In many companies, new employees usually have a probation period of several months. If their performance does not meet the expectations of their supervisor, they will be eliminated. Therefore, it is very important for new employees to make a good first impression when they first enter the company, especially in the first week. Some experts say that newcomers must not do several things during this period to avoid ruining their future.
The Huffington Post asked several workplace experts for their opinions. They believe that new employees should not do the following things that will give a bad impression:
●Late
When people first arrive in a new environment, it is easy to get lost or take the wrong direction. They may also fail to grasp the commuting time and be late for work or meetings. However, as a new employee, if you are late during your first week on the job, others will have a poor impression of your time management skills.
Mary Abbajay, general manager of business management consultancy Careerstone Group, points out that don't be late for meetings, you should be punctual and respectful to others.
To prevent yourself from getting lost and wasting time, you should allow at least half an hour when you go to work or a meeting.
●Failure to comply with the company’s clothing policy
What you should wear to work varies from company to company, and some companies have clear dress codes, so don't assume that wearing jeans and a T-shirt to work is appropriate.
"Not dressing appropriately is one of the mistakes I think people make," Mary Abbajay said.
She says the supervisor who hired you will usually let you know what you should wear to work. If they say during the interview that the company doesn't have a formal dress code, that means you can probably dress more casually.
If they don't say what you should or shouldn't wear, you should check your company's employee handbook to see if there is a dress code policy. You can also ask your supervisor or co-workers to see how everyone dresses.
●Excessive sharing of one’s private life
There is a clear line between being sincere and pretending to be familiar with your new co-worker. Don’t cross this line during your first week on the job.
Mary Abbajay mentioned that when she first started working with a new colleague, she told her a lot about her personal life, including being abandoned by her first husband. This makes her want to avoid the other person because the other person talks too much and talks too soon.
●Pretend to know everything
Gorick Ng, a career consultant at Harvard College, says that when you're new, others are evaluating your abilities, performance and compatibility.
You may think that pointing out other people's mistakes or things that differ from your own perceptions demonstrates your abilities, but being overconfident in your expertise may do more harm than good, and you may make more enemies than allies. .
Even if you secretly believe that your new supervisor's work style is outdated, you should keep an open and inquiring mind. You can show your curiosity by asking polite questions.
For example, instead of saying, "That's not how we used to do things at Company XX," you should say, "This is a little different from what I'm used to, but I'm excited to learn how you do things."
If a newcomer pretends to know everything, it will leave a bad impression. This is a schematic diagram.
●Talk about others behind their backs
Have you ever noticed that when a coworker walks into the office, someone whispers or snickers? When you join a company, you also join its culture, and that culture can include factionalism. When you hear coworkers gossiping about other people, be careful not to get sucked into it.
Mary Abbajay said that in your first week at work, do not participate in any group discussion of others. Just listening is a kind of participation. If it were her, she would find an opportunity to slip away, change the subject, or say something positive to the person being discussed.
●Do not contact supervisor
Executive coach Patricia Schwartz coaches executives on how to hire new people. According to her, of all the people you meet in your first week on the job, your supervisor is the one you should build the most important relationship with.
"A high percentage of people leave because of (bad) relationships with their supervisors," she said.
To build trust between you and your supervisor, you should agree with your supervisor on how you communicate and what matters.
In an ideal world, your supervisor would interview you during your first week on the job. But if not, you should proactively ask for a one-on-one conversation with your supervisor before the end of that week.
Mary Abbajay said that sometimes supervisors ignore you because they are too busy managing many people. But you shouldn't take it as a sign that your supervisor doesn't want to talk to you.
Patricia Schwartz said people receive a lot of messages during their first week on the job, and she suggested newcomers take note of what colleagues think of their work and their own experiences at the company, or discuss it with friends to see what they think.
She also said that the first few months before joining the job are usually a probation period. In addition to the company evaluating the new employee, the new employee will also consider whether to continue in this position.
By asking the right questions and paying attention to the new company's culture, newcomers can learn early on whether this role is right for them.
