responsible tasks. Work begins to bring joy and moral satisfaction.

3. Secondary.

Begins 6-8 months after employment. A person feels like a full member of the company, knows formal and informal rules very well, and knows how to find an approach to subordinates.

One of the main problems is how to get used to a new job without experience. In this case, the adaptation period increases.

Creative tasks

In the Radiotekhnika chain of stores, trainees are given assignments to navigate the premises: get to know the owner’s assistant, find a meeting room with a TV, find the name of the person in charge of finances on the organization chart. Certain positions have unique tasks: advertising managers - to conduct a sociological survey in a store, purchasing department managers - to study the goods on store shelves and the specifics of arrangement in six different areas.

“We have prepared a very difficult, but very interesting task for our new recruits, initiation, so to speak,” says Igor Shulinin, director of Workki in Russia. – We invite them to take a quest to study service, competition and automation technologies with further discussion in the team. Not a single idea, not a single observation should be missed."

Another task in Workki is the paperclip exercise, which requires a newbie to walk up to a complete stranger in the office and exchange a regular paperclip for a more valuable item. During communication, it is important to open up to the person, find out what he does, and establish friendly contact.

Cantata offers five types of training: on communication with guests and sales, assortment, management, gift wrapping and merchandising, and personal development. A store quest helps the employee remember the arrangement of goods: using cards with different groups of goods (Japanese green tea, flavored coffee, truffles, gift wrapping), the employee finds the product on the sales floor and moves on to the next card.

In a more complex version of the quest, the cards contain questions about the assortment (for example, “Which dessert contains basil?”) or theory (for example, “Find a type of tea that translates as “big red robe”).” To improve the quality of service, a special training was invented, when a mentor and a trainee discuss the trainee’s purchasing experience in any other store and try to remember two negative and two positive examples and understand what the client liked and did not like about the service and how this knowledge can be applied to a specific store .

How to undergo adaptation: 10 tips

Make a plan.

Before starting work, make a list of actions and, if necessary, ask your boss for help. You must clearly understand what you plan to get from your new position and what you expect. This will help you get into the right mindset for work and build your plans taking into account your job responsibilities.

Write down more.

Carry a notepad with you and write down everything that might be useful: the names of colleagues, the location of important offices, lunch breaks for different departments.

Don't beat yourself up.

Don’t worry if no one talks to you, invites you for coffee, or even looks in your direction. Smile, act casual and do not impose your company.

Join the team gradually.

The process of adaptation in the workplace involves gradual acquaintance with the team. Find out about the company's traditions and don't refuse to participate in corporate events.

Don't refuse help, become a student.

Don't be afraid to learn new things, even from colleagues who are lower in position than you. Any information about the company as a whole and the team is important.

Be efficient and punctual.

Do not violate labor discipline. Frequent tardiness will cause senior management and colleagues to form a negative opinion of you. Try to constantly improve your performance, improve results and always strive for the best.

Don't be afraid to make a mistake.

Everyone makes mistakes, even professionals with extensive experience. And you just took a new position, joined a new team. During the probationary period, it is possible to make a mistake. Don't be afraid of it. You don't need constant nervous tension. Let go and allow yourself to make mistakes.

The difficult adaptation period at work lasts about a month. After this, you will confidently enter the office, find a common language with colleagues, and begin to get used to your job responsibilities.

Preparing for a new employee

Even before the person arrives, show that the company is waiting for him. The workplace should be ready, and all useful information should be at hand:

Create a work manual. Describe the organization's history and values. Write briefly about the company structure, work programs, personnel and organizational details. Leave contact details of colleagues who will answer additional questions.

Provide the employee with the necessary resources. Set up your workplace in advance and install the software.

Leave some extra time. Schedule the newcomer's appearance on a day that is not busy with meetings. The time you go to work on the first day should not coincide with the start of the working day. If problems arise, you will have the opportunity to correct them.

What not to do during the adaptation period

Changing jobs is almost always stressful. It is easier to survive it if you adhere to the following rules:

you cannot violate people’s personal boundaries or interfere in someone else’s work if its implementation is not your task;
do not violate the rules established by the company;
do not criticize or discuss employees, be loyal to your subordinates;
try not to compare your current job with your previous one;
do not boast about your successes, position and achievements in front of your colleagues;
do not forget about your health and well-being;
do not criticize your superiors, especially in the presence of new colleagues.

As a newcomer, new colleagues will look at you for as long as you look at them. Don't pretend to be better than others; take a neutral position. Be restrained, but confident in yourself, try to live up to the position you occupy.

If adaptation to a new place of work is difficult, consult a psychologist. Ask for advice from the general director, other managers with whom you managed to find a common language, go to the forum of workers from your field.

Social adaptation in a new workplace

You can be a true professional with extensive work experience, but not enjoy the respect of your colleagues, who sooner or later will begin to “put a spoke in your wheels.” Therefore, a person’s social adaptation to work is considered the most difficult.

The main thing that is required of you is not to violate existing traditions and respect internal rules.

This does not mean that if the entire department is taking smoke breaks, then you should start smoking too. Adopt only useful habits that are interesting to you - walking after work, hanging out together, working out at the gym.

