Starting a New Job: Five Important Tips I Wish I Knew
In the past decade, I have started 7 full-time jobs and 8 part-time gigs, contracts, and internships in an attempt to appease my insatiable curiosity (and the financial realities of pursuing higher education nowadays).
What became glaringly obvious was that workplaces really differed in their official on-boarding processes; some are immensely comprehensive with multi-hour e-Learning modules while others like to adopt a "push you off the deep-end" approach.
In the spirit of sharing lessons learned so that others can benefit, I would like to tell you 5 important tips that are not part of any official orientation package I've ever received.
Really get to know the administrative support staff
Excellent administrative staff really do make or break a workplace. Like stage managers in the theatre, they make sure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes and do a lot of the logistical heavy-lifting so that the team can thrive. In my opinion and experience, it also says a lot about a person's character if they disrespect or undervalue administrative work and admin staff.
Having worked a couple administrative jobs myself, I have a huge amount of respect for admin support staff and always make sure to introduce myself and get to know them when starting a new job. The key is to be appreciative of their support, be curious about their work and processes, and be authentic in getting to know them as fellow co-workers.
If you are starting an administrative position, then spend some time to be empowered in your role. Get guidance and clarification on:
what you should and should not do (a.k.a. scope of work);
what type of behaviours are not acceptable (I expand on this in my last point);
expectations around your time and availability (especially for remote work situations).
Understand your benefits and use them
If you receive benefits (or have negotiated them), then spend some time to understand your benefits and then start using them! Most likely you pay into it with each pay period (take a look at your pay stubs and check), so if you do not use your benefits, then you are essentially losing money.
You might also pay a deductible for extended health benefits (e.g. massages, eyes & dental). If you have paid the yearly deductible, then make sure you start using the extended health benefits, even if you are lucky enough to be healthy.
For example, I used my extended health benefits for massage therapy, acupuncture, chiropractor, and dietician to learn more about my body and how to care for it in a preventative way (how very public health of me!). If you work in a health-related field, getting to know other health practitioners and taking responsibility for your own health can actually help you in your job too.
Figure out the team culture and coworkers' personalities
Hopefully you got a sense of the team culture during your interview, but the first few weeks is really the time to get a better understanding of personalities and dynamics.
The most important relationship to understand is the one with your supervisor. Pay attention to whether they are an introvert or extrovert (or an ambivert, like me), what their management and leadership style is like, and some basic personal details so that you can start building rapport (e.g. hobbies, family, cultural and/or educational background).
The second most important relationship is with those you supervise or manage. All of the above applies, but I would also suggest listening more than you talk. Ask open-ended questions. Be curious about them as a person, not merely as a worker. Communicate that they are valued and supported, and then strive to be accountable to those commitments. Get to know their goals and aspirations, as this will help you identify career development opportunities and retention of excellent staff members.
Find a co-worker who can be your "workplace ally"
Work/life boundaries are important to me so I approach workplace friendships with a healthy dose of caution. However, that said, having a coworker who can be a "workplace ally" is essential.
A workplace ally differs from a friend you make at work in two ways: 1) you don't necessarily hang out together outside of work or consistently share very personal information with them (as you might with a friend) and 2) they can support you in one or more important areas related to your work. Look for more than one "workplace ally" if you can, and remember to look outside your immediate team, department, or unit but ideally within the same organization.
A co-worker ally who can support you in the area of inclusion and diversity, for example, can be someone of the same/similar cultural and/or ethnic background as you, or the same gender and/or sexual orientation. In workspaces where people of colour, people living with visible or invisible disabilities, and/or people who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ are under-represented, having a co-worker who can understand your lived experience can make a significant difference in feeling culturally safe and seen at work.
Familiarize yourself with important HR policies
This is a more serious tip, but also potentially the most important takeaway.
Spend the time to read and understand key Human Resources (and union, if applicable) policies related to:
harassment and discrimination;
sexual violence;
grievances and arbitration;
bullying;
conflict of interest;
and dismissal, suspension, and discipline.
I sincerely hope you will never have to go through any of the above, as they are often damaging, traumatizing, and potentially financially devastating; nevertheless, it is your responsibility to understand the policies and systems to address these issues. It will come in handy if/when you experience these adverse work events as a victim, and hopefully also prevent you from inadvertently becoming a perpetrator.
Unfortunately, I have experienced my fair share of sexual harassment and racial discrimination in my career so far. Upon reflection, those events likely would have been less damaging to my mental and emotional health if I had understood my rights and accessed adequate and timely supports.
Luckily, I've also had lots of great new-job experiences too :)
I have been warmly welcomed by admin staff who went above and beyond to make me feel supported. Extended health benefits have helped me treat and prevent persistent lower, upper, middle back (ok, so basically my entire back...) issues. After being part of so many teams, I can now identify whether my boss is an intro-, extro-, or ambivert within the first meeting and my life has been enriched by the staff I've had the pleasure of supervising. Many of my workplace allies have eventually become my friends and mentors and I feel proud that I am a "workplace ally" to other young women of colour as well.
I hope this article was helpful as you embark on the first few days and weeks of a new job. Please comment below if you have other new-job tips! And feel free to share or link to this article if you know of other people who could benefit from these tips.
