1308- New job jitters

MAKE THE MOST OF THE FIRST FEW DAYS, SAYS JAPPREET SETHI

   So you managed to land a job after a long struggle and many interviews.You are over the moon and you start thanking your stars that the ordeal is over. Right? Not really. Don’t beguile yourself into thinking that the difficult part is over. Even after getting the job you wanted, you should be mindful of a few important things when you start working in a new company.
    A research from Leadership IQ spanning 5,257 hiring managers from 312 businesses who had hired more than 20,000 employees during the survey period revealed that 46 per cent of new hires fail within 18 months and only 19 per cent achieve success. The top five reasons for a ‘new hire failure’ as per the research were: 

    ‘COACHABILITY’ (26 PER CENT): The ability to accept and implement feedback from bosses, colleagues, customers and others;

    EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE (23 PER CENT): The ability to understand and manage one’s own emotions, and accurately assess others’ emotions;  

    MOTIVATION (17 PER CENT): Sufficient drive to achieve one’s full potential and excel in the job; 

    TEMPERAMENT (15 PER CENT): Attitude and personality suited to the particular job and work environment; 

 
    TECHNICAL COMPETENCE (11 PER CENT): Functional or technical skills required to do the job.

    In a majority of the cases, employees did not fail as a result of not having the right technical skills.This was not cited as a reason for failure; failure was evidently linked to a lack of interpersonal skills.What this means is that interpersonal skills are the most important tools for ensuring your success in a new job. 

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN STARTING A NEW JOB: >> Introduce yourself to other colleagues personally or through the company’s social network; 

 >> Show that you are eager to learn everything about your company’s products and services; 

>> Be an active part of the company and get involved in the activities they organise; 

>> If you have doubts about something, don’t hesitate to ask. Clear your doubts all the time and as soon as possible;

 >> Make strong relationships that will be helpful in the future. Connect with your colleagues and bond with them; 

>> Try to get regular feedback from your supervisors, so that you know your strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary changes;

 >> Set a goal right from the beginning and track your progress towards your set goal. Try to include your boss in your progress towards the goal;

 >> Don’t feel shy about voicing your opinion and ideas about certain things. Keep up with what's happening in the company;

 >> Be active in the company. Participate in the various social activities that the company organises. Show that you care about the company; 

 >> Give your suggestions and ideas to improve the company’s services and products;

 >> Before you join the company, do your research thoroughly and find out all the basic information you may need. 

 
HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO KEEP ‘NEW HIRE FAILURES’ AT BAY: Do not be careless in your work. Keep your knowledge up-to-date; 

Do not be tardy or wear inappropriate attire; 

Do not disregard your company’s policies and culture; Respect and follow them, even if they don’t seem ideal to you; 

Do not compare the new company with some other company that you worked for previously; 

Do not be over-eager and impatient. Stay calm if things don’t go as you thought they would in the beginning. Give yourself some time to settle. 

 
- The author is HR head, Lotus Greens Developers Pvt Ltd

(The Times Of India, Chennai, Ascent, 20 November,2013)
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