The first thought of any subordinate upon learning that a new boss has been hired is that their job is in jeopardy or there will be a major organizational change, neither of which is something to look forward to. Do not give any assurances to your staff in the first weeks on the job. The best you can do is to reassure each person that you will fo-cus on individual strengths and try to satisfy personal needs and interests.
Do not expect unquestioned loyalty from your new staff until you establish credibility and gain their respect. Until that occurs, you may have disgruntled employees in your group. If one of them falls in the category of influencer, then you can expect some trouble. Pam faced this problem when she assumed responsibility for the accounting staff in her first week on the job. It took Pam about two months to realize that her supervisor was aware of some difficult staffing issues that he did not discuss with her. During her third month on the job, she had lunch with a group of her peers and a startling revelation was made. Pam’s accounts payable clerk was the CEO’s cousin. Pam had a gossiping influencer lurking in her group. She began to filter her conversations at team meetings.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
Most employees joining a new company become a member of a peer group including those who work for the same supervisor and/or are at the same level in another department. Although most members of a peer group will welcome you to help share the workload, there might be one or two members who feel threatened and are concerned you will take over their job. Reach out to these individuals who might have a tendency to undermine your accomplishments by demonstrating a sharing and giving attitude. Offer information without being asked and assist wherever possible. Be viewed as a supportive team player.
Take the initiative to meet with each peer and determine responsibilities, background, reporting relationships, and what each is recognized and respected for doing. Identify their important business needs and vocal complaints. Be a good listener. Keep your focus on the personal deliverables in your work plan and on that special accomplishment you are looking to achieve.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
Confirm that your supervisor is the person who submits a request for your pay raise and bonus and ask for a clarification of how performance will be measured, when raises are determined, and who the key influencers are. Learn how and how frequently your supervisor likes to be updated on progress and the extent to which you can make decisions without approval. As a summary of this first and important meeting, you should document your agreed-upon deliverables and due dates and send a copy to your supervisor as acknowledgement that you are actively working on the near-term projects. Afinal outcome of this meeting should be an announcement from your supervisor or the human resources head welcoming you to the staff and describing your responsibilities. Leave no room for gossip about what you were hired to do.
Determine who the major influencers are, i.e., those who will evaluate your work and inform your supervisor how you performed. Meet with these individuals periodically; establish rapport and a supportive working relationship. Key questions to ask each influencer are primary business needs and how you can help to make them successful in their corporate role. If you are lucky, a mutual respect will develop with one of these influencers and the person will become a mentor.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
As a general rule, anyone higher than you on the organization chart can help to catapult you up or out of the organization. The first person to impress and demonstrate that the company made the right choice to hire you is your immediate supervisor. Meet with this person in your first week after all benefit forms, security badges, pass to the company store, and other administrative matters are completed. The purpose of this meeting is to determine what is expected of you in the first three to six months of employment. Document all deliverables with expected due dates, a description of what the results should look like, where and from whom you would obtain the data, and the purpose of each deliverable. Be careful not to assume too much responsibility too soon as part of the euphoria of a new job.
Interview your immediate supervisor to assess personality, determine if there is an open door to ask questions, and evaluate how close their relationship is to senior management. Establish or solidify a rapport as you did in Chapter 2.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
Some examples of a major accomplishment might be (1) to introduce one of your supervisors to a member of the management team at a potential customer, (2) to provide someone on the senior management team with an opportunity to be a guest speaker at a prestigious industry conference, (3) to identify and deliver a real, unexpected revenue opportunity, or (4) to identify a significant cost savings that can be realized immediately without creating enemies in the process. Identifying such an accomplishment is often as difficult as achieving it.
Ron was hired as a technology systems support manager in the help desk department. During the interview process, he was told by another technical staff member that the department needed a control program to track user troubleshooting requests. The week before he started his new job, Ron wrote a program that he thought would keep track of the department’s troubleshooting projects. He waited twoweeks to get acclimated to the new environment and updated the program to include requirements he uncovered on the job. He casually discussed the project with his supervisor who thought it was an excellent idea. Within the next week, Ron finalized the program and presented it to his supervisor. The supervisor was very impressed with Ron and his self-directed project. By the end of the third week of employment, Ron was in the office of the vice president of his department receiving praise for his initiative and quality work. A great start to a new job.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
One of the most significant steps to ensure a lasting success in a new company is to identify and accomplish something significant that would benefit the company within the first 3 to 6 weeks. It is important to identify a critical company or department need during the orientation period when you meet other employees.
