New job? Go out there and introduce yourself to everyone | Guest on Radio 702
According to Vanessa Raath, prospective employees have to establish the environment that they will be working in and have proper orientation whether in person or virtually.
She added that the human resources department should be upfront and share all the necessary information with prospective employees.
It should not be the employee who is following up and asking these questions, noted Raath.
One of the biggest issues at the moment is people not pitching up to their first day of work or people accepting counteroffers. A lot of this is caused by people being scared of the unknown.
Vanessa Raath, Global Talent Sourcing Trainer
People are less likely not to arrive if they have met the team and feel comfortable about where they are going.
Vanessa Raath, Global Talent Sourcing Trainer
Raath said if a prospective employee receives two offers and had already committed to one but wants the other one instead, for example, there is not much that the company can do.
However, the biggest damage one can experience is damage to personal reputation.
The best way to avoid this kind of damage is to be transparent and open with companies interviewing you.
Companies should also make sure that they are ready to receive new employees.
There’s nothing worse than getting someone to join your team, they are enthusiastic and they want to prove themselves, but your IT department takes three weeks to give the laptop to them.
Vanessa Raath, Global Talent Sourcing Trainer
You’ve got one shot to impress on your first couple of days within an organisation. Go out there and literally introduce yourself to everyone, from the receptionist to the tea lady, to the CEO. Candidates who’ve done this have left a lasting impression.
Vanessa Raath, Global Talent Sourcing Trainer
Sometimes the interview does not fully explain what is required from a person in terms of duties, which causes employees to quickly fall out of the honeymoon period.
Raath advises that upfront, new employees should try and shadow current employees to see what the work responsibilities are like.
One key thing people forget is that they really want to impress when they start a job, the next thing there is a burnout situation happening because the person was too afraid to speak up in their first couple of weeks.
Vanessa Raath, Global Talent Sourcing Trainer