So you’ve been job hunting, and you’ve now found a new job. You’ve deliberated all your options and signed the contract. Congratulations! But what happens next? Not to worry. As an agency that hires for full time jobs in Singapore, we’ll detail all the steps you should do once you’ve landed a job. Well this article will give you the five major tips that you might’ve overlooked. Find out more below!
1. Get Up Early
Despite most offices still being home based, it is important to treat your first official work-from-home day like you would any other day. One way to do this is by waking up nice and early. Don’t forget to eat a hearty breakfast and dress up for the day! You might be required to attend several video meetings to introduce yourself to your new team members. Of course you’d want to look your best.
2. Be Proactive!
Whether or not your first day at work is in the office or from the comfort of your own home. It is always important to be proactive during the first few months at work. Simply because this is prime time to make an impression on your colleagues, boss, and even supervisor. But this is easier said than done, especially during the work from home season.
Some ways to be proactive on your first day of work include:
Introducing yourself: Most organizations will help you break the ice by scheduling a video call. However, you might need to continue introducing yourself throughout the next several weeks. We recommend sending an email out to your new team, with a quick introduction. It might help you break the ice.
Identify who you’ll be meeting: As mentioned, introductory meetings will still be the norm. Even during the work from home season. Meetings and video calls will be inevitable during your first week at your new job. Before each meeting, it will be best to take note of who it is you’re being introduced to. This can be done through a quick research of their LinkedIn profile. Find out more about the role of the colleague that you’ll be meeting and how you’ll be interacting with their role.
Ask questions: One way to make an impression at your new workplace right now is to ask as many questions as possible. It is best to ask everything that’s on your mind. But before asking your questions, prep everything that you think you need to know first.
Pro-Tip: Don’t forget to draw the lines between work and play when you’re working from home. It is no coincidence that the lines between work and rest are blurred during this time period. That’s why a number of Singaporean employees reported feeling burnt out during the work from home season. Some ways to recuperate from the work from home burnout and exhaustion can be found in this BGC Group article.
3. Schedule Regular Check-ins
Continue showing your new colleagues that you’re proactive by scheduling regular check in sessions. According to this article by Zenefits, it is recommended to over communicate with your colleagues when working from home. How you do this is entirely up to you. However, an easy way to do this would be to reply or acknowledge messages or conversations that your teammates might be having online.
Don’t know what to say? Something as simple as a “Good Morning” or “How are things with you today?”. Think about the different questions and topics that you’d talk to people with when you’re by the water cooler. You’d want to recreate that but online. If you find it hard to talk or make conversation with your colleagues online, you might want to check this article by Zapier for some tips and tricks.
4. Provide Status Updates
Providing status updates is perhaps the most proactive and important thing to do during your first few months at a new job. You can do this in the early morning or perhaps at the end of every working week. This could be a way to communicate to your supervisors about your performance. It allows them to keep track of your KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) easily.
Pro-Tip: Status updates are an important way for your supervisors to discern your workload. If you have any trouble completing certain tasks. Don’t hesitate to let your supervisors know! They’ll be able to help you out.
5. Test New Technologies and Softwares
It should come as no surprise that different organizations will utilise the help of different softwares and technologies. Since most employees are still working from home, you should be expecting frequent video calls.
Take the initiative to test your computer and phone before the first day of work. Check to see if your device’s audio and video settings are working so that you’re ready for all introductory video calls and meetings! If possible, ask your new organization’s HR representative questions about the new software that you’ll be utilising.
That way, you can tinker around and familiarize yourself with the technology before your first day at work. For more information on the different types of technologies that you might be getting acquainted with. Check this article out for some up to date tools commonly used by HR employees during the work from home season.
Pro-Tip: Try to pay as much attention as possible during the video meetings. We’re not going to lie, some meetings are going to be long and drawn out calls. Be mindful and learn how you show that you’re actively listening through different body language cues. More information on active listening in the age of video calls can be found here.
Did we manage to give you some fresh new tips that you might’ve overlooked? Keep checking this article back for more updates to come. We'll keep sharing some of the best affordable tools available for HR executives in Singapore.
What are some overlooked tips that you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments section below!
Read More: How to Show That You’re Being Productive When Working Remotely