How to Engage With Your Hiring Manager Before Your First Day
Phew! You made it through the interview and got an offer letter. Congrats!
But don’t think you can take it easy until your first day. The time between signing your offer letter and showing up starts to demonstrate your character, who you really are and what you’ll really be like to work with– after the polished facade of the interview.
Your hiring manager and HR Department are focused on providing an onboarding experience that’s compliant yet customized to bring you into the organization, but onboarding is a two-way street. You need to do your part to be successfully integrated into the organization.
You’ve impressed the hiring manager and HR Department with your interview skills but now it’s time to nail the pre-boarding stage.
1. Be Timely
I’m assuming you were on time for ALL your interviews and guessing you were prompt to respond to the offer call. It sounds simple but make sure you complete all the pre-boarding tasks assigned to you on time. Don’t make your hiring manager have to follow up with you because you haven’t finished your drug test on time.
2. Be Prepared
If your hiring manager doesn’t tell you want to bring, ask them what you need on the first day, such as your passport / identification. Complete all the paperwork or digital onboarding tasks that have been assigned.
3. Be Professional
While it feels great to get an offer letter, you must remember that you still need to be professional. You suited up for that interview and dazzled the hiring manager with your experience and personality. You can’t go from that formal setting to assuming you are buddies now. You’re not friends yet.
4. Be Engaged
You spent the interview showing the hiring manager how badly you wanted the job. Continue to demonstrate your excitement for the job by being engaged in all the pre-boarding steps.
Let’s Go!
Starting a new job is intense and it can be easy to get swept up in the excitement and stress of it all. Hit these four points and you will impress your hiring manager before you even show up on the first day!
