The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job

The 4 Worst Ways to Start a New Job Caught up in theexcitement of a new job, its easy and somewhat foolhardy to take success in your new position for granted. Come back down to earth, and youll find that success in a new role is farfrom guaranteedstudies show that 46 percent of new hires fail within the first 18 months.Statistics are hardly on your side.Its vital, then, that you handle this new-hire period effectively and avoid the known pitfalls that come with starting a job. Many companies have nurturing onboarding programs that help you transition into the organization, but these programsare elend perfect. As a new hire, it is up to you todeploy great new-job behaviors and avoid terrible ones if you are to ensure your success.Manyhave covered the great new-job behaviors I mention above, so I thought I would take the opportunity to explore the terrible new-job behaviors. Think of this postasa massive red warning side on a road that screams Cliff drop aheadThat is to say these are the four worst ways to start a job, and you should avoid every single one.1. Starting With a Poor Attitude and/or Lack of MotivationThe single worst way to start a job is to start with anything other than a bounce in your stepand a resilient, can-do attitude. The Leadership IQ study to which I linked in the first paragraph foundthatmost new hires fail thanks to poor attitudes and/or a lack of motivation not because they lack technical skills.On your first day along with the obvious requirement of not arriving late you should also avoid complaining about mundane things like parking, traffic, or your own lack of focus. Make sure you are outwardly positive and accommodating, and offer plenty of suggestions whenappropriate. If there is a problem that needs a remedy, fix it if you canstudies showthat new hires who achieve quick wins perform better later on in their careers and are mora promotable. 2. Neglecting Your BossStudies showthat one of the most influential factors in determining whether an employee quits a job is the employees relationship with their boss. Employee-boss relationships are also linked to satisfaction and productivity.Ensure you meet with your boss early on and quickly try toestablish common ground in terms of personality, values, ideals, social interests, etc. Doing so will help you build a strong rapport with your boss, which bodes well for your tenure at the job.3. Failing to Manage Your Own Onboarding and OrientationPerhaps you are thinking, Isnt myemployer supposed totake care of that? Well, they very well might notan Aberdeen Group studyfound that only 32 percent of employers have formal onboarding processes.Chances are youll be left to fend for yourselfwhen it comes to joining the company,building your network, and learning the ropes. Waiting around to be told what to do may be one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a new hire. If your manage r is slow on assigning goals, chase them down or write your own until your sanctioned goals arrive. If you have a gap in your knowledge, find out who knows the answer and ask them to teach it to you.4. Spending All Day at Your DeskWorking on your first day is crucial, but this study from the Sloan School of Managementfound that new hires who quickly build information relationships with colleagues also get up tospeed more quickly, perform better, and are more satisfied with their jobs. You can do some networking on your computer, but face-to-face networking will help you build the strongest relationships. Dont do it blindly or stickto yourcomfort zone build a political map of influencers at the company, then get out and meet them