You sent in a great CV, got the interview, accepted the offer – congratulations! Even if it’s your dream role, however, you will likely be a little nervous to get started. Settling into a new job or company can be exciting, exhilarating – and a little terrifying. It offers opportunities to learn and grow, perhaps even to reinvent yourself, but it also means stepping into the unknown. Remember, you were hired because they thought you would be a good fit and would be able to perform – and no one (or at least no one reasonable) expects you to know what you’re doing from day one.
Though you will adapt to your day-to-day responsibilities much faster, it can take 6-18 months to feel fully confident; your own personality, as well as the complexity of the role, both play a part. Take your time to learn the job well and don’t beat yourself up if it takes longer than you expected to feel fully settled.
The First 6 Months
The first six months in any role are the time to focus on learning, both about your new responsibilities and about the company culture. Observe, ask questions, ask them again if you need to – a lot of information is likely to be thrown at you, and few of us can take everything in at once. Here are a few tips to help ease the process:
Understand expectations
When you start, be sure that you clearly understand your job responsibilities and performance expectations. This will help you focus during your initial training and help ease some of the anxiety that new tasks and environments can cause. Regularly check in on your progress and seek clarification if needed.
Be proactive
Take the initiative to learn about your new role, team, and company. Ask questions, seek guidance, and familiarise yourself with the company's values, mission and culture. Many companies will offer orientation or onboarding programs, but these will focus more on overall brand values; the way these values are put into practice is something you will need to learn from your new colleagues.
Adapt to the company culture
Each company has its own unique culture, and few people appreciate it when someone new comes in and immediately tries to change the status quo. Observe and adapt to the work environment, norms and communication styles within the organisation. Respect existing processes and practices while also bringing your own unique perspective and ideas.
If you are in management, get your team involved in changes that you want to make and introduce them over time; unless a full shake up is urgently required, gradual change will be less disruptive to operations as well as less likely to spur a wave of resignations.
Build relationships
Hospitality is all about engaging with other people, and this is true of colleagues as well as guests. You will need relationships with your direct coworkers for learning and support and with those in other parts of the business to enable cooperation and collaboration, so invest time in getting to know them. Attend team meetings and social events, and engage in conversations to establish rapport. Networking within the organization can help you feel more connected and build a support system – and of course, it makes work a lot more fun!
Seek feedback and learn from it
As you learn about your new responsibilities, regularly seek feedback from your manager, peers or mentors. Actively listen to their suggestions and advice, and use it to improve your performance. Demonstrating a willingness to learn and grow will help you establish yourself as a valuable team member.
If you are struggling to learn from the training you are receiving, you may also want to speak to your manager about your learning style. We all process information in different ways; if you need hands on practice and most of your training has been from manuals, for example, a change could help you to learn and become confident more quickly.
Be patient and give yourself time
Adjusting to a new job or company takes time. It's normal to feel overwhelmed initially, but remember that you were hired for a reason. Give yourself time to learn, grow and become comfortable in your new role. Be patient with yourself as you navigate the learning curve.
6 to 12 Months
After your first six months you are likely beginning to feel fairly confident about your day to day responsibilities. Your colleagues are starting to come to you instead of going to someone more experienced, and when you are asked to perform a task or answer a guest query you can generally do so without assistance. You’ve probably also started to build trust and relationships with your team.
That’s not to say you know everything yet, however, so don’t feel discouraged if you still have to ask questions or if you are suddenly faced with a situation you don’t know how to handle. Hospitality is highly dynamic, and even experienced workers with 10 years or more in the industry will come up against a guest request or business challenge which they haven’t seen before. Now is the time to give yourself a pat on the back for everything that you have learned and accomplished so far while continuing to learn and adapt as necessary.
If you are feeling confident in performing your basic responsibilities, this is a good time to sit down with your manager to discuss your targets. You will hopefully have already been told about and trained on any key performance indicators such as guest satisfaction or upselling, but depending on the role there may be more long term goals which you need be aware of.
As you settle in, don't be afraid to take initiative and contribute beyond your assigned tasks. Identify opportunities for improvement, suggest ideas, and take on additional responsibilities when appropriate. This can be a great way to continue your learning process, and demonstrating a proactive attitude can help you stand out and make a positive impact.
12 to 18 Months
After 12 to 18 months in a new role you should be confident and capable of performing. You may even be training new starters. This is a good time to assess your career development goals; you may have much more to learn before your next step, or you may be nearly ready to begin preparing for your next move and to start the process all over again!
Conclusion
Starting a new job, whether it’s your very first role or the latest of several promotions, can be both exciting and overwhelming. Focus on learning the essentials and building from there, and don’t forget to invest time in building relationships as well.
It’s important, too, that while settling into a new job you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Many people get caught up in learning their new role or trying to excel immediately in order to make a good impression, but this can burn you out quickly. Take breaks, practice self-care and engage in activities outside of work that help you relax and recharge. This will contribute to your overall well-being and long term job satisfaction.
Remember, everyone's experience is unique, and it may take some time to feel completely settled. Stay open-minded, maintain a positive attitude and embrace the learning opportunities that a new experience can offer.