Everything You Need to Do on Your First Day of Remote Work
Many of us have adjusted to WFH life over the past two years, perhaps even joining the so-called ” great retirement ” to avoid being forced back into a personal office. Given the opportunity to start working remotely, there’s no shortage of reasons to choose the benefits of working from home over personal roles.
Still, whether she’s retired or not, the first day of a new job is unsettling. All the wisdom on how to make a strong impression on the first day comes from personal practices in another world: a firm handshake, dropping into someone’s office to introduce yourself, having lunch with a colleague to get to know them. Have all these nuances of the past disappeared? How can you translate those small but important connections on your first day of remote work?
Tony Frana, Career Services Manager at FlexJobs and Remote.co. , tells us his top tips for opening a new position remotely. Here are all the little things you can do from home to set yourself up for success from day one at work.
Ask how your boss prefers to communicate
Frana says that frequent and active communication is critical for both employees and employers. Different teams use different means of communication for different reasons, and you will need to clarify exactly how your new team deals with this.
Be sure to talk to your boss, where you will explicitly confirm what type of communication he prefers. This means changing the frequency (such as regular check-ins) as well as the way you communicate (Slack for small questions, video calls for longer chats, etc.).
Frana gives us a sample script to send to your boss: How would you like me to communicate with you during the work day? Frana continues, “It shows them that you understand this dynamic and that you are trying to communicate in a way that suits their needs.” This conversation is essential not only to make a strong first impression, but also to personally prevent burnout, miscommunication, and wasted time.
Ask for feedback sooner rather than later
Don’t wait for your boss to retroactively set expectations. There’s no doubt that it’s harder to “read the room” and evaluate your own performance when everything is remote. During your initial conversation about communication preferences, ask for time for feedback during the first few days. It takes more effort to stand out in remote positions, but it’s also easier to appear active — even if it’s as simple as getting a five-minute “how am I?” appointment on the calendar.
Schedule meetings with colleagues
Show social initiative on your first day. You don’t have to jump on all the video calls right away, but at least put in the effort to try and set up a short 15-minute meeting with all your team members.
When you’re on those introductory calls, focus on building rapport, which is harder to recreate in Slack and email. Feel free to ask questions specifically about the job, but really, this call should be about face-to-face communication to prove to each other that you are real people. I believe that colleagues do not have to be best friends. At the same time, getting to know the real people behind the position can make a huge difference to everyone’s morale.
Send a quick “thank you”
A little gratitude can go a long way. In addition to good manners, you will show your colleagues that you recognize and appreciate all the ways they help you. It can be as simple as “Thank you for inviting me to the team!” to “Thank you for answering so many questions today!” This quick, personalized thank you message is a nice touch to end your first day.
Keep yourself sane with a routine
Now that you know how to prove to your team that you’re competent and cool, you need to keep yourself in mind as well. “Whether you’re just starting out working from home or you’re an experienced remote worker, it’s important to set up and stick to a daily routine as it can help you organize your day, stay focused, and allow you to ‘knock out the best’. “at the appointed time,” Frana says.
After two years of WFH tips and tricks, you might be rolling your eyes. But for your own sanity, Frana advises making sure the following habits are part of your WFH lifestyle:
- Start every working day with the same routine and do the same at the end of the day.
- Be prepared to work just like you would in an office. Don’t get out of bed and head to your desk. Take the time to wake up, get ready, and get to your home office with a clear head and ready to go.
- Create a permanent space to work so you feel attached every day. Even the same corner of your living room can work if you use it every day.
- Take full advantage of the freedom and control that comes with remote work . Sit back and take time for yourself during the day if you can. Consider taking short breaks for fresh air or doing some personal chores during work hours.
Be kind to yourself
Finally, take care of yourself. You are the “new guy” (gender neutral) in town and you should give yourself time to get to know how your new team works.
So while you’re giving yourself time to adjust to the company culture and expectations, make sure you don’t inadvertently overwork yourself. Frana notes that remote workers often work longer hours because it is widely believed that their work is always available. “Put away your laptop, close your office door, and turn off email notifications on your phone after hours,” Frana says, “so you can turn off your work brain and focus on your personal life.”