At first, watch the old-timers, pay attention even to the little things - where they put the dishes, whether they drink tea at their desk, how often they take smoke breaks. Respect the usual course of events and do not introduce your own rules at first. In the future, you will be able to offer new traditions when you leave the ranks of newcomers.

Social adaptation occurs in three main stages.

1. Assimilation of norms.

There are two types of norms - formal and informal. You will be told about the formal rules during induction, and you can also read them in the job descriptions. These are the basic rules of the company, non-compliance with which is fraught with a reprimand and a fine.

Informal rules are not written down anywhere. These are traditions, the observance of which will allow you to earn respect in the team. You can familiarize yourself with them or ask your colleagues for help.

2. Individualization.

At the second stage, you will have to learn to work independently. This is done this way: after studying the traditions of the company, you can gradually introduce your principles into your work.

For example, if you are an active person, and most of your colleagues prefer not to get up from their desks, then think about where to direct your energy. It is advisable for the benefit of the company that your hyperactivity is appreciated by higher management.

3. Integration.

This is a special time of adaptation to a new job. Individualization was successful; you learned to implement your habits at work without violating the informal traditions of the company. If everything is done correctly, the team will get used to your habits, and some will even adopt them.

If you show people how great it is to maintain an active lifestyle, go to the theater or read books, then your enthusiasm will definitely be appreciated, and you will find friends with similar interests.

Reasons for mobbing

When a lot of tension accumulates in the team itself, but there is no outlet for this tension for a long period, then it may well “shoot” at a new person who is not so familiar, and for now he is more like an object, because the relationship has not been formed.
Management does not know how to manage people, set goals, strategies and prioritize, so it can affect the microclimate among employees.
An incorrectly established channel of communication between management and subordinates, in this case, the possession of any information causes the illusion of power in one of the colleagues, which he will manipulate.
When a company is in crisis, sometimes bullying is carried out artificially so that at the end of the probationary period you will want to quit yourself, having worked a fair amount of the allotted time, giving your all. Or say that you were not selected because you did not cope, but this is in the case when there are too many unjustified claims against you from management.

You can read more about mobbing here.

What to do on your first day of work

The most important first day at a new job should be spent in such a way as to leave a good impression and learn new things. From the first minutes of being in the office, study your colleagues, pay attention to their communication style and behavior.

What to do on your first day of work.

Understand job responsibilities. Read the documents that will be given to you and ask questions to management if necessary.
Familiarize yourself with the internal work schedule: when the working day begins and ends, what time is lunch, how often can you go out for smoke breaks.
Learn about corporate traditions. This will take more than one day; it will take a long time to get acquainted with the internal charter of the company, but you should start from the first day.
Complete all necessary instructions: safety instructions, first aid, fire safety.
Get a list of contacts that will be needed in your work. Find out your preferred method of contacting management.
Take a tour of the common areas, find out where the dining room and bathroom are located.
Get to know the employees with whom your work will be closely related.

How to survive a job change without feeling too stressed? Prepare thoroughly for the first day. Be prepared for difficulties, but guidance will help you overcome them. Immediately clarify who will help you and advise you, whether there is a mentor. Moreover, his help will not be needed constantly, but only for the period of adaptation.

Mikhail Pritula:

“What we call adaptation consists of 3 stages: onboarding, induction, adaptation. Onboarding is the process of introducing an employee to a company, like on an airplane. At this stage, the person is provided with primary information.

Many HR systems allow you to prepare for going back to work. You can enter your data into the system, read the employee handbook, set up mail, messenger and other tools for work.”

How to effectively train employees

8 steps

Thank you. It will be interesting!

How to overcome anxiety at a new job

Moving to a new job is stressful due to a change in environment, social circle, schedule, responsibilities, which forces the entire body to restructure. Against this background, sleep and memory worsen, and concentration decreases.

If you do not overcome this condition, you can become depressed or have a nervous breakdown.

The first thing you need to do to overcome anxiety is to accept temporary difficulties. Understand that adaptation is temporary; you will soon get the hang of it and remember your first days at your new job with a smile.

There is no need to demand the impossible from yourself. Don't set any standards for yourself at all. The first two weeks you are just getting acquainted with the job, allow yourself to spend time learning about the team and job responsibilities.

In a state of stress, you may find that the answers you receive to your questions are quickly forgotten or the question remains open. In this case, do not hesitate to ask again. Don't be afraid that you will seem stupid or that people will laugh at you. Be confident and smile.

Don't be ashamed to admit your emotions and feelings. Be honest: “I’m a little nervous about my new job.” How to cope? Become social. Invite your colleagues to a bar or cafe to get acquainted, treat them to drinks and snacks. Communication in an informal setting will help you integrate into the team, gain respect and trust among the staff.

Don't try to be better than others, be yourself. By standing out from the crowd, you risk attracting unnecessary attention. Stay neutral, because you will already be the center of attention and the subject of discussion for the first few weeks.

Another way to calm down in a new job is to enlist the support of your manager. Ask to introduce you to the team and briefly describe your position.

Be confident in your abilities, do not be afraid of mistakes and stupidity on your part. This will help you adapt, get used to your daily routine and responsibilities.

Employment support for top managers

Find out how to be guaranteed to get a job in the largest Russian and international companies with TakeMyTime and methods from successful senior executives

More details

Quantity

Author of the publication

offline 10 hours