Tips for Onboarding Remotely
I started a new role at a new company on May 1st… completely remotely. While I’m pretty used to working from home, I never thought I’d be making a major career transition during a global pandemic while sitting at my kitchen counter in yoga pants.
3 months later, I’m ready to share what I’ve learned about the experience and myself.
For context, it’s been 5 years since I started at a new company and I felt a lot of the standard “first day of school” jitters including excitement, nervousness, curiosity, and an eagerness to impress. I felt thrilled and grateful that it worked out because I realize that many others were not as fortunate - offers have been rescinded, hiring has been frozen, and so many are furloughed with no real end in sight. My start date was delayed by a month and I was anxious that it could fall through at any point despite signing a contract. I avoided taking any time off between roles because 1) we were on mandatory lockdown 2) I didn’t feel comfortable taking unpaid personal time off. The whole transition felt surreal and there was no physical way to close out one chapter and start the next unless you count mailing your employee badge and corporate Iphone to the office.
Prior to starting my new role, I decided to chat with someone who was also starting a new job in finance remotely. She was only a few weeks into her new job and it was so helpful to get her early impressions and manage my own expectations.
Tips I received:
Talk to as many people over the phone as you can early on
Phone conversations help you build rapport and better understand someone’s personality— it’s the closest proxy to meeting in person. Video calls may not be the norm at your company and can actually make people feel more awkward than if they were on a phone call. My manager helped me identify/prioritize who I should speaking to early on and I would spend a few minutes skimming their LinkedIn profile and reviewing their role at the firm. I had some prepared questions to structure the conversation. I ended each call with the same question requesting best practices for working together and for being successful at the firm.
Establish a communication schedule with your manager
Ask your manager what their style/preferences are for communication with you. This is a good practice in any new work environment but having consistent communication with your manager helps both of you learn about each other and troubleshoot issues efficiently. I started with daily 30 minute calls with my manager (at his request) which then gradually decreased to every other day, and currently weekly catch ups. He had indicated that he preferred text for time sensitive or quick questions and emails for other items.
Determine who will be your buddy
A buddy is typically a peer or junior teammate who can help you navigate the firm and answer the “silly” questions you don’t want to ask your manager i.e. inside scoop on work drama/ personality types, how to get access to systems, what the various acronyms mean. A buddy is crucial so make sure you ask your manager who that will be if not easily determined and establish a friendly rapport right away as you will be leaning on them heavily early on.
Be patient with the process
It is normal to be eager to impress and add value upon arrival but there are so many factors that may prevent that such as tech issues, timing, or good old bureaucracy. It is hard enough to make a strong first impression in person so recognize that the challenge to do so virtually is greater but in time, you will find moments to shine. It is better to take the time to listen and learn at first so you don’t avoid a hasty mistake that can be damaging to your reputation. They are already impressed with you if they chose to hire you during a pandemic.
Be honest about any WFH issues/challenges
If you have weak wifi, an older laptop, no mouse, kids, loud roommates or whatever the circumstance may be, be upfront about it on day one. Since everyone is dealing with makeshift offices on very limited notice, there are natural impediments to productivity and the sooner you talk about, the sooner your boss can help you problem solve and/or set realistic expectations about your output.
Lessons I learned:
Check, double-check and triple-check along the way!
It’s no surprise that the amount of conversation we have face to face with colleagues is far greater than what can be had via phone call, email, or instant message. Early on, I felt really lost because instructions were not detailed enough or I was missing the background for a certain conversation. Unfortunately, you don’t know what you don’t know. I had to get into the habit of asking questions, asking for context and would often repeat back what I heard to make sure I understood it correctly. It can feel like overkill but better safe than sorry!
Self-doubt will creep in fast, but don’t let it get the best of you
Without body language and facial expressions, you have no idea how you’re being perceived by your new colleagues. I would sit at my computer terrified to come off as annoying, clueless, or rude so I would obsessively reread and edit each email to perfect the tone. I felt self-conscious because I wasn’t receiving direct or indirect feedback therefore assuming the worst. It was really draining and eventually, I had to snap myself out of it. I realized that I have gotten this far in my career with good judgement and so I need to trust my instincts. Also, I’ve started to ask for feedback directly to help squash some of my self-doubt.
Embrace feeling uncomfortable
The entire reason for choosing a new role was to push myself out of my comfort zone and learn newer, harder things. Being uncomfortable usually means you are growing. I had occasional moments of missing my old role purely because it was familiar. I also missed the camaraderie I had with my former colleagues that will take more time to build at my new company. But I know if the circumstances were normal, I would be building relationships internally. I have made the conscious effort to connect with people on a personal level by starting each call with a bit more small talk than usual.
This is new for everyone
Everyone is adjusting to some form of newness in this environment and so no one has it entirely figured out yet. Even if someone has worked at the company for years, they are adopting to working from home around their family, the new demands of their role and corporate culture has not yet caught up. My team is still figuring out the right balance of internal calls per week and how often we should get together “face to face” over Zoom. We all miss the same things like having two monitors, printers, and working side by side.
Speak up
Do not wait for the “right moment” to offer your opinion, suggestion, or thoughts just because you are new. How do you balance the fine line between being overconfident or not confident enough!? In certain conversations when I knew I had something meaningful to say, I would go for it. Worst case scenario, you miss the mark but it’s an opportunity to learn and better understand. This is a fresh start to establish who you want to be professionally. The sooner you get in the habit of speaking up, the easier it feels. You also have the newbie status which gives you a little extra slack! People are curious to know about your observations because you have a fresh perspective and you’re able to compare/contrast to your prior firm/role. This is universally valuable!
All in all, this hasn’t been easy but it hasn’t been impossible either. I do not regret my decision and I know it’s strengthening me each day. I also really commend my new colleagues for giving me a warm welcome and doing their best to incorporate me into their daily routines. The occasional emails with a compliment or a note to say hello have meant so much to me and have given me the extra confidence boost when I needed it the most.
Stay tuned for another update at the 6 month mark!
