Imagine that it’s your first day in a new role and instead of walking into a new office you’re perched on a laptop in your kitchen thinking about what backdrop to use for your zoom call and if the quick re-touch you did to your hair last night looks ok.

When Amber found out that she was starting her new role at a City Law Firm the original date was set for the 16th March but she had been unwell so deferred it to the 30th March. Roll forward two weeks and a lot had changed as we were in lock down in the UK. 10 weeks on, I wanted to find out how she has adjusted to the new norm (for the moment) of remote working – what’s worked and her tips for making the most of the situation.

1.      Getting to know your team – communicating virtually

Amber was interviewed face to face and had a chance to meet her manager, who is now on maternity leave and one other member of the team. She is a Senior Business Development Executive and has a direct report that she hasn’t physically met and an Assistant, currently based in Sweden, as a result of lock down.

Finding out the communication etiquette in the team will make a huge difference from the start, Amber says, “We use a chat system that enables you to see if someone is available, in a meeting or offline. It is the norm for people to pick up the phone rather than email and this happens throughout the organisation. Video-meetings take place once a week, usually on a Friday and it is a combination of a formal catch-up as well as an informal get together.”

Arrange to virtually meet with your co-workers separately so that you can introduce yourself, talk through your role and understand their role too. You may need to be more pro-active than you would’ve been in the office as building relationships usually occur through osmosis – sitting together, going out for lunch, simply hearing the small talk of everyone’s journey into the office. You’ll find a rhythm and style that works for you – but do be patient.

From an on-boarding perspective everything was straightforward for Amber as it took place electronically. Amber spoke about the importance of the human element during these early weeks and how nice it was to have the same live trainer throughout. By the end of the training there was a sense of camaraderie between herself and the 5 other newbies that joined the firm. She also had all the kit she needed couriered over so that she could start her first day with ease.

2.      Expectations with your boss

Meet with your boss to clarify your role and to set some specific goals over the next 30, 60 and 90 days thereby creating a clear focus for both of you over the months ahead.  Ask about your deliverables and check to see how this needs to be presented – is it a report, presentation format, executive summary or at regular meetings etc.

At the start of a new role there are always questions that you have and when you are sitting opposite a colleague then this flows naturally, as you can ask a quick question here and there. Group your questions and arrange a regular time to speak with your manager so that you can be as efficient as possible. Email through an agenda or if that feels too formal then simply a few specific things that you would like help with. By taking the lead on this, it demonstrates that your proactive and focused. You may not feel like you’re able to hit the ground running at the moment, but that’s ok, no one is expecting this from you.

For Amber, as her boss has just gone on maternity leave, she has a new manager that she’s met virtually. What is great is the new boss has come from within the organisation which is super helpful in building up a picture of who is who. Amber has been able to get stuck in to a defined piece of work with a clear deadline and this has helped her establish herself and build a relationship quickly with her manager and respective team.

3.      Creating opportunities

The role that you were recruited for may have temporarily altered and if you find yourself not as busy then do seek out opportunities. As someone new to the organisation, you’ll see things with a fresh perspective. Talk to the team about the experiences that you have from previous roles and see if there is anything that you can research, write or learn that will benefit you and the team both now and in the future. Amber says, “Very quickly when I joined, I asked my boss who I should be talking to and building relationships with. I then arranged 15 minute introductions with each of them so that I could find out about their specialism, what support could I give them and to get a sense of where I could add value, no job was too small.”

4.      Re-define workspace and personal space

If you’re working at home with others around you (e.g. kids, partners or flatmates) then it makes sense to check the quality of your internet service to make sure that it can cope with the demand you currently need. Create a workspace that you physically ‘go into’ whether that is converting a room or area into your workstation, then it enables you to delineate work from home.

5.      Hello - I am here!

As you become more established in your role, you won’t be interacting just with your team but with many other parts of the business. In video meetings, there can be a tendency for people not to introduce themselves and instead get stuck straight into the meeting itself. If you are finding this happening then one way that you can solve it is by getting into a habit of saying who you are, your job title and that you are new to the company – you can then contribute to the discussion. It is professional, sets the right tone and hopefully others will start to follow your lead and do this too.

One of the things that Amber did was get involved in the sector social committee. They have had their first event quiz and she has been able to make her presence felt - even at a distance. She says, “Give things a go, even if it feels a bit daunting the people around you will value the effort you’ve made and you can always ask for help, you’re not on your own.”

If you’ve just started a new role, let me know how you are getting on, I’d love to hear more about your experiences.