Kari Karlsbjerg's "Canadian Employment Culture" column reports every Wednesday (local time) in the Korea IT Times. Today's article is the fourth story of 'Month Six':
1. Saying Yes to the Job Offer!
2. Signed, Sealed and Delivered
3. The Onboarding Process
4. Making the First 90 Days Count
Your first 90 days on the job or probation period is an important time for you to prove yourself as a productive part of the team that deserves to be made permanent. Michael D. Watkins has written an excellent book of advice for starting strong in your new job called The First 90 Days: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter. He emphasizes that impressing your manager and colleagues within the first 90 days is not only essential to your success in your current role but also for your overall career. Watkin’s research showed that “what you do early on during a new position is what matters most. Your colleagues and your boss for opinions about you based on limited information, and those opinions are sticky—it is hard to change their minds. So, shape their impressions of you to the best of your ability.” While that might seem intimidating, remember that the employer chose you out of many other candidates because your skills and experience made you the best fit, so they are truly invested in your success.
Watkins recommends trying to connect with your supervisor. He writes in his book “be proactive because it’s your responsibility to make the relationship work. If your boss does not reach out much, you make it a point to check in regularly. Ask how your boss prefers to be contacted—in person, via phone, by email—and how often. And manage expectations—bosses do not like surprises. If something is taking a turn for the worse, let your boss know there’s a problem and have a plan for how to solve it.”
He also strongly advises all new hires to pay attention to the company’s internal politics. He notes how people focus too much on just the technical job skills and not enough on building key relationships early. A good strategy is to ask the boss’s opinion about which team members to get to know better and then invite those people to coffee and learn what you can from them. Watkins encourages new hires to create strong alliances with both managers and colleagues to ensure full support on all levels.
Make an effort to be known and, as a new team member, it is helpful to introduce yourself to others in the office. Ask questions and listen to your colleagues and managers. A sincere interest in your co-workers is always appreciated and will not go unnoticed. It is not necessary to have long conversations; just short regular chats to strengthen your connection with the team. In the western work world, these small talk conversations are the expected precursor to work and business discussions, and trust and closeness are slowly built through these multiple micro-interactions.
In addition to your technical accomplishments during your 90 day probation period, it is also imperative to spend time building your network of relationships and connections that are an integral part of today’s highly interdependent workplace.
This serial article is written by Kari Karlsbjerg , author of " Everyday Vancouver." Elaine Chu, co-author of " Everyday Vancouver" provides translation services in Korean. " Everyday Vancouver" is a must-read bilingual book for immigrants from Korea who are interested in Vancouver culture, or plan to study or get a job in Canada. Kari Karlsbjerg is currently a college instructor, and Elaine Chu is a Korean student representative at the Delta City Office of Education, helping their career in college. The book can be purchased from Amazon.
