Starting a new job can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming at the best of times, and doing so remotely can make this even worse! Our Recruitment Consultants here at Reperio speak to IT professionals every day who are switching jobs, often remotely. Here are some of their top tips for starting a new job remotely;
Be proactive before you start
Starting a new job is the perfect time to make sure you have a dedicated workspace for working remotely. Companies will normally send you everything you need before your first day, for example laptop, basic office supplies and resources.
If you haven’t heard anything from your new company before your first day, reach out to them to find out what the agenda will be e.g. start time, login details and a brief overview of what you will be doing. Try and find out which systems or processes you will be using and whether you will need any training, so that you are prepared beforehand.
It is also a good idea to do some research about your new company through their website or social media channels.
Get to know your new colleagues
Similar to an office setting, you must get to know your colleagues when working remotely. The team will likely have been sent some information about you on your first day and/or have video/phone calls planned to speak with you. Take advantage of this and get to know everyone informally, it will make things a lot easier when projects begin. Some of the questions you could ask are;
- How long have you been working with the company?
- What is your role?
- What do you like most about working in the company?
- What projects are you currently working on?
Learn how your team communicates
Communication is vital, even more so when working remotely. Therefore it is important to find out how your team prefers to communicate and how they receive and share information e.g. phone calls, video calls, emails etc.
In Reperio, the team utilizes a variety of tools to communicate and share information. However, Microsoft Teams is one of the most popular platforms because you can see when someone is available, if your message has been read and when they are responding, in real-time. This is a quicker way to get a response to questions compared to emails for example.
Ask questions
If you are stuck on a piece of work, or struggling to understand something, don’t be afraid to contact your colleagues to ask for help. You are not expected to know everything straight away and sometimes it can be more difficult to understand things when you are working remotely. The team will be expecting you to have questions, and management may even view this positively because it shows that you are interested and being proactive.
Understand expectations
It is normal for your manager to check in with you more frequently than usual in the first few months, especially when working remotely. This does not necessarily mean that they don’t trust you. However, if you understand what your manager’s expectations are, you will be able to meet them and build trust.
Working remotely is a new concept for most people, so don’t worry if it takes you time to adjust. Give yourself time to build relationships with your colleagues, it may take a little longer than if you were in the office.
If you have any questions about starting a new job remotely, reach out to a member of our team who would be happy to help.
Written by Michelle Corry