New Employees Need Employer’s Help to Succeed
Q: I’m new on the job and really struggling. Because we’re shorthanded, I was put into production from my first day with almost no training. While I’m very experienced in my field, things are done differently here. To make matters worse, there’s no systematic way for cataloging jobs on the three separate systems in use and the only person who knows what’s up works part-time so he’s often unavailable for questions. I’m often saying, “I can’t find…” or “I don’t know…” and then my supervisor acts like it’s all my fault because he can’t get what he wants when he wants it. I’m used to getting a lot done, but my productivity stinks because I spend so much time looking for things. I want this job to work out but the stress is really getting to me. Should I just start looking for another job?
A: Under the best of circumstances, starting a new job is stressful for most people. When you have ongoing frustrations and get little help from your new employer it can be overwhelming. But you can try and get on a better track before throwing in the towel.
Don’t own your employer’s part of the problem. Every time you say “I can’t” or “I don’t know” you point the finger at you. Change your language to accurately describe the situation. Instead of “I can’t find…” try “the way things are set up makes finding jobs time consuming; I’m doing my best to find it quickly.” And instead of “I don’t know…” try “I haven’t been trained in that yet; I’m doing my best to figure it out…”
Ask for help. All new employees deserve support and assistance to learn the ropes. Tell your boss you want to be successful in your new position and need help. Don’t whine or present a laundry list of complaints. Be specific about what you can do, and what you need, in order to solve the problems you’re encountering. Be open to suggestions. Propose that you develop an action plan together, with timeframes, to outline what will be done in the next few months.
If the shoe doesn’t fit… The transition period for a new job includes instability, uncertainties, and fear of the unknown. With time, and effort from both the employer and the employee, those should be gradually replaced with familiarity, confidence and know-how resulting in increased productivity. But, not every job match is a good fit. If the situation doesn’t start improving soon, your best option may be to look for another option.
