Brad Elson

Beginning A New Job Remotely

3 June 2020

Many businesses, within the last two months, have swiftly adjusted to working from home, which has ultimately taught companies a brand-new way of working. If you've successfully acquired a new job role, the idea of starting remotely can seem very daunting – however, it's the absolute opposite!

“Many businesses, within the last two months, have swiftly adjusted to working from home, which has ultimately taught companies a brand-new way of working.“

When beginning a new role, non-remotely, it's ok to feel nervous, and this follows suit when starting remotely as well – it's completely natural! No, you won't be able to introduce yourself to your colleagues face-to-face at lunchtime; however, there are many other ways you can introduce yourself to make sure that you settle in as successfully as possible, which brings me to my first point:

Introduce yourself

For many people, the social aspect of work is very appealing and is essential when starting a new role. Luckily, companies have adapted to using modern and intuitive video communication platforms, including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

When you start your new role, you'll most likely be using one of the above communication platforms to interact with your colleagues; therefore, this equips you with an excellent opportunity to take the lead and initiate calls with people you'll be working closest with. This way you'll be able to get to know your colleagues, and they'll be able to get to know you.

Send an email stating something like: "Hello, would you be interested in hopping on a video chat soon? I have recently started at this company, and it would be great if we could introduce ourselves one to one."

Understand your workplace's expectations

Now that you're beginning your job remotely, you might want to liaise with your manager on the workplace's expectations, from your onboarding to specific tasks. You won't be in the same building as your colleagues or manager; therefore, you can't get the support in real-time as quickly. As a result, you will need to make sure that you fully understand your role and the tasks that have been set for you to complete. 

An excellent way to measure your success is to make sure you fully know what goals you should be hitting in your first week, month and three months to make sure you and your manager are both on the same page.

Don't be put off if your manager wants to check in on you to find out how you're doing. This is perfectly normal. It doesn't necessarily mean that they don't trust you, it can be a friendly catch up or finding out what weekly targets you have set yourself.

Make sure that people know who you are

The office may have a significant amount of people in and, therefore, it may take a little longer for people to get to know who you are. The Human Resources team or your manager may send out an introduction email about yourself, but despite this, you should always make an effort to make sure that your employees know who you are.

To do this, you could reintroduce yourself in a conference meeting, or by email, and state what you do within the company.

Ask for help

When you're at your workspace, it's easier for your colleagues to pick up your confusion, due to the tone of your voice or your facial expressions. However, on a video call or email, it can be hard for them to understand your body language; therefore, speak up and request for what is required from you - don't wait for others to assist you. This way, you'll be able to gain the help that you need, deterring away from any upset.

Starting your job remotely in a time where you can't see your colleagues or manager can be challenging and might take longer for you to feel socially comfortable. However, using the above factors can make the transition easier, allowing you to feel content and part of the team.