Congratulations! You’ve taken on a new job at Premier Research. This is an exciting step in your career—but you may also be a little nervous. That’s understandable. As many as 1 in 3 people would avoid change if they could and contemplating a whole new work setting—new people, new responsibilities, new processes—may only compound that anxiety. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to ease the transition and to make your first days, weeks, and months both comfortable and successful.
Before You Start
- Explore the territory: While you probably did lots of due diligence on Premier Research during the hiring process, refreshing your knowledge can be a good way to remember all the reasons the organization felt like a good fit. Check out the company Values. Review the organizational structure. Read profiles of the people who will be your new co-workers and teammates. Explore our blog, our news articles, and our LinkedIn feed. It will help you feel like you know the company, long before your first day.
- Set up your workspace: If you will be working remotely for the first time, organize your office, so you are ready to go on day one. Choose a dedicated workspace, remove any clutter, add good light. Then assess any other needs. Do you need a better desk chair? An ergonomic keyboard or standing desk option? A printer? Make sure you’re confident that your home office will help you to be productive.
- Plan your routine: Not really knowing how your days will unfold can be a source of stress. Combat it by thinking about your ideal routine. What personal claims can you expect on your time? How can you best manage those, while fulfilling your work responsibilities? Setting clear boundaries between home life and work life is an essential step in achieving work-life balance, something that Premier prioritizes for our employees.
- Take some “me time”: With the clock ticking down to your first day on the job, it can be tempting to spend your time running last-minute errands or finishing a big home-improvement project. But those may not help you relax and destress. Be sure to take a little time to do something that makes you feel good about you, whether that is going for a run, meeting a friend, or curling up with a book.
- Go ahead and ask questions: Premier Research has a very robust onboarding process—but even one or two days can seem like a long time to wait when you are wondering about how things will work in your new job. Feel free to contact the Talent Partner that guided you through the interview process or reach out to your onboarding contact. They may not be able to answer every question before Day 1—but they can offer a good start.
When You Start
- Make connections: Knowing people is a start to feeling integrated and connected. Introduce yourself to your team, sharing a little bit about yourself, so you can start building personal relationships. Ask your manager for the names of 3 people you should prioritize getting to know and set up 1-on-1 meetings with them. Connect with people on LinkedIn; you may be surprised by what you find you have in common. Be sure to include people from other departments, especially those whose jobs may overlap with yours. Joining one (or more) of our employee resource groups or chat spaces can be a great way to meet like-minded colleagues as well.
- Ask for back-up: There is a lot to learn at first. Yes, you should listen carefully and take notes. But you might also want to ask for recordings or other documentation so that you can review what you have learned and reference it later.
- Train on the tools: Premier Research’s systems and processes may be different from those you have used at other jobs. Take advantage of internal training sessions and resources to become familiar with them. The more fluent you are in using the tools, the more comfortable you will be doing your new job.
- Speak up: It can be intimidating to speak up when you’re new. You may not know the history on a project, the personalities involved, the typical processes. But remember, you were hired for a reason—and your teammates want to hear your thoughts and ideas. We encourage people to reach out and be change agents. In fact, those are Core Behaviors that are built into our Culture. Don’t wait to be invited to share your thoughts; participate actively in meetings, or, if that is uncomfortable, speak 1-1 with your manager or a team member who can support you in raising your feedback.
- Plan your career development: At Premier Research, We Aim High. It is one of our Values—and part of that is a dedication to supporting your career growth. As you settle in, think about short-term and long-term goals for your current position, as well as where you may see yourself in the future. Then talk to your manager. There are many opportunities for continuous learning and professional development, and we support you in taking advantage of them all.
Do you have more questions about how to prepare for your new job at Premier Research? Connect with one of our Talent Partners or your onboarding contact.