Starting a new job can be exciting but often very stressful, and it is even more unnerving if you are starting a new job at a new company. A well-run interview and hiring process will help set expectations. But it is still impossible for the hiring process to reveal all the details and the reality of what the work will feel like daily.
New vocabulary, people, processes, and required results can create significant problems if not planned well. Studies done by organizational health companies show that the first year will unfold with surprises, and if these surprises prove to be negative, they can derail your career.
It is not unusual for the hiring leader to change their opinion of the new hire if the first 30-60 days go poorly. It is also not uncommon for the new hire to devolve into stress-induced behaviors that don’t showcase their best abilities.
How should you own the career change from the interview process to a successful first year and continued success?
There are three things to focus on to ensure success, either in the same company or a new company altogether.
First, build relationships with key stakeholders.
Your leadership, the customers you serve, and your peers immensely impact your success. No matter who you meet with, prepare well. Ask great questions about what success looks like. Listen much more than you speak. Be able to tell your professional story succinctly. But make sure to include your values, purpose, and why your purpose led you to this role. Immediately open the relationship as a channel of continuous feedback and improvement.
Collaborate with those leading you to set clear expectations along milestone stages of your first year – 30, 90, 180, and 365-day windows. Open this channel and set your expectations humbly and focus on specific results.
Be ready to start any engagement with your customers humbly to serve their needs and listen for ideas to improve results.
Peers are part of your success, whether you work together for the same department or cross-functionally. Your peers will allow you to see new perspectives. A great goal is to find a trusted ally who can help you see the invisible “clotheslines” that often hang people up at the company.
Secondly, secure early wins based on your direct leader expectations.
Focus on delivering early successes related to the reason they hired you. Meaningful early wins are hard to come by and may require extra effort to ensure you understand the company’s vocabulary, processes, systems, and methods. In the first year of dealing with serious change and stress, humility and a positive mindset are critical.
From your interview, in pre-hire discussions with your direct leader, and through the first few days of orientation, you should ask questions to perceive your highest impact early wins.
Seek out opportunities specific to your customers. Ask great questions about what is going well and what isn’t going well. Listen to customers and serve them better and more thoroughly than they expect. Collaborating with others is vital, so you do not appear rogue or self-seeking. Focus on outcomes that matter for the greater good.
Then, become a student of the company culture and impact.
After establishing the proper relationships and succeeding with highly collaborative wins, you should understand the culture and how the company you work for impacts its industry and markets. This will give you a broader vision for your career trajectory.
Look for key stakeholders beyond your immediate department or boss to network with about company strategy, the competition in the market, the risks or threats to the company, and long-term opportunities. Prepare by thoroughly researching the person you are meeting and the company topics you want to discuss.
Ask your direct leader and potentially their leader to provide feedback and areas of development you should improve to maximize your career in a 180-365 review. Add these elements to your career plan and follow up proactively – show your willingness to take feedback and grow intentionally to meet your career purpose.
Throughout your first year of a new job, there are signals about how you are progressing. If you are not getting specific results, look for the following habits:
- You are talking or explaining yourself more than listening.
- You are spending more time in conflict than seeing the real culture.
If you find yourself in these situations, you should revisit the tips above. However, you are likely doing quite well if you are building solid relationships, feeling an expansion of responsibilities, or the results are coming faster than expected. Either way, have consistent and authentic discussions with your leaders, customers, and peers, and you will begin to find success in any new role.