New Job? What You Need to Know
Ten questions to ask your manager when you start a new job
A first day at work is daunting. Maybe there’s a new office/building that you need to find your way around and lots of new faces and people to get to know. Have you ever been in the situation where you’re given a tour and introduced to at least a dozen people whose names and responsibilities you immediately forget? I know I have.
Hopefully there’s a half decent onboarding so that you are told where key corporate policies/documents are kept and given clear instructions about which ones you need to get acquainted with. You’ll be told about what to do in the event of a fire, what the kitchen etiquette is, how the coffee rota works and how to join the lottery syndicate!
Most importantly there should be full introductions to your team, and a meeting with your line manager.
There’s a lot to take in, but it’s what the business needs you to know, or what they think you will find useful as you start your new job. When you meet with your new manager, take the opportunity to ask questions about things they may not have considered as part of the onboarding process. Questions that are going to help you understand and carry out your job in an informed fashion. If a meeting with your manager isn’t mentioned, arrange one.
OK, so maybe they are not all questions for day one, you don’t want to come across as the high inquisitor, but they are certainly ones to ask as soon as possible. Not only will the answers help you do a better job, but it will demonstrate to your new employer that you are serious about doing a good job and have thought about what you need to know to get off to the best start.
A responsible employer should have answered at least some of these – so it’s not as daunting a list as it may look from the start, and you may have some additional questions specific to the business you are working for. This isn’t intended as a ‘you must ask these questions’ type list. It’s more of a ‘have a think about these questions and use the ones you think will be most useful’ type list.
There are other benefits from seeking clarity on day one. If you can ask some of these questions right at the start it will give you confidence to speak up in future on other issues you consider important. It shows your new employer you’re assertive and that you are interested in what you can do for the business, and what it can do for you.
Of course it’s not enough just to ask the questions, you need to listen to, note and act in accordance with the responses!
Ten questions to ask your manager when you start a new job.
Can we discuss my duties/responsibilities? – make sure you understand the expectations/outputs of your role, or at least the main ones.
Can we discuss my direct reports? – it can be useful to get some insights on how you team and the individuals within it work, whether there are any issues. A word of caution – your line manager may have biases that affect their opinions.
Are there any guides/procedures/manuals/contracts I need to be aware of and where can I locate them? - make sure you then allocate time to review these key documents.
Are there any handover notes from my predecessor? Are there any live issues I need to be aware of now? – asking now could prevent a nasty surprise early on and allow you time to get familiar with current issues.
Are there any regular meetings I need to sit in on? – heads up on identifying commitments, what role you have and what input you have to provide.
How often do we need to meet one to one to discuss work and any other issues? – if regular one to one meetings haven’t already been mentioned this shows that you expect the support and feedback of your manager on a regular basis.
What’s the best way for me to offer feedback and ideas? – shows you want to be involved in what’s going on supporting the development of the team/business.
Who do you recommend as useful connections in the business? – this could be people in HR, procurement, legal, finance or other sectors of the business. It’s important to build an internal network. These connections will not only be useful in keeping you informed about what’s going on across the whole business but will also be handy if you ever have an issue specific to their area.
How will the business help me achieve my personal goals? – unlikely that your manager at this stage even knows what those personal goals are. By asking this question you can then let them know what your goals are, and then they can consider how to help.
Is there any advice you want to give me that will help me be successful in this role? – the answer to this can be quite enlightening. The response may give you some insight into the culture of the organisation and/or the way the manager likes to work. It may raise some red flags e.g. a response of ‘keep your head down and just do the job’ doesn’t inspire, whereas a response of ‘be open and honest and speak up if you have any issues’ gives some reassurance that the business is supportive of its people.
So, there you go – try asking questions as soon as you start your new job, some are more challenging than others, but all will help you understand what’s expected of you and what you can expect of your employer.
Are there any other questions you’d add to the list?
