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Critical First Steps in Your New Position

Lucky enough to get that high-profile HR position, but somehow worried that you may not stack up against the expectations or demands waiting for you when you start?

Starting a new HR role almost always brings with it some fear of the unknown and unfamiliar, whether you will meet expectations and if you will just ‘fit in’. As well, adjusting to a new position and establishing new relationships may feel a bit awkward, especially if it’s been a few years since you last transitioned HR roles. People start new positions all the time — however there are some timeliness key points that will help you start on the right foot and avoid common pitfalls:

Assess the Situation Carefully

What you learned from interviews likely will not reflect what you find once you start, so try to walk in without too many preconceptions. The company may have started an internal realignment, either within HR or more broadly, that wasn’t indicated or some of the HR staff may have left since the time you interviewed.

Learn All You Can

Along with assessing the current situation, each company is different in terms of operations, culture, and structure within HR. Before jumping to conclusions about how you should approach your new HR role and what changes need to be made, make sure you understand:

  • How the company defines effective HR leadership and what a ‘win’ looks like.
  • The tone of Executive Management and what they view the medium to long-term goals to be.
  • The history of the teams that you’ll be working with.

Build the Relationships

If you walk in with preconceptions or fail to learn and adapt to the organisation’s culture, you may falter in building necessary relationships to be successful in your new HR role. In particular, establish rapport with:

  • Your supervisor
  • Your direct reports
  • Your peers
  • Your key internal clients
  • Support Staff

Each of them may have different perspectives, so it’s important to get their views on the development and current status of the organisation.

Build Your Credibility

If you’ve worked at the above three points, you are well on your way to establishing some credibility in your HR function, but you’ll also need to :

  • Begin establishing your own plan of action, aligned with what you’ve already learned about the organization’s status, culture and goals.
  • Show that you can manage expectations, by communicating clearly and effectively with your reports as well as your boss. Even as you work through the sensitive start, ensure that you keep your boss well-informed of your objectives and progress (being sensitive to their management style).
  • Get to some incremental but well-positioned ‘wins’ as quickly as possible that take small steps toward achieving goals of the organisation — best to start with solid showings that won’t risk too much or look like you are trying to prove anything.

Find a Mentor or Coach

Someone who can work with you to achieve the goals you want to achieve by making sense of your thinking on the issues that you are confronted in your HR role as well as to consider options that you may not have consciously thought of. Many times an external coach, impartial to and removed from the issues, yet focused on your success is the best avenue, but a good internal mentor is never a bad thing. Benefits include:

  • An impartial perspective, free of the emotions that you may be dealing with, will help you see some of the forest and not just the tree right in front of you.
  • Drawing on the coach’s experience and knowledge that you may not have will assist you in identifying alternative solutions or avoid potential pitfalls.
  • Ensuring that you establish credibility and avoid potential failure in your role by effectively managing your plan to quickly get key ‘wins’ under your belt.

Garrett Weiner is an ICF accredited coach and career consultant, helping HR Executives across Asia to move forward in their career and personal development with a balanced, authentic and results-driven approach.

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