Going the Distance: Nailing Your First Week in a Role Remotely

You’ve applied to a role, nailed the video interview process, accepted a job offer and signed your employment contract – all from the comfort of your living room. But what happens now? 

If you’re lucky enough to be starting a new job in the current market, you will likely be faced with a completely new challenge – how to get started as the newbie working in a ‘remote’ office.

And you’re not alone on this. Chances are the majority of real estate businesses’ onboarding processes were not designed for remote new starters, nor would adapting these processes have been top of mind when a pandemic began closing real estate offices nationwide.

Even from home, a new employee will still need to acclimatise to a new environment, new people and new ways of working. Without face to face introductions and in-person induction procedures to welcome you into a team, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed with information or get lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces on a group conference call.

So, what can you do to bridge the gap until you get back into the physical office?

Take a look below at our top tips to stay ahead of the ball and nail those first impressions when starting a new job from home.

BEFORE YOU START & THE FIRST WEEK

• Be proactive and get acclimatised to your new role and who you will be working with. Do your research on the company, team members and the core values of the business, look at videos and photos online to get a sense of how the office operates normally and get a feel of the company’s culture.

• Reach out to your new employer’s HR contact or your new Manager to ask what the remote onboarding process will look like and how they are handling logistics such as training, setting up your company accounts and what to expect on your first day.

• Instead of a typical half-day orientation where you would pick up your laptop and other supplies before being introduced to your new colleagues, try to manufacture these initial introductions by holding a quick one on one video chat with each of your new team members to get your bearings.

• Use your first week to play around with the new CRM systems you will be using. Read through any training documents, employee handbooks and an in-depth description of your role and duties to avoid any unnecessary miscommunications down the road.

• Check in with your Manager and colleagues to make sure you are on track – many businesses are made up of unspoken cultural norms and unique jargon that would normally be picked up by overhearing conversations in the office. Absorb as much of this information as possible and flag if something gets lost in translation.

HOME OFFICE SET UP AND ROUTINE

• An obvious one – make sure you have access to a suitable home office setup to get you started. This includes a working laptop or PC, a stable internet connection and access to any logins or contact details you need to get your internal accounts set up.

• Establish strict work from home hours to get you into an ‘office-day’ routine and set boundaries with your co-workers by communicating off the bat what hours you will be online. Set regular alarms to get up from your seat and take a break to avoid overworking or burning out.

• Set yourself achievable daily tasks or projects to work on and keep track of them using calendar reminders and a clear to-do list. Be realistic – don’t overcommit yourself so that you feel like you’re underachieving or falling behind in your first week.

• Keep a log of questions to follow up on as you work that would normally be asked upfront in an office setting. An email or group chat message can get lost in the noise and you may forget to follow up. Go back through what you’ve done each day and make notes to bring to your next one on one with anything you want to highlight.

• Use virtual communication and workflow tools to your advantage. Check in with your colleagues daily via video or chat for updates on key projects and utilise a shared document drive that you can collaboratively edit/review in real time (to save a 20+ email thread!). Most importantly – remember to unplug by muting these notifications during your ‘off hours.’

GET TO KNOW YOUR TEAM 

• Announce yourself as a new hire in the business – people may not notice a new face if they’re not in the office every day. Send out a quick email or group chat message to ‘e-introduce’ yourself with a bit about your background and interests to break the ice.

• Get a mentor or ‘buddy’. You need someone who can help you navigate business procedures and the gist of your role, as well as someone who is well connected in the office to introduce you to people. Putting good mentors in place from day one will get you up to speed and feeling more at home in no time.

• Learn how your team communicates, both with your Manager and with each other. Identify their preferred channels of communication such as email or phone and know who is most likely to respond faster via which method. You can also use a shared email calendar as a rough guide for booking in catch ups or one on ones.

• Take time to get personal with your new co-workers. Host an informal after-work virtual drinks or one on one coffee chats to build friendships and trust so that you can integrate better into the workplace once you’re all in the office together. 

• Be patient. With the absence of physical connection, it may take longer for people to learn your name or develop a bond. Contribute to office banter, bounce your ideas around on group emails and touch base with your colleagues once a day to make a strong first impression.

DON’T BE SCARED TO ASK  

• Conduct regular check in calls and weekly catch ups with your Manager to share where you are at with key projects and training materials. Ask openly for feedback on your work and show that you can accept and apply constructive criticism.

• Make sure expectations are clear – and exceed them. Confirm when deliverables are due on a new project and build confidence with your Manager by providing regular updates and reporting your progress, without being asked. This shows your employer that you are being proactive and don’t need to be micro-managed.

• Don’t wait for help – ask for it. Your team mates won’t pick up on uncertainties normally shown through body language or facial expressions online. Don’t rely on email when asking questions as tone can be misconstrued, pick up the phone and be vocal if you need more guidance, resources or feedback on delegated tasks.

• Working remotely isn’t just a new challenge for you – it’s probably one for your employer as well. Be patient if there are some teething issues with the remote onboarding process and suggest ways to streamline this process for future hires – remember, your employer wants your feedback too!

• Lastly, be proactive. Check in with your HR contact to see if there are any extra tools or processes that you should be learning to make your job easier. Ask when you need to be up to speed on these systems and complete any additional online training tutorials to avoid asking repetitive questions.

LOOK FORWARD

Starting a new job is daunting enough, without the added curveball of working from home. But despite its challenges – this is only temporary.

Look to the future and remember that this period will pass. Go to the effort of making a good impression with your Manager and building relationships with your team now, so that you can approach your first ‘official’ day in the office with 100% confidence.

Image Credit: AtLassian