A new position, a new work environment, a new corporate culture, new colleagues… Whether a junior or a senior, freshly arrived in a new company or a new department, joining a new team is not always easy and can even be stressful for some. So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of our best tips to integrate well into your new team.
1. Make a good first impression
In addition to arriving on time on the big day, you must make a good impression. Therefore, meeting your new colleagues to introduce yourself and learn their names and functions is essential. Show interest by asking questions and actively listening to them. Keep an open, respectful, and smiling attitude during your exchanges.
This is the time to build a positive image with your new colleagues! Don’t forget to find out about the company’s dress code beforehand to avoid any faux pas. If you have not been told about this, try to model yourself in the outfits worn by the people you met during your job interview. Knowing whether the rule is to be on first-name or last-name terms will also be very useful!
2. Be curious and observe
Before your job interview, you’ve read up on the company, scoured their social networks, and read their latest news. Now that you’re in the integration phase at your new company, you need to keep looking for more information. To do this, stay on top of your company’s news.
To facilitate your integration, gradually immerse yourself in your new work environment. Observe and pay attention to everything that happens around you. Be curious, and do not hesitate to ask questions to clarify certain points. Identify the colleagues with whom you will frequently be collaborating. If necessary, take notes to make sure you don’t forget anything.
Will you be telecommuting? Don’t hesitate to ask your colleagues questions, either by email, phone, instant messaging, or video conference. In addition, if the manager has not already organized it, ask the team members for small half-hour meetings. First, to get to know each other, then to understand their function and missions and see how you will collaborate.
3. Take it step by step
So avoid being overzealous and trying to impose your vision of things or your way of doing things. Taking initiative and being involved is good, but being arrogant and thinking you know everything better than everyone else is bad. Constantly referring to your former employer’s methods is also a no-no.
You are the last to arrive; you must remain humble and discreet and follow the methods of your team. You may be an expert in your field, but you don’t know everything. Be patient; opportunities to show your skills and contribute your ideas will come soon.
4. Adapt to the corporate culture
If you have worked in various companies during your career, you know only too well: each company (and even each department) has its way of doing things, its own rules, traditions, rituals, values, and even its language. In order to integrate into a new team and get closer to your new colleagues, it is, therefore, essential to understand the company culture and respect it.
The difficulty lies in the fact that most of these rules are tacit and unwritten, so you have to be observant and know how to decipher the customs and the unspoken. In short, be prepared to adapt quickly and follow the flow: for example, if your colleagues are used to having lunch together every day, join them to facilitate your integration. Also, use the same communication channels: if they regularly exchange on a WhatsApp group, send each other gifs, recipes, jokes, or photos, do the same!
5. Connect with your colleagues
Once the introductions have been made and everyone’s names and functions have been determined, try to get to know and bond with your new colleagues. Even if you are shy, don’t stay in your corner! So, in addition to greeting them every morning and at the end of the day, participate in conversations, and accompany them on lunch or coffee breaks (physical or virtual). You can also share treats with them (of course, respecting the barrier gestures) or offer to bring them something when you go down to the local café.
Also, give them the opportunity to get to know you: tell each other about your likes and dislikes and what you have in common. In all cases, while it is crucial to maintain a professional attitude, you should also make sure that you remain yourself and not become someone you do not simply fit in.
6. Take stock to better integrate
A few weeks after your arrival, if not offered, ask your manager to review with you whether your work is appreciated and understand what you could improve. By doing so, you show that you are involved and motivated and that you want to do a good job. These improvements will also help you adapt and strengthen your integration into your new team.
Little by little, after the observation phase and by trying to build relationships with your colleagues, you will manage to integrate and find your place in your new company. In any case, remember that you have been recruited for your know-how, but also for your personality, which corresponds to the company’s values and needs. So be patient and keep your confidence; you have every chance of integrating well into your new team!
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