Starting a new job in whatever capacity is difficult. Even if you’re experienced in your profession, a new job means getting used to an entirely different culture. When starting a new job remotely, it can feel harder to learn from your colleagues and ask questions since you can’t turn to the person next to you or have a quick word with your manager.
But with the right preparation, starting a new job remotely doesn’t have to be any more challenging than it would be in the office. Here are a few things you can do to help you settle in quickly and smoothly.
Set up regular calls with your manager
By this point, even organisations that only moved to remote working during the pandemic will be used to hiring and onboarding new employees remotely. This means it’s likely your organisation will already have an onboarding plan in place for you when you join. However, if this plan doesn’t include regular calls with your manager, you might want to set these up for yourself.
The calls will give you a set time to ask any questions you might’ve thought of throughout the day. This way, you won’t feel like you’re bombarding your manager with messages. This is particularly useful for questions that require a more in-depth answer, since you can ask follow-up questions if needed.
Go over your goals
It can be hard to judge whether you’re on the right track in your first weeks at a new job. It’s important to carve out some time with your manager to establish what your goals are. This will keep you on track and ensure you’re both on the same page regarding what you’re expected to achieve.
When agreeing goals, it’s important to ensure they follow the SMART framework of being specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely. You’ll feel more motivated to work on your goals if you can map out exactly what you need to do to get there.
Be proactive in connecting with colleagues
Having good relationships with your colleagues is important if you want to stand out at work and be recognised for the hard work you’re doing. Starting a new job remotely could make the process of getting to know your co-workers lengthier. It’ll be harder to figure out who everyone is and what their roles are since you’re not working in the same space as them.
If it’s not already set up, you should try and arrange short calls with the key people in your team or organisation to go over what their main responsibilities are. You’ll then be able to put a name to the bodiless faces floating around on your screen in video meetings.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Since you won’t be spending your working days in the same building as your co-workers, it’ll be harder for them to know when you’re confused or need help. As a result, you’ll have to be more proactive about asking for help when needed.
Although you may feel as if you’re inundating people with questions in your first few weeks, don’t be afraid to do this. When starting a new job remotely, it’s expected that you’ll have questions about processes. Your colleagues would rather you asked questions than struggled on your own. Also, an advantage of remote work is that you can respond to messages at a time that suits you. So you’re less likely to be disturbing people by asking questions than when you’re in the office.
Establish good habits
You’ll likely have more than one channel for communication at your new job, and they’re often used for different purposes. In addition, each of your colleagues will have different preferences for communicating online. This is why it’s important to ask your colleagues how they prefer to be contacted.
It’s also important to let your co-workers know what your communication preferences are and to set boundaries with when you’ll be available to contact. You might think that working overtime when you’ve just started will establish you as a hard and dedicated worker. But once people start to think of you as someone who’s available at any hour, it’s hard to go back.
Some people find that without the structure provided by the commute and the office environment, they can lose track of the day. You might end up working overtime without even meaning to. To avoid this, make sure you structure your day around when your most productive hours are. Tackle big projects first. Plan out your day so that you can cover all of the main tasks within your working hours.
Starting a new job remotely should be an exciting time, not a daunting process. The main thing to remember is to be more proactive about asking for help and connecting with your colleagues than you would be in the office. And go easy on yourself in the first few weeks! You shouldn’t be expected to remember everything or to perform perfectly.
Haven’t yet found the remote job of your dreams? Take a look at our current vacancies.
