8 steps you should take to impress your boss if you're starting a new job while working from home
- Starting a new job during the novel coronavirus pandemic can be challenging, especially when you're working remotely.
- To ensure success in your new role, experts advise you to over communicate with your boss, be flexible, and create a plan for the first 90 days at your job.
- We've compiled a list of tips to impress your boss based on interviews with CEOs, human resource executives, and recruitment managers.
Starting a new job is stressful. But it can be especially difficult if you're being onboarded amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Experts say as social distancing becomes the new reality, it's more than likely you will be working from home on your first day.
Lynn Taylor, the CEO of accessory brand BehindtheBuckle and author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," told Business Insider that new workers will often feel the brunt of these changes.
"The stress of the coronavirus impacts everyone, but new employees often feel the burden of proving themselves once on the job, and that creates an extra layer of stress," Taylor said. "Add to that the many questions looming about the impact on employment overall, and it's the perfect recipe for unprecedented job-related anxiety."
Here are eight tips you can use to impress your boss when you're starting a job in the age of coronavirus, according to CEOs, human resource executives, and recruiters.
'E-meet' your coworkers
Although you're working from home, it's still important to get to know your colleagues. Experts say this can easily be done by setting up virtual coffee and lunch meetings.
"Prepare for your first day as you would prepare for a new school year," said Marie Raimbert-Galtier, chief people officer, at the digital partnership firm Jellyfish. "Working from home does not prevent us from sharing moments to get to know each other."
Communicate frequently with your boss
The employees who are likely to be remembered are the ones who speak up and ask a lot of questions. Taylor advises new employees to regularly check-in with their managers.
"Make sure you're meeting objectives and offer to lend a hand where possible," Taylor said. "No one has ever been accused of being too helpful or working too hard, especially when starting a job - and especially when employment is doing a temporary freefall."
Be flexible
As the world comes to a halt due to social distancing, having patience will help you and your employer adjust to this abrupt change.
"These are unusual times and companies are adjusting operations, policies and approaches on a daily basis to ensure employees are healthy and productive," said Jeanne Leasure, chief people officer at the global video ad platform SpotX. "This requires some adaptability that may not come naturally to those who prefer a more predictable structure."
Leasure also advises employees consult their manager if they're struggling to juggle their workload.
Stay focused
Working from home makes employees vulnerable to a number of distractions. For example, new employees may also be parents who are homeschooling their children or adults who are the sole caregivers for a parent.
With so many new obstacles, Taylor recommends employees develop a "laser-like focus" to help manage their time.
"No matter how remotely you're working, you're being evaluated on your level of productivity," Taylor said. To remain focused, she advises new employees to turn off their social media notifications and only respond to urgent messages.
Prepare your home office
Like many first-time remote employees, you will need to reevaluate your workspace. Sometimes employees find themselves using their dining room table or bed as a home office. In this case, you might want to find some new options.
"Set up your office space similar to how you would in the office," said Craig Mitchell, a recruitment manager at Jellyfish. "Make sure you have a comfortable and ergonomic chair, your internet connection is reliable, devices are charged, etc. Also, during onboarding, ask what applications, programs, tools, and devices will be necessary to have."
Create a plan for your first 90 days
Within your first 90 days at a company, you must prove that you can meet the company's goals, said Kandi Gongora, vice president of people and organizational development at the digital advertising firm Goodway Group.
"First, understand what goals you need to meet and think through how you will achieve them," Gongora said. "If you are not used to working from home, you will need to think through how you can ensure you are prepared to perform in your new environment. "
Do your best work and remember the big picture
As businesses continue to make tough decisions such as mass layoffs to survive the pandemic's economic recession, experts say it's time to seriously bring up your "A" game.
"This is your opportunity to shine; work hard and deliver your best results," Taylor said. "Your positive attitude and high energy will be remembered."
Ultimately, these skills are more important than ever for reaching the pinnacles of success as a virtual employee, "Knowing you're doing your best will give you confidence and a sense of security," she said.