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Workers starting 2013 with a new job may find learning the ropes to be their biggest challenge, a new Accountemps survey suggests.
Forty-four percent of employees and 60% of managers interviewed said mastering new processes and procedures tops their list of concerns when starting a new job at a new company.
One in five respondents (20%) from each group cited getting to know a new boss and colleagues as the new job greatest hurdle.
The joint surveys of workers and senior managers were developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm.
The surveys include responses from 420 working adults 18 years of age or older and employed in an office environment and 1,014 senior managers at U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.
Their responses:
Workers | Managers | |||||
Learning new processes and procedures |
44% |
60% |
||||
Getting to know a new boss and coworkers |
20% |
20% |
||||
Learning how to use new technology and tools |
17% |
12% |
||||
Fitting into the corporate culture |
12% |
7% |
||||
Other, don’t know, no answer |
7% |
1% |
||||
Total |
100% |
100% |
||||
“The first few days and weeks on a job can be both exciting and overwhelming as new hires familiarize themselves with the company’s work environment and policies, including any unwritten rules,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Human Resources Kit For Dummies, 3rd Edition (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.). “Taking full advantage of orientation events and opportunities to meet and interact with colleagues can help smooth the transition.”
“Most companies provide training so employees can get up to speed on formal procedures,” Messmer said. “However, it’s often more challenging to learn the cultural nuances of the firm, including how people prefer to communicate and collaborate.”