Another reason for an early accomplishment is the recruiter’s guarantee period under which you are required to remain with the company. If you should leave voluntarily or be terminated during this period, the recruiter must return the fee or replace you at no cost. Be assured that the VP-HR is watching the calendar for that date to arrive, and the weeks prior are very dangerous for newly hired job seekers. Ask the recruiter when the guarantee period ends and plan to deliver results prior to that date. The guarantee period for contingency recruiters is generally 30, 60, or 90 days, while it may be one or two years for a retained firm. You should also ask the recruiter to suggest what would be an impressive accomplishment.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
Verity took all this in stride. When Barry asked Verity if she needed anything, she realized that there was no formal orientation program and she would have to orchestrate her own introduction to company employees. One key need Verity identified during her interviews was that the company expected her to improve a financial system with the chief financial officer (CFO) being the key user. She asked Barry if she could be introduced to the CFO and Barry gladly made the introduction in the first hour of the first day. Verity focused on her first impression skills and established rapport with the CFO. She then asked the CFO if he could describe the financial system and provide her with the requirements for improving it. The CFO was very impressed. Verity’s initiative left those who met her with the impression that she fits right in with other employees and was off to a running start.
During the honeymoon phase of a new job, a conscious effort should be made to ensure long-term success. The interview technique of uncovering the interviewer’s needs must be executed with virtually every person you meet for the first time. After making the first impression and establishing rapport, ask how you can help each personfrom your position on the organization chart or from a personal standpoint. This offer should be a major contributor to the first impression. Take note of the response and be sincere in your effort to assist other employees in the weeks and months ahead.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
If this activity sounds like you read about it a few chapters ago, you are right. In the first weeks of your new job, you will be interviewingwith every employee in your department or office location. If the company is small, you might meet every employee, and you must be ready for each one. The preparation and due diligence you performed when interviewing should be immensely helpful for this new and important purpose. In most instances, many employees will have the perception that you are able to “hit the ground running” on the first day. Do not disappoint them.
On her first day, Verity, the new information technology project manager, entered the reception area of her new company and introduced herself as the newly hired project manager. The HR director was supposed to welcome her, but he was called away to an emergency meeting. Fortunately, the HR director informed the receptionist to call the vice president-information technology, Barry, with whom Verity previously interviewed. Barry immediately went to the reception area and apologized for the absence of the HR director. There was no office space available and Barry walked Verity to a temporary location—a conference table in the CEO’s office. The CEO was out of town for the week.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
The first day at your new job is a surreal experience filled with exhilaration, apprehension, and many challenges that you convinced interviewers you can solve. You have just become a player in a new game—The Corporate Survival Game. Before you sit at your new desk on that soon-to-be memorable first day, you should have a plan to survive in your new company as long as circumstances permit. Starting a new job provides you with more control over your future than you had as a job seeker. Take advantage of your current situation and be proactive to ensure success in your new job and in the next interview game.
You are about to enter the world of company politics and the need to impress everyone you meet. The same qualities applied in the interview game plus unbounded energy must now be directed towards living up to and exceeding the expectations of those who hired you.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
Within an hour Susan received her offer letter, which included a respectable 10% increase over her previous salary. The background check was a surprise, but she had nothing to worry about because she was totally honest about her degree and all the information she provided Scott. She was very relieved that there was no personality test.
Susan called Scott the next morning. She had one question related to the company’s profitability and revenue stream since it is a private company. Scott replied with a reassuring answer. Susan then weighed the risk of negotiating for a higher base and the possibility of losing the offer even at this late stage. What convinced her to makethe first move to negotiate was the excellent rapport she developed with Scott. She knew her request must be done in a professional, non-demanding manner. “Scott, you know how excited I am about this offer, and I would like to ask if there is room in the budget for a base of $81,000?” Scott was apologetic in his reply and said “We can’t go a penny over $80,000. Would that be acceptable?” Another winning move by Susan. She accepted the offer immediately. Susan took the initiative to inform Scott that she would like to start on Monday, just five days away. Scott agreed and Susan will be the official winner of the interview game when she appears at her new job on Monday morning.
An acceptance letter sent to your new supervisor in advance of your start date conveys a professional image and contributes to a warm impression. Susan sends an e-mail to her new boss, the VPmarketing, stating how pleased she is to receive the offer and that she looks forward to being a productive member of the team.
Taken From:Winning the Interview Game
