Your first few months in a new job have a major impact on your success or failure.

 

If you can build positive momentum early on, it will propel you forward. But if you make some early missteps you could face an uphill battle for the rest of your time in the job. Here are four important questions to ask yourself during these early days to make sure you are focused on the right things:

How can I create value?

Why were you put in this role? What do key stakeholders expect you to accomplish and by when? This is the single most important question to ask yourself. 

How am I expected to behave?

Unless you have been hired to change the culture of your new organization, you should aim to understand and conform to its cultures and norms.

Whose support is critical? 

Your success is likely to depend on a variety of people across the organization so you need to build direct and indirect alliances. Start by  learning about the political landscape of your new organization and how to navigate it. 

How can I get some early wins?

Done well, a quick win will build your credibility, accelerate your learning, and win you the right to make deeper changes in the organization.

Not sure where to start? We can help.

At South End Partners, our Toronto executive recruiters work with large and small organizations in various industries (from technology, to human resources, supply chain, e-commerce, and sales and operations) not just to help them find their next great hire, but to help them onboard, develop and keep the great talent they have. 

Reach out to us today to learn how we can help you meet your recruiting and talent retention goals.